b]Bangkok orders crackdown on airport gangs[/b]
A major police crackdown on illegal taxis and unlicensed guides is to start next week at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport, the Airports of Thailand has warned.
The move came after Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum made an inspection trip to the airport and ordered the AoT to step up measures to prevent extortion gangs preying on international air passengers.
The Bangkok Post reports that organised gangs are allegedly operating from duty-free shops, and are "cheating tens of thousands of baht from foreign tourists".
The reports claim that the gangs, apparently operating in collusion with shop employees and rogue policemen, intimidate and browbeat accused foreign shoplifters and thieves into paying large "fines" in order to escape lengthy incarceration and trial and return to their own countries.
At least one European country has warned its citizens not to shop in the duty-free area of Suvarnabhumi at all, and the alleged cheating has been featured in reports by the BBC, among others.
The duty-free scams are in addition to the longtime Bangkok airport problems of so-called "black-licence taxis" which have no authorisation to carry passengers, and airport touts who try to steer arriving tourists to unwanted hotels and shady businesses.
One British couple, accused of shoplifting but released after five days without charges being laid, are currently at the centre of bribery accusations involving airport police.
with permission of Travelmole
The key to this story is that if people didn't shoplift then they wouldnt have to pay thousands of baht in bribes. Of course having illegal gangs operating inside an International airport and taking advantage of apprehended shoplifters isnt a good thing for the country's image.
But in the two high profile cases so far, including the English couple, there is colour CCTV footage from the duty free store that clearly shows them shoplifting. So, their complaint is basically that they were caught and instead of getting a slap on the wrist it cost them far more than they expected.
Maybe if people knew they were going to be locked up somewhere for a couple of days and forced to pay 50,000 baht or more if they stole a wallet or bottle of perfume they wouldn't shoplift. As deterrents go, it's a good one.
There is a good reason to boycott the duty free shops at the airport and that is simply because they are expensive and you'll get far better bargains elsewhere.
But in the two high profile cases so far, including the English couple, there is colour CCTV footage from the duty free store that clearly shows them shoplifting. So, their complaint is basically that they were caught and instead of getting a slap on the wrist it cost them far more than they expected.
Maybe if people knew they were going to be locked up somewhere for a couple of days and forced to pay 50,000 baht or more if they stole a wallet or bottle of perfume they wouldn't shoplift. As deterrents go, it's a good one.
There is a good reason to boycott the duty free shops at the airport and that is simply because they are expensive and you'll get far better bargains elsewhere.
I thought the shoplifters had been framed macfarang? Obviously not if they have then on cctv!
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