In the wake of less tourist dollars, strained destinations like Thailand have seen a rise in corruption.
Recent headlines in Australian newspapers are putting the spotlight on Thailand, but for all the wrong reasons. Stories of tourists being detained, charged, made to pay hefty fines, and even beaten are raising some questions.
We’ve previously covered Extreme Cases Of Travelers Imprisoned Abroad, 5 Ways Travelers Can Avoid Being Caught With Drugs and How You Can Help Travelers Imprisoned Abroad.
But here are three relatively new cases to consider and the implication for tourists.
Case #1
Annice Smoel at Melbourne Airport. Photo: John Woudstra
Mother-of-four Annice Smoel has just been released and deported from Thailand after she pled guilty to stealing a $50 bar mat.
Mrs. Smoel was in Phuket celebrating her mum’s 60th birthday when a couple of girlfriends decided to play a prank. They stuffed the bar mat into her purse without her knowledge.
The story after that is a bit hazy. One account is that after discovering the mat in her purse, the police let Mrs. Smoel go, but when bar staff caught up with her later they turned her back in to police. Another story says she was abusive to the police, which is what got her in the predicament she was in.
Mrs. Smoel, who has denied that she was abusive to the Thai police, says as women out by themselves, they were targeted. She claimes that had a man been present, he would have been able to bribe them and that would have been the end of it.
After spending four days in jail, her passport was confiscated and she was stuck in limbo awaiting a trial. Charged with theft, she faced up to five years in a Thai jail. After making a desperate plea to Australian officials and with the story getting worldwide attention, the pressure was on Thai officials.
The governor of Phuket relented and guaranteed that she would be let go if she pled guilty (a not guilty plea would have meant being stuck in Thailand for months awaiting trial).
While Mrs. Smoel is uncertain what happened behind the scenes, she is of the belief that the Thai authorities became worried about the negative effects her story would have on tourism. Her lawyer, Bernard Murphy, had this to say:
“The court hearing came out of the ether and essentially a deal evolved which was You plead guilty, we’ll pay the ($38) fine, we’ll apologise and you go home.”
Bizarrely, as she was being deported, officials told her that she was welcome back any time.
Case #2
Logan Hesse and his wife.
Shortly after Mrs. Smoel’s story had been outed, Logan Hesse came forward to talk about the hell that he and his wife just went through.
In 2007, the house they were living in burned to the ground while they were out for dinner with friends. After investigators found an electrical fault to be the cause, the couple flew home to Melbourne, but not before confirming they were cleared to leave.
Last month, Logan and Urica returned to Phuket for a holiday, only to find out that there was an arrest warrant for them. They were detained and their passports taken away. It turns out that shortly after leaving Thailand in 2007, a new fire investigator changed the cause of fire from electrical to a cigarette.
Though Thai officials had their contact details, no attempt to reach them was made. 21 months later, back in Thailand, Logan claims they’ve been extorted for a total of $60,000 to pay off the landlord and officials. Because of the downturn in tourism, he says, “Their pockets are lighter so they are turning on tourists.”
It was also claimed by the couple that the Thai official knew they would be returning because they had several friends there still. For Logan and Urica’s full story, visit their blog Land of Trials: How Two Foreginers Were Extorted In Thailand.
Case #3
A couple of months ago, a British man was jailed for 21 days and beaten after he became abusive as he tried to board his plane home. He was traveling on a British passport that was issued in Australia, but for some reason the British embassy told Thai immigration officials it was not authentic.
He eventually lost his temper and, in the eyes of the Thai, verbally abused them. He says he was sent to jail because he couldn’t come up with 2000 British pounds for bail. He was eventually vindicated when his passport was found to be real.
What do you think?
It’s not a new revelation that tourists are often targeted by corrupt officials to add a little extra linings to their pockets, but in this economic downturn, are we seeing this on a larger stage?
If Annice Smoel genuinely broke Thai law, why would she have been let go, apologised to and welcomed back?
Or, is it simply tourist beware? Should we be more mindful of any compromising positions we put ourselves in, even if we think we’re acting within the law?
Feauture photo of Thai policemen: pandora23
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14 Comments... join the discussion!
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Colin, I agree. I tend to think of Thailand as this laid-back, spiritual country (everyone tells me to head there for relaxation after dealing with the craziness of India), but this piece certainly showed another side.
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As someone who actually lives in this country, this article is blatantly false. Thailand has always been slightly corrupt but that is how the system is skewed here. Money exchanges hands and things get looked to the side. But no more so than other countries and way less so than in all the neighboring countries or places like China. Thai cops makes about 200 USD a month so they find other ways to make money and the thais themselves except it. Just watch how many people get pulled over for a speeding ticket and pay the “fine” right there. But moreover, these three cases above have nothing to do with corruption. Thai’s do not like foreigners breaking their laws and tend normally treat them as harsh as they treat their own people. Thailand is still super proud of the fact they were never colonized and so really dislike what they see as tourists who come over and break their rules and think they can get away with it.
case #1: her friend stole the mat and didn’t confess to it. she stole the mat, made a scene, made them look bad, so ended up in jail for also breaking the law. if it wasnt for the negative press, she’d still be there.
case #2: why would thai officials contact them? they aren’t in the country. Once you leave the border, countries don’t waste resources finding you unless you are a high value person. When you come back into the country, is when they nab you. extorted my ass.
case #3: you were beligerant to cops and you got send to jail when they thought you were on fake passport? hmmm in the us, we’d taser you and send you to gitmo. when the passport was real, he was let go. makes sense.
There’s nothing really here about corruption other than 3 foreigners broke the law and want a sob story.
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Matt – Appreciate you weighing in the subject – though rather than calling the article “false,” you’re really saying the conclusion is false. An important distinction.
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i might have gotten a bit emotional when i wrote that response….thanks for keeping me in check!
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Hi Matt…thanks for the comments. I haven’t actually drawn any conclusions, just stated the stories and raised the question wondering if there may be more behind them as some of these people have suggested.
I am wondering, given that there are less tourists (less small bribes) if the officials/police are raising the stakes to make up for that. Re Annice Smoel, why should negative press stop them if a law was truly being broken? Why did officials pay the fine for her? Why did they apologise? Why did they tell her she was welcome back anytime?
And I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration if that happened in the States re the “false” passport. It seems to be a quick reaction followed by demands for money.
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Thai’s are very very very very conscience of what the world thinks of their country and will do anything to try to maintain a positive image
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Matt raises a good point – foreigners aren’t singled out for this kind of treatment any more than Thais. Have to disagree about the corruption in the government and police force, though – that country thrives on bribes.
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Case#1. Some friends: great prank. Whatever happened to acting like you’re a guest in a foreigh country?
Case#2. Sounds like something to go to the embassy over.
Case#3. Whatever happened to acting like a guest in a foreign country?
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Sorry to argue this, but you are dead wrong Matt. Thailand is extremely corrupt. My wife is Thai and we have lived on and off in Thailand for years. Many of her relativess are either police, in the army or in government. You should hear the stories. Unreal. Her comment is that Thai people learn how to deal with corruption when they are only 5 years old. Again, I could list countless stories…all of which are true…and they are incredible. I am even trying to get her brother to attend law school, so when we are there, we have somebody to turn to.
Thailand is my favorite country out of 68 I have visited so far. I love it there. But even my wife does not want to invest money there in property…too corrupt. Sure, there are many other corrupt countries. No country can avoid this. But some are much worse than others. That international transparency report lists Thailand way down the list.
AVOID drugs there at all costs. If you get caught, offer a large bribe immediately. When you end up at the station, it is too late. I have been shaken down there several times. Police targeting tourists and taking a small amount for some crazy infraction. But, same thing has happened to me in Kenya, Indonesia, Russia, etc. Just the price you pay for traveling.
And saying Thai’s worry about international opinion is not true. Most Thai’s are so poor, they only worry about their next meal (or next bottle of 40 degree). And the High So’s could care less as long as they are making money.
Again, I love Thailand, but like many other countries, be careful and keep a low profile…and even then S*** happens.
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Thanks for the insight Craig. It’s very interesting, the different points of view between two people who live (or have lived) there.
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Thought provoking article, and interesting cases.
On and off I’ve spent a total of around 2.5 years in Thailand. In my experience, yes it is corrupt, but transparently so – in that you know you, you see it, you learn the rules, and you live with it. I think many other countries are as corrupt – but it’s behind closed doors, we don’t see it so openly… but we are still unkowingly subject to in our everyday lives.
Also, my experience of Thai people has taight me that ultimately, all many of them ask for, is for foreigners to respect them and their country. In cases 1 and 3, I can see how a “lack of respect” may have been displayed which led to the more unfortunate circumstances.
Case 2 – is a little more interesting. If the cause of fire was indeed a cigarette – then putting myself in the position of the Thai landlord, who probably could not afford to rebuild the property, I can somehow understand how it would be pressed for the perceived “wealthier” Australian to foot the bill, considering they may have caused the fire.
Overall though, this article concerns me. The majority of Thai people that I have encountered depend largely on tourism, and are the laid-back, warm people we have grown to acquaint with the “land of Smiles”. What impact does negative press like this have on them and their families?
For anyone considering going to Thailand, relax, be respectful and polite, and don’t lose your head if you unavoidably end up in a difficult predicament. Keep a cool heart – Chai yen yen, mai pen rai…. and enjoy all the positive aspects of this beautiful country….
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A survey just came out in Thailand. You can see it on thaivisa’s web site. Search for “Cops Top Graft List”. Corruption is a way of life here. Like Tina says, it is the same way in many other 3rd world countries. Just a way of life…but it is rampant in Thailand.
Here is a quick example. My wife changed her name this year after getting her US citizenship. To get the paperwork completed promptly, she had to pay 2 bribes to the local officials. Otherwise, it would have never gotten completed. They knew she was married to a farang and just shook her down for money. Luckily, it was a small amount, but still…bribes are common in all parts of Thai life.
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Check out this recent article on the BBC about a common scam at the Bangkok airport:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8154497.stm
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