Was a bullet planted in his luggage? American father trapped for months in Thailand

[digger70]

Was a bullet planted in his luggage? American father trapped for months in Thailand

 

 

Why all the trouble ? what's a Single bullet No matter what Caliber going to do ? Sweet F.all. 

My sister came to visit me in Aus (I admit this was some years ago )she took back home at least 6 different calibers Bullets to show the Family (the powder was removed)Primers intact and taken back to the Netherlands ) She din't have any trouble at the airports ,she just explained (souvenirs) ????

[Asking for a friend]

Two things come to mind:

 

Does the lady mean they spent 20,000THB and not understand the exchange rate? ???? 

 

and 

 

Never, in my life, have I seen BKK care a whit about what “leaves” BKK vs. what is brought in. My understanding was that BKK dumps the responsibility for checking that on the USA or other destinations (to save money).

 

That would be a nightmare for me as I hit the range frequently however I keep a meticulous range bag just for that use and always check for loose rounds. I suspect if not a pure scam this could have been an innocent round he left in there from a range day trip? Assuming not a gangbanger since I’m not a racist.

[Asking for a friend]

1 minute ago, Asking for a friend said:

Assuming not a gangbanger since I’m not a racist.

I mean, not on Thursdays, anyway.

[hioctane]

18 minutes ago, Asking for a friend said:

Two things come to mind:

 

Does the lady mean they spent 20,000THB and not understand the exchange rate? ???? 

 

and 

 

Never, in my life, have I seen BKK care a whit about what “leaves” BKK vs. what is brought in. My understanding was that BKK dumps the responsibility for checking that on the USA or other destinations (to save money).

 

That would be a nightmare for me as I hit the range frequently however I keep a meticulous range bag just for that use and always check for loose rounds. I suspect if not a pure scam this could have been an innocent round he left in there from a range day trip? Assuming not a gangbanger since I’m not a racist.

Precisely, over 600,000 baht for a lawyer? That is a bit hard to believe!

[Arkady]

9 hours ago, ParkerN said:

The presence or otherwise of fingerprints is not definitive. You can bet your life the guy who put the bullet in the bag (assuming it wasn't the American) cleaned his own prints off - and everything else in the process. But I bet the bullet is the same type that goes in police hand-guns.

 

Surely the courts know about this scam? And since taking this guy to court doesn't make anyone richer, when did they put the bite on him for some 'financial assistance'?

 

This is a real worry for passengers, and it doesn't help very much with my somewhat dismal (learned) view of Thais. This country and it's dismal people collectively really are the pits. Useless for anything that matters.

No indication from the article what type of round it was. 9mm is the most common caliber of policemen side arms but it is also the most common caliber of privately owned handguns in Thailand, both legal and illegal. Probably was one of those but could have been something else. Anyway the type of cartridge wouldn't prove a link to the police, since they buy their own and there is no standard police issue round, although there probably should be.

 

If it was a plant and a shake down, it probably failed because he wasn't able to come up with enough cash , so got dumped into the judicial process where the court seems to have believed his story and dismissed the case or acquitted him but given the prosecution time to appeal the decision.

[emptypockets]

7 hours ago, Xonax said:

He should be thankful, that the bullet was found in Thailand and not in America, where Lawyer fees are much less affordable.

Or Brunei. 5 years inside even for an ornamental plated bullet hanging on a chain around your neck.

That was before the Sultan went nuts with Sharia Law.

[CH1961]

6 hours ago, milesinnz said:

I have modified the amount of time and money I spend in Thailand..

Sure they miss you ... NOT ????

[CH1961]

3 hours ago, digger70 said:

Was a bullet planted in his luggage? American father trapped for months in Thailand

 

 

Why all the trouble ? what's a Single bullet No matter what Caliber going to do ? Sweet F.all. 

My sister came to visit me in Aus (I admit this was some years ago )she took back home at least 6 different calibers Bullets to show the Family (the powder was removed)Primers intact and taken back to the Netherlands ) She din't have any trouble at the airports ,she just explained (souvenirs) ????

Anything wrong with your keyboard? 

[bbbbooboo]

Hmmm.... the land of smiles(while they rip the foreigner off?)

[zxzoomy]

Known scam at Manila 2015:

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2015/11/04/aviation/philippines-airport-bullet-bag-scam-tanim-bala/index.html

[unamazedloso]

dna the bullet? If the people that found it fondled it, throw the case out and pay compensation to the family.

[Salerno]

If only I had a satang for every mention of Manilla/Philippines in this and the previous thread 

[Know not me]

Since my confinement in a Korat mental hospital on my Thai wifes say so and reading stories like this I have my doubts about returning to Thailand 

[Nyezhov]

29 minutes ago, Know not me said:

Since my confinement in a Korat mental hospital on my Thai wifes say so and reading stories like this I have my doubts about returning to Thailand 

Im sure you have an objective and open mind about the subject.

[Happyfarangguy]

If he lives in Ohio, he’s probably a sports shooter. The majority of midwesterners are... My cop buddy was stopped by TSA: He has flown out of Arizona and was stopped in Oregon with a few rounds of 45 in his gear bag. He got a stern warning. Now he turns his bags inside out before traveling. 

[moontang]

It would have been nice if the other guy from a month before +/-, who made it home for Christmas, came forward and denied or confessed.  Haven't heard an ounce of denial from him, and if he was on Geraldo saying he was framed, then that would bring the heavy hitters out for this guy.  Trump got the UCLA shoplifters home pretty quickly...may have been grand theft and they were pure guilty.

[digger70]

12 hours ago, CH1961 said:

Anything wrong with your keyboard? 

Nah , Me .

[bristolgeoff]

to be fair he had no gun was searched for it.also the amount of guns in Thailand u could get bullets anywhere

[rosst]

That is seriously frightening 

[MadMuhammad]

My buddy flew in to Thailand a few months back with 3 .308 rounds on his back pack. Got pulled aside obviously. After a few hours he was told 100000 baht bail and a court date in 3 months. 
A phone call to mama and a few strings pulled, 40000 baht bail and a court date in 3 weeks. 3000 baht fine and allowed to return home to Aus with no issue.

 

As stated this absolutely reeks of a setup and extortion. What an awful turn of events 

 

note: doesn’t say much for Australian airport security that he was allowed to board with them in the first place 

Edited February 28, 2020 by MadMuhammad

[Jonathan Swift]

On 2/27/2020 at 11:09 AM, 4MyEgo said:

Makes me think he was set up because he was black, just saying, you know how immigration don't like blacks apart from farangs, just saying, yes I know, paranoia lurkes.

You know this is Thailand, not America, right? No historical cottage industry of racism and lynching against blacks here. The trouble here is, no it didn't "make you think". Your statement reeks of ignorance, there is no "thinking" involved. Now here's your chance to actually "think": "Think" about how stupid your statement sounds,  and how ignorant it makes you look. Do you find yourself falling back on the phrase "just saying" every time you know you've said something you know is idiotic?

[4MyEgo]

5 minutes ago, Jonathan Swift said:

You know this is Thailand, not America, right? No historical cottage industry of racism and lynching against blacks here. The trouble here is, no it didn't "make you think". Your statement reeks of ignorance, there is no "thinking" involved. Now here's your chance to actually "think": "Think" about how stupid your statement sounds,  and how ignorant it makes you look. Do you find yourself falling back on the phrase "just saying" every time you know you've said something you know is idiotic?

I'm assuming your having bowel trouble, keep trying, just saying !

[Jonathan Swift]

On 2/27/2020 at 11:56 AM, FritsSikkink said:

If you have a good lawyer you would make sure that is was. You would let them check CCTV too. Check the persons finances to see if he gets payments above his normal salary.

CCTV should conclusively show whether the bag was tampered with at the airport, assuming no one tampers with CCTV. Otherwise it's quite possible the guy was stupid enough to knowingly have that bullet. People will pick up and take just about anything as a "souvenir". I once saw a dumbass stoner backpacker get stopped at security because he had an empty shell casing minus the bullet, clueless as to why it was a bad idea. 

[vangrop]

I hardly can Believe its a set up. I think this guys stupidness or... is the main problem. I fully understand the reaction of the Thai authorities. Taking a bullet on an airplane is a terrorist thing. And you dont need a weapon to fire a bullet. Congratulations to the airport security and keep that guy in monkeehouse he has the bad profile.

[4MyEgo]

On 2/27/2020 at 6:26 PM, Jeff G said:

My daddy once told me a very long time ago that nothing is free in this life. And please don’t forget, he’s a black man. They expect him to have bullets in his bags. 

[mikebell]

If the World's Press splashed this in the light of Thailand's now defunct tourist trade, I am sure Prayuth might intervene.

Re - good lawyers; there are none in Thailand; baht is the bottom line - keep the case simmering whilst presenting new bills monthly.

[Felt 35]

Not first time and not last.

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/761668/norwegian-cop-held-at-airport-after-bullets-found-in-bag

 

https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2019/12/26/american-men-suvarnabhumi-airport-respected-michael-jones-morra-ohio-pennsylvania-bullet-luggage/

[dbrenn]

On 2/27/2020 at 3:11 PM, ParkerN said:

This is a real worry for passengers, and it doesn't help very much with my somewhat dismal (learned) view of Thais. This country and it's dismal people collectively really are the pits. Useless for anything that matters.

And Thais, no doubt, have a dismal view of you too.

 

Why on earth do you spend your time on a forum dedicated to Thailand? Are you a masochist, or do you have a chip on your shoulder over some endeavour in Thailand that you've failed at? I've always found Thailand a great place to live and work - try to improve your attitude and you might be successful in Thailand too.

Edited February 29, 2020 by dbrenn

[jimmybcool]

On 2/28/2020 at 3:22 AM, vangrop said:

I hardly can Believe its a set up. I think this guys stupidness or... is the main problem. I fully understand the reaction of the Thai authorities. Taking a bullet on an airplane is a terrorist thing. And you dont need a weapon to fire a bullet. Congratulations to the airport security and keep that guy in monkeehouse he has the bad profile.

 

I know this is an old thread.  Just wondering how you would fire a bullet without a gun.  Pretty sure it doesn't represent any threat without a chamber, barrel and firing mechanism.

[VocalNeal]

Well you could give it to someone who already had all that?