Raid on the RCA last night in Bangkok

[TrongpaiExpat]

Bangkok police did a pee-pee raid on the RCA complex last night. The BF and several friends were caught in the raid at just before midnight.

There were some new tactics used. First the police had about 50 undercover police inside. Cell phones must have been jammed, I guess to prevent early warnings. All escape routes were quickly blocked and anyone trying to run was chased and taken down with force. One farang I am told pushed a police officer and ran, but not very far.

Farangs as well as Thai were detained and given piss cups. Farangs without an original passport and a valid visa were taken away, no idea to where. The BF told me he heard the police say, no copies, and some wise ass cop said, "Welcome to Thailand--Welcome to Jail".

Ch 3 was on scene with cameras but very little on the news. Maybe the papers tomorrow will have something.

and what is the RCA complex ?

[sjaak327]

Boy, will those idiots ever learn, it's a downright disgrace. I guess the people without passports will have to pay some teamoney.

I sincerly hope nobody got caught.

RCA=Royal City Avenue. A strip were mostly young thais go out, it boost famous clubs as Astra among others.

The BF told me he heard the police say, no copies, and some wise ass cop said, "Welcome to Thailand--Welcome to Jail".



This statement at least shows what most Thais really think and that in reality they hate us - perhaps even with some (good) reasons.

I wonder when this society will become mature and am very concerned about their future as a tourist destination. They may well have some problems keeping up their lifestyle in the near future. What I see at present is empty restaurants and bars everywhere and travel warnings issued by many countries.

[TrongpaiExpat]

and what is the RCA complex ?

Royal City Avenue - a streets full of clubs and bars, not gay, and very popular with middle class Thais.

Now there's a few gay ones or several mixed leaning to the gay side.

www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Thailand/Central_Eastern_Thailand/Bangkok-1445238/Nightlife-Bangkok-RCA_clubs-BR-1.html (http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Thailand/Central_Eastern_Thailand/Bangkok-1445238/Nightlife-Bangkok-RCA_clubs-BR-1.html)

Something in this report doesn't jive. There have been numerous "raids" at DJs lately and each time the Farangs have been allowed to leave before the thai's are "pee tested". Why would they treat the "straight" clubs any differently? If they want to drag me to the police station until I can show them my actual Passport, so be it. I am NOT walking around with my original passport. The hassle resulting from losing my passport would far surpass any caused by the "'chance" of a bar raid.

[TrongpaiExpat]

Something in this report doesn't jive. There have been numerous "raids" at DJs lately and each time the Farangs have been allowed to leave before the thai's are "pee tested". Why would they treat the "straight" clubs any differently?

Different police districts, maybe? I was not there, the BF and his friends where, if you doubt the veracity of his non "jiving" report, send me an PM, I'll send you my cell phone number and you can question the BF direct.

[Brad the Impala]

Something in this report doesn't jive. There have been numerous "raids" at DJs lately and each time the Farangs have been allowed to leave before the thai's are "pee tested". Why would they treat the "straight" clubs any differently?

Different police districts, maybe? I was not there, the BF and his friends where, if you doubt the veracity of his non "jiving" report, send me an PM, I'll send you my cell phone number and you can question the BF direct.

Equally in the Silom/Suriwong area, farangs are not required to show IDs/Passports for admission, in RCA they generally are, and I have been refused admission there on that basis.

The Silom/Suriwong area is designated as a tourist destination, therefore there are dispensations for farang. RCA and most of the rest of Bangkok are not, and therefore, in theory, the law is applied equally in those areas.

I scoured the online news 2 mornings after this and it appeared at here and on another similar asia travel web site posting (web search not news search) that sounded like someone picked that news up from this forum. If it did happen it wasn't of any matter, and no one else I talked to heard anything about it.

[TrongpaiExpat]

I scoured the online news 2 mornings after this and it appeared at here and on another similar asia travel web site posting (web search not news search) that sounded like someone picked that news up from this forum. If it did happen it wasn't of any matter, and no one else I talked to heard anything about it.

OK, Arnold, PM me and you too can get my cell phone number and either question the BF who was there or call me or him a liar.

Better yet, name a location to meet and you can tell me face to face. I am in Pattaya now, will be back in Bangkok on Thursday.

There are police raids on nightspots somewhere in Thailand almost every single day. It is hardly newsworthy, so it should come as no surprise that the RCA raid was not covered in the press.

[TrongpaiExpat]

It was covered on the Thai press. Ch 3 covered it on the nightly news two days after the event. The English papers did not cover it.

If it had not been for a few new wrinkles in how this raid went down, I would not have even posted a report. Next time I will not bother.

It was covered on the Thai press. Ch 3 covered it on the nightly news two days after the event. The English papers did not cover it.

If it had not been for a few new wrinkles in how this raid went down, I would not have even posted a report. Next time I will not bother.

Please DO bother.

[ceejay]

It was covered on the Thai press. Ch 3 covered it on the nightly news two days after the event. The English papers did not cover it.

If it had not been for a few new wrinkles in how this raid went down, I would not have even posted a report. Next time I will not bother.

Please DO bother.

Yes, please do. One of the "wrinkles" was the police hauling farang without original passports off to the station - that is surely worth knowing. Thanks for that.

I am frequently amazed in this forum by the stance of some posters that if something is not consistent with their life experience then it doesn't seem to add up. Actually, I do want to hear of the extraordinary things that happen that indicate possible new trends. The "I know better because I've lived or been coming here 75 years" brigade might do well to pay attention too.

If someone posts here that his close friend or bs or mother-in-law was in the middle of some extraordinary experience, I'm interested in the details and thank them for posting it. Inferring that people are embellishing hearsay is churlish at best and actually rude in my opinion.

[TrongpaiExpat]

Yes, please do. One of the "wrinkles" was the police hauling farang without original passports off to the station - that is surely worth knowing. Thanks for that.

They might have been "hauled" but I don't know where, "the station" was your assumption. Maybe they were, but I have no first, second, or third hand information on that.

Thanks for the kind words, 555, ceejay and new poster Singapore Sex. No ill will those doubting posters, but my offers for a PM and personal contact arrangements seems to be ignored.

but I have no first, second, or third hand information on that.

And still, a search on "bangkok police raid" comes up with raids on rare animal endangerment and a Texas polygamist compound long before the mirror post on Travel Adviser (seems swatdee dun't make it) or anything else like it. I'd wait for serious jouranlistic evidence, and maybe the government to make a declaration, before ill advising to foreigners that they should have their passports available in their pockets when cuddling up in beer bars and sliding through crowded, steamy discotechs. Keep your passports in the safe and if you are suspected of something and don't have a passport, well, then, ... , just don't be suspicious.

Last month there was a similar report in one of the forums on a pee raid on foreigners in Silom and two thai bar managers told me that they were just out there busting a couple straight bar owners about their licenses. The C3 cameras wrere there but not rolling.


Invalid Session. Please resubmit the form

[TrongpaiExpat]

but I have no first, second, or third hand information on that.

Invalid Session. Please resubmit the form

And, this is for quoting me out of context .......


I'd wait for serious jouranlistic evidence

That's going to be a long wait.

[Brad the Impala]

but I have no first, second, or third hand information on that.

And still, a search on "bangkok police raid" comes up with raids on rare animal endangerment and a Texas polygamist compound long before the mirror post on Travel Adviser (seems swatdee dun't make it) or anything else like it. I'd wait for serious jouranlistic evidence, and maybe the government to make a declaration, before ill advising to foreigners that they should have their passports available in their pockets when cuddling up in beer bars and sliding through crowded, steamy discotechs. Keep your passports in the safe and if you are suspected of something and don't have a passport, well, then, ... , just don't be suspicious.



Given that you usually need your passport or Thai ID Card to get into the venues referred to, if you don't carry your carry your passport, what goes on inside them will not be an issue for you!

It has always been the law, as I understand it, that everyone, Thai and Farang, are required to carry ID. In the case of those without Thai ID cards, this should be original Passports, although this has not often been enforced. Rather like the prostitution laws!

Personally I have never carried my original passport, as routine, and in over thirty years I have never got in trouble for that. It is however as well to be informed of this requirement, then the individual can make an informed decision.

Don't get your knickers bunched up Trongpai.. Nobody was accusing your BF of lying. Was only noting that this type of police behavior did not match up with how things are done in the Silom area. Another poster provided a likely reason. Mystery solved.

Personally I have never carried my original passport, as routine, and in over thirty years I have never got in trouble for that. It is however as well to be informed of this requirement, then the individual can make an informed decision.

Asame Same Agrred Agreed. Better put.

I apologize I think I was talking to the world and may have inadvertantly offended some GREAT posters.

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