British bar owner on Koh Phangan says council man ripped him off and wanted bribes

[Jonathan Fairfield]

British bar owner on Koh Phangan says council man ripped him off and wanted bribes

Image: Thairath

 

KOH PHANGAN:-- A British bar owner on the island of Koh Phangan has filed a complaint with police about corruption at his local administration office.

 

Lance Wayne, (name transliterated from Thai) 50, claims that five men from the local administration came to his bar and took him, a DJ and a customer forcibly to the local offices to investigate them.

 

He said that the men took two cash registers as evidence that were opened up later. They contained 21,900 baht, he alleged.

 

He claimed that deputy ampher chief Wisarut Dechun took 21,000 baht for himself in exchange for not booking him for running an illegal operation.

 

Lance said this was the third such visit to extort money from him.

 

He said that his operation was entirely legal.

 

The deputy chief has denied everything.

 

Lance said that the men arrived at 2am and demanded money. 

 

They found a customer who had a marijuana joint with him and he was taken in with the owner and the DJ. All were released - the customer after the other two. 

 

The customer was allegedly fined 10,000 baht.

 

Lance said he was losing a lot of money from this activity and had had enough - he had consulted a lawyer before contacting police.

 

Reporters found deputy Wisarut who admitted that he had visited the bar but he claimed it was because it was illegal. He said just two people accompanied them back to the local offices.

 

While they were there he received calls over the phone from elders advising him to let them go without charge. This he said he did, returning the cash registers and a machine used by the DJ.

 

He said he took no money and demanded no bribe. He said he was fully prepared to be investigated and had nothing to hide.

 

The matter is now in the hands of the Koh Phangan police.

 

Source: Thairath

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2016-09-15

[worgeordie]

Part of the cost of doing business here,they can always 

find somthing to use to extort you.I cannot see this ending

well for  Mr Wayne.

regards worgeordie

[Cockwomble]

That's the end of his stay on the island

[shirtless]

Dont worry mate Prayut will have Thailand Corruption free soon and its on the CUsp of becoming a first world country, Have you not been listening to father Prayut

[useronthenet]

Doing business in Thailand as a foreigner is always a dangerous affair. Upset the wrong person, and you will always land up in trouble. 

[Chang_paarp]

I assume the CCTV footage will verify his claim of the late visit. 

 

Remember that all bars must have a working CCTV system as a part of the licence conditions.

[kotsak]

Exposing mafia activities has a high price here, he better get outta there while still alive..

[Remus1830]

Run away quickly is my advise because your business is finished. 

[Missing Troll]

I guess his lawyer advise him to go to police, it may go to way's since its in the open now and Prayut don't say he try to end this corruption and don't like when things come out on Internet so they may do something to stop it. The other way it's the end for the bar owner and he better go back home. Hoping for the best and that the goverment show now that they are the one in charge and take care of business in a honest way.

[jacko45k]

8 hours ago, Chivas said:

 

lol so assuming he's telling the truth he's a fool for accepting he must be ripped off.....??  Thats a yes or no answer

It may have been foolish not to expect this to happen!

Dodgy place to do business, the locals feel foreigners have no rights and are hence easy targets.

[Mickmouse1]

So what is the problem? Does he think he is back in his "hamlet"?

Maybe he is a new arrival.

 

[Srikcir]

I hope Lance is prepared for a defamation lawsuit. And best he not post any of the incident on the internet or he'll face possible cyber crimes as well - intent to damage the reputation of the nation, etc. As others psted, best to walk away.

[meatboy]

21,900 bht.in the till,that is very foolish to start with,you put the 1,000bht.notes in your pockets,before SOMEONE ELSE DOE'S.

seems like he is new here,doing business in thailand is,YOU SCRATCH MY BACK,I WILL SCRATCH YOURS.

[drbamboo]

This kind of money is absolutely unknown in the entertainment industry, especially in bars. Unheard....Not  in England for sure 5555

[HooHaa]

Lance has been abused by the police since the day he opened. Good for him for taking a stand.

 

You can only push some people so far.

[Dakhar]

Looks like the 3 men in the photo are negotiating terms....   

[hdkane]

8 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Part of the cost of doing business here,they can always 

find somthing to use to extort you.I cannot see this ending

well for  Mr Wayne.

regards worgeordie

I knew a Dutch fellow who tried to open a cafe in BKK, for his Thai wife.  The police visited so frequently for pay offs that the officers would forget.  The monthly visits turned to weekly, then to almost daily.  Closed the business.  Tried two other times, in different locales but with similar results. Wasted his entire savings.  He returned home to find work. His wife and daughter stayed here. I don't know many people here, but the few people I have spoken to who attempted bars or cafes never succeeded, because of extortion and theft. 

[phantomfiddler]

Sadly all farangs  are seen as prey everywhere in this otherwise lovely country, and the police are omnipotent. I would be surprised if he received any solution to the problem. The same thing happened to me and culminated in a small monthly payment which basically amounted to "police protection". Still better than trying to run a bar back in Nether Wopping

[dotpoom]

10 hours ago, Chivas said:

 

lol so assuming he's telling the truth he's a fool for accepting he must be ripped off.....??  Thats a yes or no answer

 

I assume you mean that the person who called him an idiot thinks he is an idiot for NOT accepting that he must be ripped off.....What a world that would be....if we all just lay down when we feel we are being ripped off.

[Yann55]

OMG ... Farang bar owners actually get fleeced by the local mafia  authorities in this country ? You don't say ...

 

Post #1 calls the guy an idiot ... now, that's a bit rough, but come on ... is there one Westerner who decided to open a bar anywhere in this country without knowing exactly what he was up against ?

 

The only thing you can do safely in the Land of Smiles is retire. Running a business ? Especially a business that deals with alcohol, night life, and the butterfly trade ? Nah, thank you very much. And look at the guys who do it here ... frankly, 90% of them look like they just walked out of prison. Not exactly a bunch of naive, kosher, law abiding entrepreneurs, ...

[TheFishman1]

Run Forrest Run. TIT

[adhd]

invest in a CCTV installation ?

[dpeti73]

They arrived 2am and the bar was open?

[samuibeachcomber]

3 hours ago, useronthenet said:

Doing business in Thailand as a foreigner is always a dangerous affair. Upset the wrong person, and you will always land up in trouble. 

 

All you have to be is successful...that alone will land you in trouble

[Sharp]

Council workers... Lol.. working at 2am is always going to end in a financial loss!! That's exactly why they are there... I'm guessing he has already been greasing the natives but this just pushed him over the edge either way unfortunately he's going to be on the losing side..

[miamiman123]

Is this the same island were the two murders occurred involving the two Burmese? 

[mercman24]

a thai lady friend of mine was about to open a bar in Pattaya when the cops arrived to tell her what their weekly cut was going to be, she walked away from it there and then, as she knew she would have a lot of aggro in the future, just a load of corrupt bar stewards

[williamgeorgeallen]

3 hours ago, shirtless said:

Dont worry mate Prayut will have Thailand Corruption free soon and its on the CUsp of becoming a first world country, Have you not been listening to father Prayut

no, its going to be a 20 year wait to be rid of corruption. will cost this guy a fortune to keep the case alive that long. going to corrupt cops to sort out corrupt council men, probably with a corrupt lawyer. hope any one here thinking about opening a bar takes note of this. i have a story like this for every single bar owner i know, and most other business owners as well. myself included.

[williamgeorgeallen]

24 minutes ago, samuibeachcomber said:

 

All you have to be is successful...that alone will land you in trouble

no, i know quite a few unsuccessful business in thailand that had problems as well. best was the cops pulling up outside a motorbike tour company with a truck to collect his bikes. the 'playing music in you premises without a licence' was very popular as well. dosent really matter which one it is, they will find something.

[spidermike007]

The southern islands are notorious for this kind of thing. The mafia there is totally, and completely above the law. Any and all laws. I have heard countless stories. My guess is that this is a true story. What I cannot figure out is this. Why did he go to the police? Did he forget that there is no law enforcement here? It is only revenue collection. So, what kind of satisfaction does he expect? It was foolish of him to do this. Now he has a big target on his back. The kinds of guys he reported are very, very small men, who are easily offended, and prone to react disproportionately. It was an act of utter foolishness, and betrayed an astonishing degree of naivety. 

 

Now, if there were some way he could have gone directly to the Army, that might have had an impact. Maybe. But, only if these men have no wealth, influence, connections or authority. If any of those apply, the little man would not have done anything. Always remember. He is there to protect the elite. Nothing more. Take down only the tiny men, who have no money or power. That is the agenda, first and foremost.