Take care at Suvarnaphum airport.

[TBWG]

Hi Bums

See link to BBC news website

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8154497.stm

TBWG

[Admin]

Take Care at Suvarnaphum airport ? where? who ? 

Be careful as the airport. reading the article it talks about con men and other scammers..

[TBWG]

Hi Bums

See link to BBC news website

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8154497.stm

TBWG

Think the moral here is avoid Kingpower like the plague.   Anyway read on ~~~~~

Now the danish embassy also warns agains the King Power/police scam:

It is in danish but is a warning about a danish woman that had to pay 65000 DKK(11000 USD) to police because she showed a lipstick to a friend. Maybe she took the lipstick across the shop border. It is not quite clear

Here is a google translation:

Danes warned against airport police in Bangkok

Published 20.07.09 kl. 14:01 (GMT+1)

Be careful if you shop in stores in the international airport in Bangkok. You risk being arrested and charged of corruption of Thai airport officials.

That is the warning from the Danish Embassy in Bangkok, who knows a young Danish woman who recently had problems at the airport.

"Be careful with the stores where there is open space, and it seems that you can freely move around," says Mads Beyer, who is deputy head of the embassy in Bangkok, to DR News.

He says that the woman had taken a mascara or lipstick, and would show it to a fellow passager, who was just nearby. Without knowing it the unfortunate woman crossed a shop invisible border and was snatched by the police.

"The police who carried out the arrest, and a translator seemed very aggressive and let know that they must have a lot of money to help," says Mads Beyer, adding that the police clearly expresses that it can be a lengthy and difficult process if you do not choose to pay, says deputy head of DR News.

The embassy does not want to give details about the case, but according to BBC News has more visitors every month problems with the police at the airport.

Two British passengers were among others threatened that they would be thrown directly in the notorious Bangkok Hilton prison, where they had to wait two months before the case was handled, if they did not pay 65,000 kroner to the police and an interpreter to get " help "in this case ..
Woman convicted of shoplifting

The Danish woman who was taken with makeup in hand, was convicted of shoplifting.

The embassy does not want to say hviken punishment she received, but Mads Beyer says that the typical punishment is a fine of 300-400 Danish kroner, and that it could two years of conditional imprisonment.

Beyer urges people first and foremost to take care not to cross a border store with something in his hand. Will is taken, the tourists refuse to give in to threats from the police, whose officers require bribes.

- If people in trouble, it would be a good idea to contact the embassy. We are available to help when there are unpleasant things, "says Mads Beyer.

- I can not guarantee that you do not get an unpleasant experience and a fright. But we are in a legal community, which ceteris paribus will have a trial. And we urge them to not be true to help to contact his embassy.

The Danish Embassy will now make contact with embassies from other EU countries to see how big the problem is and what we might do about it

Source (in Danish language)

Earlier story: British Couple Fights Bangkok Airport Extortionists
Two tourists were held by an airport gang until they paid up £8,000:


TBWG

[TBWG]

Hi Bums

Seem's its spreading ~~~ Beware



A danish citizen was arrested at the SIAM SKY TRAIN STATION in Bangkok recently! The guards accused him of throwing a cigarette on the ground.

Only problem: the guy works in a hospital and is a non smoker and said he had nothing to do with the case. The dane was brought into a room and he was not allowed to go untill he paid Bth 10,000 to the security guards.

Here is the link. The story is from yesterday, it is in one of the biggest newspapers in Denmark. http://politiken.dk/tjek/rejser/asien/article755129.ece

This is a newspaper that do NOT run gossip-stories.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I was allowed to leave, that was the most important".

Anesteciatist Nils Georgsen from Copenhagen warns against being extorted money from Thai governement employees.

This warning coinsides with more countries wanting to investigate whether tourists have illegally been accused of shoplifting in Bangkok International Airport - after which they were forced to pay large amounts to be allowed to leave the country.

For Georgesen it went all wrong while he was waiting for a train at Siam Skytrain station, during a visit to Thailand's capital.

"I didn't suspect anything. All was quiet. Then, suddently a skytrain security guard came and pointed at a cigaret but on the platform", Nils Georgsen explans. Smoking is not allowed on the station. But despite the explanations from the Danish tourist that he is a non-smoker and that he he didn't shrow anything, he was still escorted to a guard room and surrounded by security guards.

Had to pay on the spot

They wanted money. They demanded 10,000 Baht. "This was no joke. They were very threatening. I tried to explain that I am a non-smoker, but they wouldn't budge. They just wanted money" explains the Danish anesteciatist.

He tried to call the tourist police but the guards didn't allow him to. In stead he managed to negotiate the amount down to 2000 Baht. "I was then allowed to leave. Thas was the most important'

See the travel warnng on the ministry of foreign affair's website (external link).

He has since tried to protect himself, when he visit Thailand, and is very careful about access to money, if it should go wrong again. And he do understand why these things happen.

"They are dead poor and must daily watch rich tourists. Obvisouly it makes something click in some people"

Tourists must pay at the Airport

Georgesen was on the other hand very surprised to hear that similar events have taken place at the Bangkok International Airport where visitors from several countries have been extorted large amounts to avoid prison, after being accused of shoplifting. "It is food for thought. It's the main portal to Thailand" he says, and worries that it will affect the Thai tourist industry, which is already in decline.




TBWG

[Admin]

It's part of the plan to boost tourist.