British Couple Fights Bangkok Airport Extortionists

[bangon04]

Although it happend at a King Power store, there is no involvement of King Power itself. Let's not suggest it is or call for boycots etc.

Has King Power made any official contribution to the story? In a normal business it would be the minimum to expect the PR department to distance itself, nay even condemn such scams and promise an investigation of its own...... Silence on the subject would suggest disinterest or complacency, wouldn't it?

Does any member have some contacts in King Power?

[guig]

For the more experienced travellers you can smell or sense a scam a mile away. What worries me so much about this scam is that you normally have your defences down as you are heading home etc and would not really be thinking about possible ways of getting scamed as you are leaving a country. Happened to me last month at Swampy when i was changing some money and she short counted my Thai Baht. I caught her in the act and spoke firmly to her about her actions.......mai pen rai for her ......next mug please!

Well this changes all of that...............so what to do if this happens to you?

I know don't go into any airport duty free shops or dont buy anything from the airport, don't change money you might get ripped off, don't catch taxis etc, but if for some unfortunate reason you or your partner are caught up in this scam what would you do?

Make a scene, start screaming and really lose it........or maybe faint and pretend to have a heart attack.........get as many people involved as possible..........start filming the people involved with your camera, mobile etc...........Have your lawyer on speed dial on your mobile phone?

Any ideas from the more seasoned jury members?

[bangon04]

2.)Foreigners, whether tourists or expats, will surely develop an increased level of distrust and disrespect for Thai cops .

Ah, the fun never stops. Amazing Thailand…

Judge Dredd

Just how many higher levels of distrust are available to us? I thought we had reached the top level already. You mean it can get worse?

[Maejo Man]

I for one will never even go into any shop in the Airport ever again!

Seconded,

I never did before, and most certainly never will after this episode. Major scams are all too frequent in the realm these days....Tourist downturn perhaps?

[jalansanitwong]

I know that for years there have been all sorts of 'dodgy types' hanging around the airport but I have never heard of this sort of scam.Why dont they just threaten to call their Embassy??? In all the years i have travelled i have bought nothing more than a newspaper in any airport. There is no such thing as duty free shopping. Monthly rents and sign on contracts for shops in airports are so high the price of goods has to absorb these extras making prices ridiculous. Genuine silk tie on'special' for 1,500 baht. I could get 2 or 3 for that price downtown.TIT

[goonerthegooner]

Here's another family that will NEVER WALK in their shops again.

King Power have shot themselves in the foot once again.

Well Done.

I have forwarded this story too The Sun newspaper in the UK,lets see what they say about it??.

Oh well the tourist industry cannot get any worse now can it?

[farseer]

Calling the embassy is a complete waste of time as they will do nothing to help and the tourist police know this very well. In fact the tourist police will normally inform one's embassy about your case but they will be talking to a Thai assistant who will have absolutely no sympathy for your plight and therefore will do nothing. The Thais believe what they are told by the police, especially when foreigners are involved.

As for the foreigners who "work" for the tourist police, be very careful of them, quite a few are as crooked as their new Thai police friends.

[sriracha john]

Time to bring Thaksin back - there is no discipline in Thailand anymore - from anyone.

BR>Jack

Thaksin bondage and discipline is not what Thailand needs.

[RKASA]

WoW.   I don't even want to go near the airport.   

[fantuzi]

I had read warning about this scam in another portal few months ago.

I think - this scam is going on on two levels - one:they frame innocent passengers,

two:they help real thieves to get off the hook.

There are quite a number of genuine shoplifters in aiport crowd,few are sort of - pros,

few - cleptomaniacs,but mostly - just hobbists(finger-jonny).

[Paddleshifter]

Just let the thais drain this country empty for foreign money. They dont deserve a single dollar. I ve said it before, whats going on here and they dont deserve any tourist in this country anymore.

It sure not fun to see 8000 GDP go down the drain or to face some years in prison. My advise to someone that gets into this situation. Once out on bail without your passport run away, arrange with someone to get you out of Thailand thrugh a jungle crossing which there is 1000 of and into a neighbouring country except Burma. Then go to your embassy there and tell the story. They will be able to issue a one way travel document back to your home country. Its only your embassy in the country of the accused crime that can not help you.

When home make a big story about it. Make it big and hurt the bastards responsable for this shit.You ll save your money but cant return to Thailand though. But who would want that after this.

There are bigger stories than this around involving much bigger claims from scams.

Edited June 28, 2009 by Paddleshifter

[frodo]

Make a scene, start screaming and really lose it...

Any ideas from the more seasoned jury members?

God forbid, don't lose your temper and make a Thai lose face. You could end up in the slammer or worse, regardless of the situation. If you've read many postings here you'll see that a large percentage of members support jail time for losing ones temper; even when you're being screwed.

[Tawai]

I for one will never even go into any shop in the Airport ever again!

Seconded,

Thirded  

[JacknDanny]

What surprises me most in all of this is the attitude of the British Embassy.

Basically refusing to get involved, and the only help offered is giving them a Thai lawyer, whose advice is to stay in Thailand and fight the case

I have lived here over 10 years, and fortunately speak enough Thai and have enough friends/contacts etc, etc, that it would be highly unlikely something like this would go very far.

But if you were here on holiday, you pay the money and get out of Dodge.

Anyone who has been here any amount of time, we all know how the system works, which is why the embassy's naivity surprises me.

Having said that, maybe it doesnt. Cushy job, dont rock the boat etc

British Embassy= Chocolate Fireguard

[andyc2006]

............... and Thailand takes another hard shot to the kidneys, staggering now against the ropes, we shall see what the media can dish out next to put the final nail in the coffin. It just goes to show you if you are not fit enough to play with the big countries don't go into the ring!!

Oz

Yeah, I was just thinking, "haven't they nearly depleted the supply of nails for the coffin?"

[andyc2006]

Time to bring Thaksin back - there is no discipline in Thailand anymore - from anyone.

BR>Jack

Would this be the same Thaksin who illegally sold KP the right to the Duty Free concession?

Or maybe the same Thaksin who painted the bulls-eye targets on all of our foreheads?

[Garry]

I've been patronising King Power for years without ever so much as a hiccup. Mind you I keep receipts for everything I buy. I hope the British couple get there issues resolved with the airport authorities and police.

[JimmyTheMook]

Shocking how the British Embassy offered them jack sh*t in the way of help ?????

[squashjunkie]

Not that it is nice to get ripped off. But making statements like duty free is more expensive than buying on the street is ridiculous. You can buy fakes for cheaper everywhere. Try and buy a genuine perfume or cologne on the street. And you certainly can't get them cheaper at any department store. There are many items that are much cheaper. And I suspect items that are more expensive. But as an informed consumer you should be aware of what an item should cost in order to avoid getting ripped off. So blanket statements that everything is more expensive is simply someone being stupid.

I will continue to shop at king power duty free but will certainly be more aware of the potential problems which this board has brought to my attention.

[Mobi]

Not quite in the same league, but it brings to mind those 'scams' that were perpetrated by undercover customers officers on tourists when the new airport first opened.

They would hang around in the arrival lounge (public area) and stop unsuspecting tourists - often young back backers - and check how many duty free cigarettes they had brought in.

OK, over the limit, a fair cop - confiscate the fags, pay a reasonable fine, and on with your holiday, slightly poorer and a little wiser.

Not a bit of it. These poor souls were hauled off to an interrogation room and threatened with jail if they didn't come up with very large sums of money - and I'm talking hundreds, and even thousands of pounds.

Of course it totally ruined their holidays, and it would be interesting to learn how many family and friends were told about this on their return home, and how many people the family and friends told, and so on, most of whom would cross Thailand off their holiday list forever.

I actually saw one poor guy being shaken down, when I was waiting for a friend to arrive so I know for a fact that it used to happen.

I wonder if it's still going on?

[jeffer]

I compared the prices of some standard spirits and cigarettes at King Power to Tesco a couple of years ago and found 'duty free' to be more expensive. 

This report is not very different from one I heard a year ago that I've never seen mentioned in the press or on the internet. It sounded a bit unbelievable at the time but not anymore. 

Anyone who has read the various reports on how King Power got their locations at the airport can form their own opinion as to their involvements in any scam. 

[Mobi]

Shocking how the British Embassy offered them jack sh*t in the way of help ?????

Wouldn't have expected anything different. They're not going to get involved with anything connected with police corruption.

Diplomatic relations are too important and they just haven't got the guts or the integrity to stand up and be counted.

Bit like Obama taking a week to condemn the murdering thugs in Iran. Too worried about his precious diplomacy initiatives going out of the window.

Edited June 28, 2009 by Mobi

[george]

Maybe Thaivisa.com can ask it's contacts at 'The Nation' why they are not covering a Thai story that is already in the British press.

If 'The Nation' are not interested I think that will speak volumes of where their loyalties and investigative priorities lie.

King Power will only put a stop to this sort of scam when it is out in the public domain and starts to hurt their own bottom line.

I just spoke with The Nation newsdesk, and this story is now online:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/06/28...al_30106228.php

[sleepyjohn]

This is not the first time people have been jailed under strange circumstances after visiting King Power

This is the sort of company king power are,

That's slanderous. I think unless you have something better than your cigarette anecdote and have evidence of company instigation of or acquiescence to any related activity you should take it back .

Seems to me the owner of Kingpower would be extremely upset about all this.

If I were the complainant I'd be straight on the blower to him.

Seems like he'd be the best person to get things done and get heads chopped if he were sent the relevant information.

John

John; As a TV member for several years, have you kept abreast of King Power and their slight of hand measurements, etc at Swampy? Your last sentence would seem naive at the least as Thailand seems to be a country that defies the law of gravity, 'sh t' (in this case money) does roll uphill. This can be readily verified by the division of fines, legal fees, bail monies, etc which some of the Thai authorities themselves have mentioned.

I don't find my statement the least bit naive but rather the most sensible option.

I have to say I think loose accusation is rife on forums like this and would prefer posters were tighter with their facts,as sloppiness weakens the argument in general. Kingpower may have all sorts of loose business practices. To suggest, when talking about kidnapping that "that's the sort of company kingpower is" is however to my mind slanderous and beyond the pale and will not initiate an appropriate response.

John

[Thai at Heart]

Lets hope that the Thai government and King Power act swiftly to this. They have a huge image problem with this and storries like this will hurt the tourism sector even more. I hope it will be reported in the Thai media as well.

Maybe Thaivisa.com can ask it's contacts at 'The Nation' why they are not covering a Thai story that is already in the British press.

If 'The Nation' are not interested I think that will speak volumes of where their loyalties and investigative priorities lie.

King Power will only put a stop to this sort of scam when it is out in the public domain and starts to hurt their own bottom line.

This is in the Sunday Times edition with a pretty large Sunday readership. Expect one of the British news channels to follow it up. The scandalous inactivity of the embassy will be reason enough to get the snivelling Milliband on TV. From the Thai side, expect Abhisit to have to make a statement about this. Kingpower may have to make a public statement too. The British media will probably make a very good job of stoking the flames on this story.

It is an absolutely outrageous story, which coming on the heels of the protests needs to be answered before the last breath of life in Thai tourism is exhaled. What will they write on the tombstone?

[norwayeagle]

How can this b happening inside a "highly secured"place" ?Here it need to b some cleanup!

[noahvail]

Far be it for me to call for a boycott. Readers of this forum can go into the stores with eyes wide open, should they choose to do so. I for one choose not to support this store with my purchases or my presence.

But it might be interesting and enlightening to take a seat near a doorway with camera in hand.

[catmac]

Just a few points on this:-

1. King Power seem to have been implicated in this and far too many similar scams. The ominous silence from them speaks volumes.

2. Kudos to George for getting The Nation to pick up the story.

3. I have in the past used KP duty-free shops at the old DM airport, thank Heaven that I soon realised that Tescos is so much cheaper! Wild horses wouldn't get me anywhere near

a KP outlet now!

4. I think the question soon will be "What tourist industry?" See the first response to the Times Online report of the fiasco - "We are just planning our first holiday in Thailand, I am

now going to cancel it" - nick, Silkeborg, Denmark.

[ourmanflint]

This is one of the sorts of stories that makes you want to say "f*(k Thailand I'm never going back there gain" . But of course I will, but there are lots that won't and lots of potential tourists that won't either.

I didn't think Thailands image abroad could get much worse, but it seems there is more scope yet to damage the worlds view of happy Thailand.

[animatic]

Far be it for me to call for a boycott. Readers of this forum can go into the stores with eyes wide open, should they choose to do so. I for one choose not to support this store with my purchases or my presence.

But it might be interesting and enlightening to take a seat near a doorway with camera in hand.

They wouldn't like that,

and might arrest you for stealing the camera... just to remove your monitoring,

until you can prove it's yours and not from a store there.

George, good on you getting this in the press, in addition to the British press coverage,

which I suspect will easily rival that Phuket sheila out on a hen night getting knicked for a barmat.

PS.

I bought two wedding anniversary watches on a whim at KP last july 08.

Both were allegedly name brands of medium, but not cheap, quality, one a divers watch,

one battery didn't last the week. The other lasted till end of august...

Replaced what SHOULD have been new batteries on both,

obviously the new ones were removed and old deaders installed.

Both watches never made it to October. Cheap knock-offs being sold

with real appearing company logos and ads in the store.

I later picked up a 1,000 baht Casio at Pantip, works great,

and a fresh battery installed by them as I waited, to replace the display bat.

just to be sure it was a good one I was getting... THEIR idea.

Still working fine rain or shine.

Edited June 28, 2009 by animatic