Police sweep of Ekamai

[TrongpaiExpat]

I was just at the Ekamai Bus Terminal in Bangkok and noticed a few dozen BIB prancing around the ticket counter area and gates. They seem to be randomly searching farangs and only farangs. I noticed 5 or 6 farangs that were questioned and then searched and by searched I mean their luggage was opened and all the contents examined one at a time.

I had a few bags and a lap top. They gave me a quick once over and just nodded, I nodded back and they walked away. One of the taxi touts was hiding out by the street and complained the police have been there for several hours interrupting his business. Good if they are giving the crooks and the illegal touts a roust-about but all I could see they were doing is searching farangs.

I am quite amazed as how the BIB interpret the Thai laws on searching and it appears from purely a casual observer that they are basically doing what they want. I have been to Ekamai many times and this is the first time I ever noticed such a large police presence. These were ordinary cops, I did not see anyone with the usual chest full of medals and ribbons strutting and posing for someone taking photos. I also did not see anyone getting arrested, taken away and they did not appear to be interested in seeing Id's, passports or visas. I also did not see any police vehicles and I wondered if they took the BTS to get there?

The station also seem to be under some sort of renovations and all the ticket windows are open and replaced by makeshift desks. I thought maybe all the money for fares being exposed might have something to do with all the police but there were too many for just guard duty.

Times must be hard for the BIB
notthenation.com/pages/news/getnews.php?id=519 (http://notthenation.com/pages/news/getnews.php?id=519)

I am quite amazed as how the BIB interpret the Thai laws on searching and it appears from purely a casual observer that they are basically doing what they want.
That's lesson 1 on day 1 of the BIB's police training course !

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

what sort of farangs ?...young, backpackers-middle aged ( repectable loooking ones like me ?)

[daa raa]

In late May my boyfriend and I took a taxi to Ekamai, where he was to take a bus to Pattaya, and I would continue in the taxi to the airport for my flight home. My boyfriend is 19 years old and looks younger. The BIB asked him where he was going, then wanted to see his ID and my passport. He pulled us aside and had us remove our bags from the taxi. He kept my passport and my friend's ID and told me that the legal age for a farang to be with a thai was 20 and we would be taken to the police station. My boyfriend and I met in Pattaya at a bar, but when they asked him where we met he told them on the internet. He also told them he was a dancer at Alcazar, but he actually is a waiter in a bar. My flight was leaving in about 3 hours and I was very desperate. I actually thought the laws had changed and I was going to be in the monkey house. My boyfriend talked to the ring leader about money. He wanted 50,000 baht to let us go. We finally talked him down to 30,000. He told us to go to 7-11 to the atm. While there my boyfriend called the police and they assured him that the legal age was 18. My boyfriend did not want to give them the money, but I convinced him that, since my airplane was leaving soon, it was best to give them the money and go. I was also worried that if we did not give them money they would plant something in my bags. Anyway we discretely gave him the money and got our IDs back. I took a taxi to the airport an my boy went back to Pattaya. Enroute to the airport my boyfriend called me and said that he was sorry that he was not 20 and he wanted to know if I would see him again next time. I told him that I would see him for sure. He said "Pom rak khun mak mak".

[elephantspike]

This is interesting. I had my bags searched by police at Ekamai bus station twice. Once on my first visit about eight years ago, and once a couple of years later. Both times I was with a Thai companion. Different guys each time, and both times they just let us go after a brief search. Both guys were around the same age as me at the time, early thirties, so I guess maybe the scare tactic about the age thing wouldn't work in these cases.

Whatever it is they are up to there, it has apparently been going on for quite some time. I wonder why Ekamai? Maybe because that is a common point of farewell between Farang and their Thai companions?

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

"Can anyone here clarify the actual legal age that a farang can be with a thai "

you are asking the impossible. Technically, prostitution is illegal and that can be legally interpreted as taking a Thai out to dinner and then buying them a gift after an encounter.

Of course these badly written laws make it possible for corruption ( not just Thailand plenty of corrupt cops in the west) but you are in the hands of poor people and others who take advantage. As usual in cases like this-if you went in a limo there would be no problem..catch a bus and you are a target.

I wonder why Ekamai?

Ummmm ... Because that's where the bus station is?

Oh my the police are checking bags at transportation hubs? Big deal. A waste of poosting space perhaps. From the puppies on the trains to the stations ocasionally farangs, back packers, are searched, probably just to scare others away (from drugs). Oh, maybe Swiss army knives too. Was here a full moon?

BIG DEAL! If it were true.

[TrongpaiExpat]

I wonder why Ekamai?

Ummmm ... Because that's where the bus station is?

Oh my the police are checking bags at transportation hubs? Big deal. A waste of poosting space perhaps. From the puppies on the trains to the stations ocasionally farangs, back packers, are searched, probably just to scare others away (from drugs). Oh, maybe Swiss army knives too. Was here a full moon?

BIG DEAL! If it were true.

If it was true. Once again po' dear "pooster" ArNoLD has decided to question the creditability of my post or are you doubting daa raa's post? If you are still in Thailand send me a PM and you will get my cell phone number and you and if you can find someone else can play good pooster, bad pooster and see if I crack.

I am surprised that others report police searches at Ekamai, I have never seen them before so I thought it was unusual.

ES: Did the police ask you if they could search your bags or did they just tell you to open them?

Regarding the question of who they were searching, it did appear that the targets were younger or scruffy looking farangs. I was over dressed for a bus trip, dress shirt and dress pants, it's all that I had left from a week in Pattaya that was clean. That might be why I was passed over for a search.

Welcome to Thailand. NOT!

[Hmmm]

"Can anyone here clarify the actual legal age that a farang can be with a thai "

you are asking the impossible. Technically, prostitution is illegal and that can be legally interpreted as taking a Thai out to dinner and then buying them a gift after an encounter.

Of course these badly written laws make it possible for corruption ( not just Thailand plenty of corrupt cops in the west) but you are in the hands of poor people and others who take advantage. As usual in cases like this-if you went in a limo there would be no problem..catch a bus and you are a target.

The PROSTITUTION PREVENTION AND SUPPRESSION ACT B.E. 2539 (1996) is actually relatively clear - see below. Eighteen is the key age.

An often overlooked element of the law is that while adult prostitution (ie invovling sex workers over the age of 18) is indeed illegal, it is illegal for everyone involved EXCEPT THE CUSTOMER.

But daa raa's troubling report suggests that the BIB may try it on if they can, although I have never heard of this before. Perhaps wise to have the tourist police's number programmed into your mobile for such situations, although whether they would be helpful in such circumstances is anyone's guess.

http://www.tatnews.org/special_interest/1484.asp :
"In April 1996, the Royal Thai Government of Thailand passed stringent anti-prostitution laws with the most severe penalties reserved for those involved in child prostitution. Now customers, procurers, brothel owners, those who force children into prostitution and even parents, face long prison sentences as well as large fines. The penalties under Thailand's new Prostitution Prevention and Suppression Act are as follows:

CUSTOMERS

* 2-6 years jail if prostitutes are under 15 years old
* 0-3 years jail if prostitutes are between 15 and 18 years old

PROCURERS

* 1-10 years jail if prostitutes are over 18 years old
* 5-15 years jail if prostitutes are between 15 and 18 years old
* 10-20 years jail if prostitutes are under 15 years old

VENUE OWNERS

* 0-15 years jail if prostitutes are over 18 years old
* 5-15 years jail if prostitutes are between 15 and 18 years old
* 10-20 years jail if prostitutes are under 15 years old

PARENTS

* 4-20 years jail if prostitutes are under 18 years old
* Those who force or torture others into prostitution 1-20 years jail
* Life sentence if prostitutes are seriously injured
* Death penalty if prostitutes are killed

TAT fully supports these tough new measures and would like to ask visitors to this site to do their bit to help end child prostitution. If anyone knows of any organization, operator or individual that offers sex tours to Thailand, particularly those involving children, please report them to your local TAT office or contact us by e-mail. Your assistance will contribute to the eradication of the sexual exploitation of children.

THE PROSTITUTION PREVENTION AND SUPPRESSION ACT B.E. 2539 (1996)
has been effective since December 21, 1996.

The following key points in the Act are to be noted.

* The penalty for a prostitute has been much reduced.

* A customer using the sexual service of a child prostitute under 18 years of age will be punished by imprisonment.

* There are penalties for the manager, producer, supervisor, and owner of prostitution premises.

* Anyone who procures or detains another person for prostitution will be severely punished, if the victim is a child not over 18 years of age the offender will be punished more severely, and if the child victim receives grievous bodily harm or the child is dead the offender will be punished with life imprisonment or with the death penalty.

* A parent or guardian of a child not over 18 years of age will be punished with imprisonment and a fine and the custodianship may be revoked if the parent or guardian colludes with another person for sending his/her offspring or the child in his/her custody to be a prostitute.

* If the perpetrator, aide or abettor in the offence of detention or confinement of another person for prostitution is an administrative official, police official, or official of a primary shelter or a protection and vocational development premises, such official will be severely punished.

* The Act provides that there shall be one National Committee for Protection and Vocational Development and a Provincial Committee for Protection and Development for each province.

* The Act stipulates that all prostitutes not over 18 year of age shall receive protection and vocational development for a period not over 2 years.

* The private sector, a foundation, institution or association with the objective in prevention and rectification of prostitution problems can file an application with the authority to establish a primary shelter or a protection and vocational development premises.

Source : Department of Public Welfare, Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare"

It's a police scam, as exemplified here - http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/lowlev ... 34472.html (http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/lowlevel-corruption-hits-poor-most/2008/06/11/1212863734472.html)

[elephantspike]

ES: Did the police ask you if they could search your bags or did they just tell you to open them?

No, they did ask politely both times, as I remember, but I didn't have anything to hide, and I wasn't sure what the laws were, and probably in the same situation in America I would even comply with the request.


Regarding the question of who they were searching, it did appear that the targets were younger or scruffy looking farangs.

Yup, that would be me, only I'm not as young looking as I was a few years ago. Still scruffy, though. :geek:

If it was true. Once again po' dear "pooster" ArNoLD has decided to question the creditability of my post

On your insistence, I accept that the details are what you saw are accurate. The problem then might be in how you have INTERPRETED what you saw, whether it was a high profile corrupt police action against 'elements' versus some innocent routine matter (maybe a seamstress convention)? Not your credibilty but the interpretation. Well, it's difficult for me to tell sometimes whether you are complaining about things (and note the dissed UKLover whom you have influenced) or praising efforts at what you believe the actions are about.

Maybe we HAVE already sat together @Balcony bar or 'bumped' in to each other somewhere else? Along Soi Pratoochai?

[TrongpaiExpat]

Of course, but I don't think I did any substantive interpretations of what these 20 or so BIB had as motivation to be searching luggage.

Others have and some of the speculations are interesting but in the end it really all just speculation with the exception of daa raa's very interesting post.

If I was to speculate, I don't think it was a shake down for money as there were just too many police. Once they split up the money there would not be much left.

I don't think it was some war on drugs PR show either, no top brass, no TV and no guys in suits.

More typical of police scams are lone or two cops or even rogue cops who are from other districts and of course fake cops---some uncle who borrows the uniform for a day to make some money.