Can anyone identify where...

[gerefan2]

Anyone able to translate the Thai script in these pics.
I’d like to know where they were arrested.
Many thanks

[llz]

Pictures have been shot in a police station outside of Bangkok, in a place called "Chang ... something" (the something not being visible on the pictures).

Could be in Chang Phuak Police Station in Chiang Mai city but there are many other "Chang ... something" in Thailand

[christianpfc]

What I can read is สถานีตำรวจภูธร(thai word for elephant messes up post)(covered)ะ(covered)
and putting this into google gives

สถานีตำรวจภูธร(thai word for island messes up post)ช้าง(but here Thai word for elephant does not mess up post!) - Amphoe Ko Chang - Police Station ...

Trat province, Ko Chang district (Ko Chang island).

[gerefan2]

So it’s not in the Surin area?

The reason I ask is because my “friend” near Surin tells me he has been arrested for selling them alcohol and needs money....blah blah.

Any help to def eliminate Surin appreciated!!

[llz]

I just browsed the list of provincial police stations in each one of the thai provinces (including Bangkok) and found another two stations in places called "Chang ..." : Chang Yai in Phra Nakhon Sri Ayuthaya province and Chang Klang in Nakhon Sri Thammarat province.
However no one of these (and neither does Chang Phuak) match with the letter " ะ " showing on the last picture (between policemen nr 2 and nr 3)- but this could be irrelevant.

[gerefan2]

What I can read is สถานีตำรวจภูธร(thai word for elephant messes up post)(covered)ะ(covered)
and putting this into google gives

Trat province, Ko Chang district (Ko Chang island).

Elephants nothing to do with Surin? Elephant festival ?

[sglad]

Were both pics taken at the same location? Looks like the pics were taken in different locations at different times to me and published in some article(s). Were they re-posted on somebody's FB page? The first pic shows a group possibly being hauled up for breaching a social distancing/curfew rule, with the whiskey bottle prominently displayed as "evidence". I think it was taken at Chang Puak police station in Chiang Mai.

The second pic shows a different group holding up the confessions they had signed - can't tell what for. Probably the same thing as breaching curfew/social distancing is the most common crime right now, especially among farang and Thai youngsters and one they want to make an example of.

The pics were recently taken as all of them were wearing masks. So can't be at any festival as all festivals have been banned since the emergency decree. I don't think they were taken in Surin at all.

[michaelx1992]

Let's dig into the internet a bit.
A reverse picture search on tineye.com doesn't show me the link to the original article, but I can get the complete picture.

9930

I'm not great at reading Thai, so google lens to the rescue. It's the police station in Chang Phueak.
A google maps search reveals that it's less or more 900 km from Surin.

[sglad]

The reason I ask is because my “friend” near Surin tells me he has been arrested for selling them alcohol and needs money....blah blah.

I'm sure he's telling the truth. By the way, I've got a bridge that I want to sell. Spesyial koronawairuss promochan priight just for youuuuuu...

[llz]

The second picture comes from a report in Siam Rath newspaper (https://siamrath.co.th/n/144516) about six men being arrested on April 4th at 0.30 am in Sri Saket town, Sri Saket province. This town is located between Surin and Ubon Ratchathani towns and about 100 km far from Surin town
The six men are 23 to 33 y/o old, and were arrested because of failure to respect the curfew.

[sglad]

Great job, Ilz and michaelx1992. Looks like I was right about both pics. The fact that the sender cropped the the first pic strategically where the location would have been revealed shows his dishonesty.

gerefan2, now that you have the full picture (pun intended), I'm willing to lower the price of that bridge further just for youuu. PM me and we'll talk.

[Brad the Impala]

Let's dig into the internet a bit.
A reverse picture search on tineye.com doesn't show me the link to the original article, but I can get the complete picture..

An impressive piece of investigation. Please advise what a reverse picture search is?!

[Brad the Impala]

The second picture comes from a report in Siam Rath newspaper (https://siamrath.co.th/n/144516) about six men being arrested on April 4th at 0.30 am in Sri Saket town, Sri Saket province.

Also impressive research, how did you track this down?

[BenCH]

Please advise what a reverse picture search is?!

Just google for it, you'll find the explanation!

[llz]

Also impressive research, how did you track this down?

Following michaelx1992's method, I also made a reverse search with https://smallseotools.com/

[Nirish guy]

So Gerefan - so more importantly have you called out your "friend" for lying to you and trying to con you like this, OR with it being Thailand was it more a case of you (e)smiling, saying nothing but sending absolutely no money, but accompanied with some phoney made up face saving excuse ( such as I now KNOW you're one lying fucker who just tried to scam me but I'm just choosing not to say that to you - for now ! :-)??

[gerefan2]

Nirish...actually the research shows that one pic was taken in Sis sI Ket (sp) which is actually only about 50 km from where he lives ...which is 50 km east of Surin. So the booze could have been sold in his shop.

The other pic is in Chang Mai which proves there’s something amiss.

I have opted for your number 2 response for the moment!

[goji]

The other pic is in Chang Mai which proves there’s something amiss.
I have opted for your number 2 response for the moment!

I guess you could innocently ask why is the second picture in Chiang Mai ? Perhaps his booze running operation is more extensive than implied.

[gerefan2]

I guess you could innocently ask why is the second picture in Chiang Mai ? Perhaps his booze running operation is more extensive than implied.

I did, and he quickly replied that it was an “example”!

[goji]

I did, and he quickly replied that it was an “example”!

Well that's OK then :). I had visions of him being the Al Capone of Thailand's temporary prohibition era.

Nevertheless, getting arrested for running alcohol isn't my idea of an endeavour meriting a charitable donation. If he's outstanding in bed, the purse strings might weaken.

[Nirish guy]

I did, and he quickly replied that it was an “example”!

Ha maybe send him a pic of a 1000 note and tell him “there you go, it’s an example too” and see does he get the hint ! Lol ( ok I’m not SERIOUSLY suggesting that in case you meet him on a dark night somewhere ! :/)

[latintopxxx]

he's a keeper...entrepreneurial...and a quick thinker...sure beats the " buffalo die send baht"...woe is me woe is me story line...

[gerefan2]

The saga continues...no money...!
He says he is in court this morning and sent these pics.
Again, can anyone confirm ? What does the writing say?
Many thanks

[llz]

First one is the district office in Sikhoraphum, Surin Province ; second one refers to Sikhoraphum sub-district.

[latintopxxx]

...does it prove anything...could be off a government website or something...can we please have some more pics of hung wanna be monks having water poured on them...please

[Nirish guy]

I'm guessing now that he knows you're no slouch his pic selection will be a LOT more careful than before.

Mind you I've found a simple 'Ohhhh sorry cannot" repeated over and over where required usually is enough to stop such requests eventually. And whilst they may huff for a period the ones who were a genuine ( semi) friend usually pick up the conversation where it left off later, whereas the ones who refuse to every talk to you where usually the ones who were only ever talking to me to attempt to get money out of me in the first place ! ( oh how they must have departed so disappointed as THAT almost never happens ! :)

[goji]

Mind you I've found a simple 'Ohhhh sorry cannot" repeated over and over where required usually is enough to stop such requests eventually. And whilst they may huff for a period the ones who were a genuine ( semi) friend usually pick up the conversation where it left off later, whereas the ones who refuse to every talk to you where usually the ones who were only ever talking to me to attempt to get money out of me in the first place !

A very good point.

[christianpfc]

Elephants nothing to do with Surin? Elephant festival ?
Beside meaning "elephant", "chang" occurs in place names like Ko Chang and Ko Si Chang. I don't know of these place names have anything to do with elepants, but Ko Si Chang is to small for elephants.

[gerefan2]

First one is the district office in Sikhoraphum, Surin Province ; second one refers to Sikhoraphum sub-district.

Thank you, that is where he lives.

Do you know if it’s a court ? A place where someone illegally selling alcohol would have to report to?
What is a District office..like a Council office in UK? Anything to do with police ?

[Nirish guy]

Thank you, that is where he lives.Do you know if it’s a court ? ?

Ah you may just go ahead and send him the money as he's got you where he wants you, starting to doubt yourself, all he'll need to do is keep up the pace and you're as good as a tiring gazelle being chased by pack of lions, it's all only a matter of time now......you may get your wallet out and be done with it.......or.....revert to my "ohhh sorry I'd love to help but CANNOT as Virus here and everything terrible, but hope you're ok there, maybe YOU can send ME some money when you get out of jail ??"

See how THAT goes maybe :-)

edit - out of interest how much was he asking for as from the press it sounded like the fines for selling alcohol etc were going to be reasonably large to deter people, so I doubt 5000 or 10000 would be enough to let him walk from that charge this time round ? Plus the old adage about if you cant do the time you shouldnt do the crime comes to mind here.....it WAS his own decision to get involved with that - and I doubt he was intended to send YOU a cut of the profits from any money he was making when doing that so.......

[llz]

The district office is the place which houses the administration of the district (อำเภอ - amphoe) ; there is an average 10/12 districts for each one of the 78 thai provinces.

Courts and police stations generally have their own location. In Sikoraphum the police station is very close to the district office and next door to Sikhoraphum Sub-district office (pic 2), but I could not locate any court in Sikhoraphum from Google Maps.

In fact I think there is only one Court in the province which is obviously located in Surin Town. Thanks God I never had to deal with the thai judicial system

[goji]

Plus the old adage about if you cant do the time you shouldnt do the crime comes to mind here.....it WAS his own decision to get involved with that - and I doubt he was intended to send YOU a cut of the profits from any money he was making when doing that so.......

Well, clearly the young man doesn't see it quite like that and would like someone else to act as the whipping boy by paying the "fine" for him.
In the long run, he would probably benefit more from taking the punishment himself, as he might just learn that criminal activity has consequences.

[gerefan2]

Thanks llz. He did tell me he would have to go to court in Surin, if he couldn’t cough up now. Perhaps the process starts in one of these offices. Sikhoraphum Is the nearest town.

Nirish. He says he needs 15000 to escape jail. I usually send him 5000 a month, but only while this virus thing is on.I’m still not sure whether he is making it all up but am highly suspicious!

As a matter of interest he is the one who was kept in Kuwait when the massage owner refused to return his passport.
See here....
https://sawatdeenetwork.com/v4/showthread.php?21141-Thai-boy(s)-passport-problems&highlight=

I’ve known him for about 4 years ...and am fully aware of begging messages!

You comments are spot on Nirish!!

[christianpfc]

...there is an average 10/12 districts for each one of the 78 thai provinces.
More precisely 76 provinces plus Bangkok, with 878 districts (amphoe) plus the 50 districts (khet) of Bangkok.

[Marc K]

Gosh, when will we ever learn! The sad thing is it is often hard to tell if the begging message is legitimate or totally contrived. If the plea WERE for a real emergency, I think most of us would be happy to open our wallets and send some juice to help our (semi)friends. But we just never know. It is a pity really that there is no better way of judging the credibility of such pleas.

Right now it seems that more and more young men are in a precarious position. The economy there (by all accounts) really does suck. Legitimate jobs are very scarce. Illegitimate ones (such as gerefan's friend's) are fraught with new dangers.

I have read on TV a thread about the reaction of people to the closing down of alcohol sales. You'd think the sky was falling in! It is hard to realize there are so many people who seemingly simply cannot exist without it. This demand pull might very well put some young men off track to engage in illegal sales where they are very unlikely otherwise to be lawbreakers. Sad.

[sglad]

Nirish. He says he needs 15000 to escape jail. I usually send him 5000 a month, but only while this virus thing is on.I’m still not sure whether he is making it all up but am highly suspicious!


Well, if he can openly admit to breaking a law (the alcohol ban) that's been very well publicised and has severe penalties, what makes you think he won't lie to you? Did you think you were special?

PS The easiest thing for him to do is show you the charge sheet which would have his name on it, not some random pictures and newspaper articles.

[sglad]

he's a keeper...entrepreneurial...and a quick thinker...sure beats the " buffalo die send baht"...woe is me woe is me story line...

No, he isn't. This is one time when he doesn't need a story to extract money from a sugar daddy. The context is the ready-made global China virus pandemic where many people are already suffering hardship as a result. All he had to do was embellish a few details to an existing problem. gerefan2 is already sending him money and what he could have done was request for double the amount because of extenuating circumstances this month. A plausible story. The problem is, he got greedy.

[christianpfc]

I thought the ภูธร poo-ton in สถานีตำรวจภูธร... sà-tăa-nee dtam-rùat poo-ton... is part of the geographical name. But it is not! It goes with สถานีตำรวจภูธร sà-tăa-nee dtam-rùat poo-ton and means "provincial"; provincial police station (followed by the geographical name).

Transliteration and translation from https://www.thai2english.com/dictionary/1402560.html

[BonTong]

I'm a bit late to the party on this one, but the Chang Puek giveaway in the first pic is the Police Captain who is definitely at Chang Puek ;) Definitely one of Thailand's more "interesting" police stations.

Some trivia regarding the name. Chang Puek means White Elephant. Legend says the white elephant, an animal with significant religious symbolism, was released from Chang Puek Gate and allowed to wander. It headed off into the jungle and up the mountain. Where it laid down to rest was the site chosen by the elephant to build Wat Phra Doi Suteph, with its famous gold stupha overlooking Chiang Mai. I think the elephant was originally a present to from some king or prince to another. That's the jist of the story ayway.

The white elephant monument (I believe built by King Kawila, who rebuilt Chiang Mai after some big war) still exists on Chang Puek Rd about 500m North of Chang Puek gate. Many here have probably passed it without even realising as its rather uninspiring. Street View (https://www.google.com/maps/@18.8007133,98.9859415,3a,75y,127.3h,74.92t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s_NygUiYdbfSNRuX8MhRHEQ!2e0!6s% 2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D_NygUiYdbfSNR uX8MhRHEQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_ sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26y aw%3D133.67157%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i1638 4!8i8192)