arlflyer

Nothing "further", just re-reporting of the one unsubstantiated letter to the editor sent to the Post a week or so ago.

This is the kind of thing that bothers me about modern "media". Just a feeding frenzy of repackaging, not a fact to be seen, and it gets considered a new source.

ft101

The article mentions

" . . . letters to newspapers, blogs and even a specially set-up Facebook page"

my bolding. I wasn't aware of a Facebook presence until now.

arlflyer

The very first widely publicized story on this issue was the Coconuts Bangkok article from back on December 4. In that article it references, as you can see, a private FB group set up for people to complain about this. Other quasi-journalistic rehashings since have also mentioned it. So, nothing new. And yes, more than one letter has ostensibly been sent to a newspaper on the topic, nothing new there either.

drron

The reports have been going on for a lot longer than just this month.Back in June on Thaivisa-
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/...on-the-street/

And Stickman 2 years ago-
http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/Stick...olice-stop.htm

ft101

Even this thread started before the Coconuts Bangkok article.

Adding in other blogs and more letters certainly seems like further reporting to me.

arlflyer

Right, there have been accounts of stop-and-frisk, roadside testing, etc. going back many years. As someone who has never even been to the country yet but who is a google user, this much was clear. I was just referring to this most recent flurry and spike of "news" (that term has to be used loosely these days) coverage around the first week of December, using the Coconuts post as a proxy for such.

All I was saying is that this just seems to be the standard media feeding frenzy cycle playing itself out rather than much new source information coming to light.

dsquared37

If you would be further persuaded by local news organizations delving into investigative journalism (or any journalism for that matter) don't hold your breath.

Diplomatico

Pretty much says it all right there.

arlflyer

I was being completely transparent and claimed no expertise or experience on local matters. However, I was simply commenting on international news trends - specifically the rehashing of past stories that was going on in the Australian press. Not sure what is "local" about that.

And there is also admittedly a bit of wishful thinking on my behalf, hoping to believe that this issue has just gone away...

Diplomatico

Tourists do not need to carry passports at all times:

"Pol Lt Gen Prawut Thawornsiri, spokesman for the Royal Thai Police, has said tourists DO NOT need to carry passports at all times.

His comment came when he was responding to the recent tourist shakedown reports in various media outlets over the past month. He stated that if asked to show their passports, tourists can produce their documents at a later time if necessary.

With his clarification, Mr Thawornsiri brings an end to an expat point of argument spanning years relating to the need to carry a copy, the original or nothing at all.

Pol Lt Gen Prawut also told ASTV Manager that the RTP would be conducting a probe into allegations in an article published by The Sydney Morning Herald last week that police officers had stopped, searched, harassed and extorted bribes from foreigners along Sukhumvit Road.

This now brings the number of investigations into the reported stop and searches to three. Pol Maj Gen Apichai Thi-amart, chief of the Tourist Police Division, said he has also ordered an investigation into the matter as have the Ministry of Tourism and Sports following discussions with the British Ambassador to Thailand."

Article goes on to say that Al Jazeera has an upcoming news story on this topic.

http://www.stickboybangkok.com/news/...asports-times/

arlflyer

Thanks for the update and for this information. Bringing the news from tomorrow (December 17th)...you are good!

Keeping up the wishful thinking that now that this issue has been brought to light it will be something I do not have to worry about on my upcoming trip.

transpac

[QUOTE=Diplomatico;24009081]Tourists do not need to carry passports at all times:

"Pol Lt Gen Prawut Thawornsiri, spokesman for the Royal Thai Police, has said tourists DO NOT need to carry passports at all times.


This was my favorite reply on the associated Thai Visa thread :

"It really doesn't matter what he says. The law in Thailand is whatever the particular official you are dealing with at that moment decides it is, be it a visa extension, work permit application or stop and search."


Very often here officials make proclamations which are later overturned by higher-status officials so YMMV.

That said, I carry a copies of my passport main page, current stamp-in, my Extension of Stay, my re-entry permit, my Departure Card, and my original Thai auto DL. Technically I am not a "Tourist" as I am on an Extension of Stay.

Tchiowa

I tried to find the FB page and couldn't. But you're right. There is no actual journalistic reporting, no true facts, just a very small group of tourists complaining on various blogs and forums. If you believe what you read on those, .....

And always on those types of forums. None of which I assign a lot of credibility to.

All too true.

We almost got a chance to see those forums explode. The regime has been considering banning alcohol on Songkran and New Years. They decided it would impractical to enforce. I've seen those boards go wild when no alcohol sales are allowed on an election day.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/gene...-new-year-axed

And, of course, had it happened a farang staggering down the street drunk would have been stopped by the police and later claimed on a forum that he was "randomly stopped and harassed".

whackyjacky

I think the # of incidents have been exaggerated, but your deny-athon is probably equally misinformed. It's happened for years, it's happened to me, it's happened to a couple of my friends, & due to the bad press - it appears to be over. We got stopped in the middle of the day, once in a taxi early evening, and certainly weren't stumbling around. I found it a minor inconvenience and didn't feel like they were attempting to jack me up.

Tchiowa

When you were stopped in the taxi, what did the cop say to you? Did he give you a reason? And where did the urine test take place? In the taxi, sidewalk, go inside a local business?