Phuket dive extortion cases 'close to going to court'

[stevenl 29,382]

Even if your bar, shop, company is 100% legal, many laws can be interpreted differently and the threat of hassle by way of constant checks to ensure you remain 100% legal is always there.

Which is not the case here.

Ever been stopped on the highway for " not keeping left"? Or stopped for speeding even if not speeding? It's pay up or spend the time to go down to the police station to state your case.

No and no.

Co-operating with things like this is encouraging this behaviour.

Edited July 26, 2014 by stevenl

[yankee99 1,482]

Why don't the PACC set up a couple of hidden CCTV along Chalong pier road. They can then check to see if any of the local police pop in to each of the beer bars and massage parlours along that strip to collect tea money.

Pattaya police are so much smarter as they use a middle man

[rjcampbe 446]

It was 30 to 50 thousand baht if you were caught working illegally, and 10,000 baht if you were caught working legally.

How exactly can you be 'caught' working Legally? Isn't that an oxymoron ?

It means they were "legal" in the sense of work permits and visas, but they were performing tasks which were not permitted because they are reserved for Thais.

Which is also ridiculous... I can't imagine an immigrant moving the US or UK with legal documentation to work and being told, "You can't be a taxi driver..", "You can't be a store clerk...", "You can't help people move bags when they go diving..."

[stevenl 29,382]

It was 30 to 50 thousand baht if you were caught working illegally, and 10,000 baht if you were caught working legally.

How exactly can you be 'caught' working Legally? Isn't that an oxymoron ?

It means they were "legal" in the sense of work permits and visas, but they were performing tasks which were not permitted because they are reserved for Thais.

Which is also ridiculous... I can't imagine an immigrant moving the US or UK with legal documentation to work and being told, "You can't be a taxi driver..", "You can't be a store clerk...", "You can't help people move bags when they go diving..."

Problem is most of them were not legal with regards to WP and visa. Some were, and that should never have happened, but most of them were, knowingly, acting illegal, and that behaviour is still going on.

[steelepulse 5,831]

Wasn't this Colonel the guy that got shipped to Thalang after this came out, only to be sent back to Chalong a month or so later? If so, this guy is as guilty as his officers.

[stevenl 29,382]

Wasn't this Colonel the guy that got shipped to Thalang after this came out, only to be sent back to Chalong a month or so later? If so, this guy is as guilty as his officers.

Agree with you, he is guilty as are his officers.

They simply should have taken the people in and properly processed them.

[DDbkh 177]

It seems to me that this is a small example of the employment crisis created by the foreign workers work permit rules.

The diving industry is a small but important part of the tourist industry, it must have competent dive instructors available who can easily and accurately converse with tourists - diving is inherently dangerous and proper instruction is necessary. I suspect that there are very few Thais who are capable of doing this job, therefore foreigners are required however very few dive shops have the capital to support several the work permit requirements.

This is the same across other industries where a particular skill combined with the use of English (the most commonly used foreign language)is required eg Teaching.

It would be a good idea if the labour ministry tried to understand this because now the visa run loophole is being closed there will be big problems.

[spidermike007 37,193]

Why don't the PACC set up a couple of hidden CCTV along Chalong pier road. They can then check to see if any of the local police pop in to each of the beer bars and massage parlours along that strip to collect tea money.

The question is,why do people pay tea money if they have a legal set up ? or am i being naive ?

Exceptionally naive. What do you do when these guys approach you, and demand money? At least what did you do before there was a new sheriff in town, and there was perhaps some accountability? This has been going on for decades now.

[BestBitterPhuket 806]

Pol Col Krittapas Dechintharasorn, the Superintendent of Chalong Police Station said, Especially now that the [National Council for Peace and Order] is governing the country, everyone has to behave well, he added."

This says it all ... doesn't it.

Why do the police need a "Policy" to deal with police corruption and extortion? Isn't the LAW good enough?

I think Pol Col Krittapas Dechintharasorn, the Superintendent of Chalong Police Station is ...

1) as dirty as a policeman can get

2) clueless about the law

..so he is saying that when NCPO is finished governing, they don't have to behave well. That's the strategy of the police. Behave well for a while and then go back to their old criminal activities.

[bander 1,063]

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Why don't the PACC set up a couple of hidden CCTV along Chalong pier road. They can then check to see if any of the local police pop in to each of the beer bars and massage parlours along that strip to collect tea money.

The question is,why do people pay tea money if they have a legal set up ? or am i being naive ?

If you not pay they find a reason to close the shop..permanently, happened to my internet cafe a couple of years ago.

They even gave me an "generous" offer to buy my shop for hundred thousand bath. I had just bought it for six hundred thousand. Good to see that PACC crack down on those bastards, hope they get convicted and spend time behind bars.

Edited July 26, 2014 by bander

[stevenl 29,382]

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Why don't the PACC set up a couple of hidden CCTV along Chalong pier road. They can then check to see if any of the local police pop in to each of the beer bars and massage parlours along that strip to collect tea money.

The question is,why do people pay tea money if they have a legal set up ? or am i being naive ?

If you not pay they find a reason to close the shop..permanently, happened to my internet cafe a couple of years ago.

We're talking diving here.

As mentioned, I have never paid anything, nor been asked to pay anything.

[bander 1,063]

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<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Why don't the PACC set up a couple of hidden CCTV along Chalong pier road. They can then check to see if any of the local police pop in to each of the beer bars and massage parlours along that strip to collect tea money.

The question is,why do people pay tea money if they have a legal set up ? or am i being naive ?

If you not pay they find a reason to close the shop..permanently, happened to my internet cafe a couple of years ago.

We're talking diving here.

As mentioned, I have never paid anything, nor been asked to pay anything.

Lucky you, btw the post is about EXTORTION of divers.

[nsimmons 74]

Especially now that the [National Council for Peace and Order] is governing the country, everyone has to behave well, he added.

Should read

Only now that the [National Council for Peace and Order] is governing the country, everyone has to behave well, he added.

I had a fight with mafia taxi drivers and they laughed when I said I will call the police, but they weren't laughing when the Army

demolished their illegal taxi stand, but I was ; o )

[beowolf2012 32]

In Europe - many country when talking about corruption. Who there make the corruption get penalty, but the person there have responsibility to them there had make the corruption can also loose there job or works.Or strip from there ranks.

The Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) have to have there office in the police station. Then i think it will be more easy to look after corruption if they want the corruption to end???? .

[steelepulse 5,831]

So what are these officers names?

- Col. Scapegoat?

- Capt. Pattsy?

- Lt. BadLuck Schleprock?

I would like to see how many officers are not involved in similar activities.

Amazing how they don't want to show their photos or there names, supposedly because " they haven't been charged yet". Seems to me many suspects are named and shamed, even though they haven't been charged yet either. Nice double standard on one of their own.

BTW, I would love to see once they get charged a photo of the 41 people that signed the petition that they were being shaken down all pointing at the suspects!