Phuket BIB Scam

Hi Chaps, new to site but would like to share several experiences.

After living in Phuket for several years and many runins with the BiB I have concluded that no matter what Falangs do, they, we, will always be targetted as an easy option.

If you think it is bad in Udon, goto Phuket. Patong is on a weekly bassis held under seige by the BiB. Both the main access roads to the area are blocked and checkpoints set up. I have spent many an hour sat watching this opperation. Thai nationals without helmets waved through without incident whilst Falangs conforming to the law are stopped and rest assured are found to be guilty of some never heard of offence. Personally, I was stopped on my bike, registered in my name only a few months old and holding first class security (insurance) Never asked for this. I have both Thai car and bike license. So all my legal obligations being met, they asked for License and id. I provided them with license and Work permit for id. Then I was asked for my passport. I didnt have this with me, Locked in safe at home.

I was then taken to the police station and was told it was an offence not to be able to show passport when asked. After they asked me to get someone to go to my house to get it I agreed, but they then refused to give my friend my keys so he could collect it for me. I was then told that the police chief was doing me a favour and suggested he take me home to get it. I agreed and was asked for 2000bht for transport costs. Gets worse, when I got home they insisting they search my house and when asked for my wallet to get key for my small safe, they then insisted that they retrieve my passport from my safe. Luckily no cash in there. We then returned to the police station, they entered my passport details in their log (little black book) along with my address. Then a further charge of 1500bht was asked for (Legal fees). Didnt have it, needed to go to atm. They offered to go for me( not a chance) and charged me a further 500bht to accompany me to an atm. To add insult to injury I then had to pay 400bht release fee for my bike.

My wife and I were already paying 2000bht per month to the police to keep them out of our bar.

If that was an end to it, i would have put it down to a bad experience, but I was then subject to monthly shake downs at my home. Eventually I gave up and decided to move to udon.

After selling my business and vertually giving the bar away I am now having to leave thailand on the visa runs, I have been refused retiremen visa as I am Too young although all other criteria was met, although I have been married for 2 years I am finding it difficult to obtain Spouse visa.

When will Thais realise they are biting the hand that feeds them.
I am currently in the uk but returning to LOS in a few weeks. After all the hassle, I still choose Thailand as My home.

Welcome to the Forum Yossa that is one bad story. In Udon in my experience trying to fleece falang was almost non existent until a few months ago when the BIB got some new toys for breathalising people, and so at xmas new year just passed, they were targeting everyone in town. The times are changing and that's a fact, but I can't see much changing until this recession is over. After all, someone has to pay the bills

Hi yossa welcome to the forum. Any help you need setting up in udon the boys and girls on the forum will help you. I used to get stopped on the Rat u thit all the time once i had got away without a fine there i would get stopped again on the checkpoint bottom of the bangla beach rd end. pain but they got to do something. what was the name of the bar in patong mate i might have graced it with my pressence. A friend of mine from my town here in the north of England has a bar on soi Eric his name is george foster do you know him.

hi yossa giss a job i can do that. if u do come to udon and want picking up at airport let me know on the house.

Did you report these issues to the Tourist Police ?

Suggest you get your 12 month multiple entry O Visa at the UK Consulate in Hull.

You state your married, so all u need to provide is your marriage certificate.

Sorry to read of your rip-offs in Phuket. I was there myself for two years.
Having been in Thailand for seven years, I've only put money in their pockets once and that was early days, when I was very wet behind the ears. I've either acted very dumb (which comes easily!) and/or a bit awkward. The result has been they wave me on, because there are targets who are less difficult to 'screw'. Incidentally, I have copy passport in the car, but rarely take out the original.
You were well and truly had, but if you were known to run a bar, then they could have made life even more difficult for you, so possibly you felt you best pay.
Perhaps I should add that my mate was charged for petrol he never got in the (only)Patong proper gas station. The police were called, were no bloody use and my mate was left with a feeling they were in on the scam too.

MALC wrote::D hi yossa giss a job i can do that. if u do come to udon and want picking up at airport let me know on the house.

Can do what?

Thanks for the Welcome, Sorry dont know Mr Foster, besides if I was in Soi Eric I wasnt there for the conversation. Wife put a stop to that. I was involved in several bars (Soi Seapearl) a lot quieter than Bangla. WOnt be bothering with bars again, no return. I am looking for some land to build on, family has a farm with papers but not chanoted and beleive would be difficult to do so. They are happy for me to build my house there but my future security if my wife and I fall out would be non existant. Once bitten (Badly) twice shy and all that. Stayed in udon several times and quite like the more traditional Thai thing rather than the bar scenes of Patong, Patpong and Pattaya.

Been to Mr Tong prior and after the move and the new Soi Farrang. Seemed very quiet and dont think that bars there make any money at all.

Also nice to see exchange rate on the up.

Thanks

is that the same sea pearl where the bars are in a big u shape yoz with the reggae bar in the top corner as you drive in.

Hi Yossa.
i lived patong for 4 years gone 2 and back about 10 day's,and from what i hear from local's is that about 2 months ago the complete poilce force was replaced over night and their mandate seem's to be take back patong from the frang all you hear the police saying now is "you must respect thai law and now for any breach you may well find yourself in jail.
No more bail for frang caught with drug's,and a senior offier who granted bail in the last case's has been suspended.
Bangla road if your drunk and staggering or being loud and horseplaying there are no more warning's ,arrested on the spot ,overnight in jail,i watched this happen from u2 bar and they were not gentle putting them in the paddywagon.

These people absolutely slay me. All these resources being expended to "catch" a few
misbehaving foreigners. MEANWHILE the legions of yaba junkies are kicking women off
their motorbikes, shooting each other with abandon. Mugging and stealing from other
Thais and foreigners alike. Why don't they arrest the touts? I've had more bad experiences
with middle-east tailor salesmen that other farangs on holiday. Let's chase more tourists off.

IMO,the ugliest thing about living here is the blatant abuse of authority to extort money from people,especially falangs.Some areas are much much better than others,but things can change in a flash depending on the personel in charge!
With all the wonderful benefits to living here comes the tenseness involved in having to deal with the authorities and it can be very disconcerting!

sorry stan but i disagree in part , i dont think authority targets farangs passe , i think they extort from everybody , you only have to look at the recent tax increases to see that . we moan about them , well i do !!! but how do you think the average thai feels ? there they are struggling on less than 200 a day , these new taxes have gotta be hitting them hard , and if they get pulled at a money stop , its the same 200 baht fine . that equates to a days pay for them . i also have mixed feelings about police activities in phuket also . we all realise that phuket is not the great place it was before the tsunami , but i do feel that if farangs come over here and blatantly flaunt the laws , show little or no respect for anyone including authority , then something had to be done . its well known that since the communist block colapsed , the east european and russian mafia have a very strong hold in phuket and other popular tourist places , and some of that thuggery has rubbed of onto the locals . if thailand does as its stated want this country to be a holiday destination for families and not just young partyers , sex tourists and perverts , then not only do they have to get a grip on law and order , but they have to be seen to be doing so by the outside world . im not saying that there tactics are always fair or correct , and i would love to see them start giving some of the locals as hard a time as they do some tourists , especialy the touts that in my view ruin what could be a great holiday , but they have to start somewhere , and its obvious they now realise they have a problem in these areas . they just could not continue to do nothing .

I have no problem with the authorities cleaning out the thugs,louts and a**holes,nor do I think that falangs are always discriminated against.My point was that the abuse of their power makes it uncomfortable.
Phuket is a great place,but my first and only visit about 13 years ago, turned me off to return and enjoy the beauty of the area.I thought ,then,generally speaking,that the attitude of the locals towards falangs was appalling and disrespectful.
Jet ski and M/B vendors were out and out liars and thieves and the police were in on the scams ,threatening and not a bit helpful!

Saint i think the thread is about how we the normal joe public is treated in the holiday hotspots. From reading post's on other forums it appears that we are getting hammered on a daily buisness now if we are not stopped at most check points by the BIB trying to earn a few baht in there ass pocket the tuk tuks are scamming you as well as the bars some of these girls particulary on the bangla expect a lady drink imediatly plus ive had a few who have asked me to get there friend 1 which i have declined and then been abused by the girls this kind of behaviour never happened a few years ago. Its got to a stage where you have to send your lady into a resturant 1st otherwise as soon as the waiter see's that she is with a falang the price goes up its these kind of scams and behaviour that is now giving thailand a bad image yet the tat are doing nothing exept push more and more expats to think about doing one.
How long ago was it a tat minister said we would like more visitors from asia and thailand to visit places like patters and phuket. Like yossa said its got that bad its drove him out of patong. and i dont think he will be the 1st to up sticks.