Baggage handlers to strike at Easter

 

Baggage handlers at Stansted Airport are to strike over Easter in a row over pay, the GMB union announced today. The move follows an overwhelming vote in favour of industrial action by 150 GMB members employed by Swissport after the union claimed that shift changes would lead to wage cuts of up to £1,000. The GMB said strikes will be held on Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Monday, threatening disruption to passengers flying on holiday for the holiday break. GMB official Gary Pearce said: "GMB members have voted overwhelmingly for strike action and for action short of a strike. "Up to now the company has been intent on imposing these changes without agreement and this is completely unacceptable, as this vote shows. "GMB has offered several alternative shift patterns and working arrangements but the company refuses to listen so far. "I have notified Swissport of the ballot result and I have asked them for more talks to try to avert action over these pay cuts. "GMB members consider that Swissport is attempting to make savings at their expense and they are not willing to agree to this. "Unless there is urgent talks and a settlement, this vote for action this will result in disruption over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. "The travelling public need to be aware that it has been this aggressive move by Swissport to cut our members pay at a time of high inflation that has led to this strike vote. "If the strike goes ahead, Swissport is entirely to blame for the disruption."

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14-year-old girl who was kidnapped and sent to Thailand is traumatised and unable to speak to the police.

Shah Alam OCPD Asst Comm Zahedi Ayob said the girl was in hospital and responding well to treatment.

"However, she cannot remember much. She only told us that she was abducted in a white van from Section 9," he told reporters at the district police headquarters here yesterday.

The teen was found with five other girls from Myanmar at the Hua Lampong train station in Bangkok on March 11 and arrived back home on Monday.

"We hope the Thai authorities will send the Myanmar citizens here so that we can probe further. We are investigating if these teenagers were also kidnapped the same day that the girl was abducted," ACP Zahedi said.

He refused to confirm if the teen was kidnapped by a child sex trafficking syndicate, but said the case was being investigated under Section 366 of the Penal Code for kidnapping for the purpose of prostitution.

ACP Zahedi said the Myanmar teenagers, aged between 15 and 17, were currently under the custody of UNHCR in Bangkok.

The Form Three girl was abducted on Jan 30 after her mother dropped her off at a bus stop here at around 1pm. When her daughter did not return home, the 37-year-old mother lodged a police report the following day at the Shah Alam police headquarters.

On March 12, the girl called her mother to say that she was in Thailand and had escaped from her captors.

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Pattaya Police is hunting a barbaric gang that alledgedly cut off Cambodian children’s tongues and removed their larynxes before forcing them to beg in Pattaya.

A Pattaya Daily News journalist was informed by social & welfare officers who had detained a seven-year-old mutilated Combodian boy (he could not tell his name ), the boy was mutilated, his tongue was cut off and had scars of primitive surgery on his neck. It looked like his larynx had been removed.

This boy was arrested while he was roaming around in Pattaya begging for money.

The officers brought the boy to the childrens welfare center last year. The boy was always tense and paranoid, he could not speak.

The officers from the national center for prevention and suppression of human trafficking came to question him. They told the child to point at the answers written on the paper: “Yes” and “No” in Cambodian.

It was a tragic story. He had been a normal young boy in Cambodia. But when he crossed to Thailand. He was suddenly mute. He pointed to his cut tongue with terrified eyes. On his neck there was a trace of surgery, size of a little finger which made the officer believe that they had removed his larynx.

The boy said that there were more boys of his age, also forced to work as beggers. They were all handicapped, their arms and legs had been cut off.
The gangs alledgedly abducted the children and cut off their tongues, arms, or legs to make them crippled and they would be easy to to control and people wold pity them and give them money.

The police have mobilized their forces to find the gang and arrest them.

Mr. Santi Prompat, the Minister of the Social Development and Human Security went to Hanoi, Vietnam to join the meeting of ministers in the Mekong region. Prevention of human trafficking or the 3rd COMMIT meeting with ministers from Cambodia, China, Burma and Vietnam participating. The meeting was held on February 15-16.

Mr. Prompat presented the story of the Cambodian beggar. A victim of human trafficking. He urged the concerned ministers to solve the problem as soon as possible.

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Missing M’sian girl took lift into Thailand from stranger

 

Thai immigration police investigations have indicated that a 14-year-old Malaysian girl and her five Rohingya friends had taken a lift from a stranger in Malaysia near the Malaysia-Thai border before entering Thailand illegally. The six have since been rescued by the Thai police. Deputy Commander of Immigration Bureau Investigation Centre Pol Col Chartchai Lamsaeng said Wednesday, the six took the ride on a Malaysian-registered van offered by a Malaysian man near the border on March 8. The five Rohingyas comprised four boys and a girl, aged between 14 and 16. The six were friends and know each other. "They were given drinks by the man and fell asleep shortly," Chartchai, who led the investigation into the case, told Bernama here. He said, they could only remember passing through Hat Yai, Petchaburi or Nakhon Phatom and ended up at Hua Lamphong in the capital. "We are surprised how they could pass through the border checkpoint without any travel document," he said, adding it was unclear whether the teenagers intended to enter Thailand when they took the van ride. "The man even took them to a mosque in Hua Lamphong. However, it was not clear what happened to the man after that as the teenagers made their way to the Hua Lamphong Train Station." Chartchai said, some vendors near the railway station gave them money to buy train tickets to return to Malaysia. They were caught by the police at the station as they failed to produce valid travel documents and were sent to an immigration police office here, he added. The immigration police later contacted the Malaysian Embassy here. "Our investigations showed that all six were safe and not harmed or abused by the man," said Chartchai, adding that the immigration police would investigate the case under human trafficking law, which carried a penalty of between five and 10 years imprisonment. "We managed to get a sketch of the suspect based on information given by the teenagers. Thai and Malaysian police are working on this case," he said. He said the Thai authorities were trying to determine if an international crime syndicate was involved in this case. An initial news report from Malaysia stated the girl had told her mother during a telephone conversation on March 12, that she and the rest were abducted and taken into Thailand before they were rescued by the Thai authorities at the railway station on March 11.

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British man, wife killed at Thai resort

 

POLICE say a British man and his Thai wife have been robbed and beaten to death at a seaside resort south of Bangkok. Police Major General Wichean Tantawiriya says three Thai men - a security guard and chef at the resort and their friend - were arrested today and had confessed to killing the couple and taking a mobile phone and 5000 baht ($155). Wichean says the bodies of Michael Raymond, 68, and Suchada Bowkamdee, 52, were discovered yesterday in their bungalow at the Jack Beach Resort in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, 350km south of Bangkok. He says they had checked in a day earlier. Wichean says two of the three suspects were addicted to methamphetamine, a stimulant, and needed money to buy drugs.

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Mexico Arrests Boss of La Mano con Ojos Gang

 

Mexican authorities have arrested the La Mano con Ojos (The Hand with Eyes) drug gang’s reputed leader, who confessed to ordering the murders of 10 people. The arrest of Marco Antonio Hernandez Garcia was made near the Villa Olimpica neighborhood of southern Mexico City, the capital’s district attorney, Jesus Rodriguez, told reporters. Hernandez Garcia, alias “El Comandante,” who was detained Thursday along with bodyguard Gustavo Moreno Diaz, confessed to ordering the killings of 10 people “whose bodies were mutilated – some incinerated – and abandoned in different parts of the capital,” Rodriguez said. The victims, all decapitated and found with threatening messages alongside them, were suspected rivals involved in the local drug trade, the DA said. The suspect told authorities that he took over leadership of La Mano con Ojos after the arrest last August of Oscar Oswaldo Garcia Montoya, alias “El Compayito,” who confessed to participating directly in 300 homicides and ordering 600 others. La Mano con Ojos operates mainly in the central state of Mexico, which surrounds Mexico City, and is known for using extreme violence against its victims, most of whom have been decapitated. The Mexico City DA’s office will ask a judge to order Hernandez Garcia and Moreno Diaz held in preventive detention for their alleged responsibility in the multiple homicides. Clashes pitting drug cartels against each other and the security forces have claimed more than 50,000 lives in Mexico – according to media tallies – since December 2006, when President Felipe Calderon took office and militarized the struggle against the drug gangs.

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Free at last: Longest-serving farang at 'Bangkok Hilton' is checking out

 

Like most prisons, Bang Kwang Central reeks of decay. But the fetidness of the "Bangkok Hilton", as it is known by inmates, is more indicative of the soul of the place than the damp edifices that contain the men. Built in the 1930s to hold 3500, the maximum security prison in Thailand's biggest city now houses about 8000 inmates, who have been sentenced to more than 25 years each, as well as hundreds awaiting the outcome of their pending appeals, or execution. Leg irons provide a means of status identification: new inmates wear theirs for the first three months, whereas those on death row have their shackles permanently welded on. Fates are determined by will or whim -- a royal birthday here, a public holiday there. The stroke of a monarch's pen determines who shall live, die or be released. And in the interim both the panacea for and consequence of not knowing is insanity: the inmate's survival guide. At the time of his arrest for heroin trafficking, South African Alexander (Shani) Krebs was 34 years old. Initially condemned to death, his sentence was commuted to 100 then 40 years. He has not spent a nano-second in a democratic South Africa, having been arrested a day before the elections in 1994. Over the years he earned the tragic reputation of being the longest-serving farang, or foreigner, in Bang Kwang. But on December 5 Thailand's monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, benevolently issued an amnesty of sorts, courtesy of his birthday, to all farangs convicted of drug offences. In Thailand the seventh cycle, or 84th birthday, is a significant milestone for the monarchy and special celebrations are organised for the entire year. For the foreign inmates it means that one-sixth of their sentences has been reduced. For prisoners incarcerated since 1994, like Krebs, it signals an early release. Although most of the 11 convicted South African drug mules in Thailand have been incarcerated for more than 15 years, it is unclear who else will be released with Krebs. And South Africa's department of international relations and co-operation is not providing answers. What is certain, according to his family, is that Krebs will be released on April 22 -- eerily, almost 18 years to the day of his arrest. On Facebook, where a 751-strong support group was established in 2008, Krebs's friends have been relentlessly posting messages of support and daily marking the countdown. "Shani, only 56 days to go ... every day gets brighter. x," writes Sue. "Support our friend in the last steps to victory," says Erwin. There are psychedelic artworks and photo-shopped collages of Krebs on an aeroplane, Krebs giving the thumbs-up, Krebs reunited with his family in Johannesburg. "We wanted Shani to see how much he has been missed and how his loved ones are literally counting the days till he returns," said his sister, Joan Sacks. Since 1994 she has campaigned tirelessly for his release and kept him updated through letters and the occasional five-minute phone calls permitted by the Bang Kwang authorities. Sacks has also set up a website through which prints of his paintings -- Krebs became an accomplished artist during his incarceration -- can be bought. Arrested in Thailand Meeting him in 2009, through a double layer of bars, wire and glass, was akin to staring at the portrait of Dorian Gray. His curly hair had remained youthfully long, his body ripped and his face -- from a distance, at least -- seemed protected from the ravages of age that cleave creases, folds and furrows into the rest of us. He was 49 years old. Krebs wore a crisp white T-shirt and immaculately pressed blue trousers. He had been up most of the night, he said, copiously preparing notes for our first interview. He was charming and cheerful. He refused to divulge details of his incarceration -- the agonising months in solitary confinement, the daily drudge of prison life, the creeping despair that all he might ever do in his life was time. He made no mention of the sweat-soaked bodies crammed into cells measuring six metres by four metres, forced to sleep spoon-like, or the pungency of the open sewerage system, or the cesspool of disease that is Bang Kwang.

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INDONESIAN authorities claim an Australian man arrested this week allegedly carrying 1.1kg of hashish inside his body was couriering for an international drug network.

 

INDONESIAN authorities claim an Australian man arrested this week allegedly carrying 1.1kg of hashish inside his body was couriering for an international drug network. Because the amount exceeds 1kg, Edward Norman Myatt, 54, could face the death penalty if convicted of importing the drug, said I Made Wijaya, chief of Customs at Bali's Ngurah Rai international airport. "We believe he is a courier," Mr Wijaya yesterday told a press conference at which the Ballarat-born suspect was exhibited along with the drugs. "He is covering up information on the network in Indonesia." Speaking later in Denpasar, Gories Mere, chief of the national counter-narcotics agency BNN, said international drug syndicates were supplying illegal drugs into Bali. The trade had been in methamphetamines, Mr Gories said, but now the type of drugs being trafficked was changing. Mr Myatt was taken into custody at the airport on Monday afternoon after arriving from New Delhi via Bangkok. Mr Myatt was under surveillance by 40 officers when the Thai Airways flight landed because his movements had already attracted attention, Mr Wijaya said. Customs officers searched his baggage and clothing at the airport without finding any evidence of drugs, but remained suspicious. Mr Myatt was taken from the airport for a CT scan at a Kuta medical centre, but momentarily escaped the car when stopped in traffic and dived into a swamp near the roadway, Mr Wijaya said. The suspect was quickly caught and the scan later showed "suspicious objects" in his stomach. Mr Wijaya said 71 capsules containing hashish and one with crystal methamphetamines were recovered from Myatt's body over the following four days. The total weight, including packaging, was 1.11kg. The estimated street value of the hashish was Rp661.8 million (about $67,750). Under Section 113 of the Narcotics Law, Mr Wijaya said, "the suspect faces maximum penalty of death" or a prison term between five and 20 years. Mr Myatt, who was carrying Australian and British passports, had an April 4 return ticket to New Delhi. He had visited Bali five times previously. A Customs source said later that Mr Myatt was thought to have been working in Britain recently, but he had changed details of his story several times during questioning. Eleven of the 12 Australians now imprisoned at Bali's Kerobokan jail are serving lengthy terms for drug trafficking. They include Gold Coast woman Schapelle Corby and the Bali Nine heroin smuggling convicts. Two of the Bali Nine, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, have been sentenced to death and their last resort is an appeal for presidential clemency to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Sydney man Michael Sacatides was arrested at Ngurah Rai on October 1, 2010, with 1.7kg of methamphetamines concealed in his luggage. Sacatides was last year sentenced to 18 years' jail.

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Pattaya's foreign criminals feel the heat

 

 

This is why the Provincial Region 2 has established the Transnational Crime Coordination Centre (TNCC) to deal directly with foreigners who come to Thailand to commit crimes. The existence of the centre has shed some light on how diverse the transnational gangs in Pattaya are and how their illegal businesses in this tourist centre have flourished. French nationals Nagim Hassainia, 33, and Samir Raihane, 41, who are suspects in a credit card fraud case, were arrested on Feb 2. The suspects were nabbed at a hotel in Pattaya after police found them withdrawing money from an ATM using forged credit cards containing information stolen from other countries. They sent 70% of the money back to their networks in France and took the rest of the money, the TNCC said. At least 10 members of the French gang are thought to be still on the loose. Some of them are responsible for stealing credit card information and ATM pins using a skimmer. Police seized 31 fake credit cards and 125,000 baht from the suspects. "This case could cause serious damage to Thailand's reputation," said Pol Lt Gen Panya Mamen, chief of the the Provincial Police Region 2. He said there were many foreign criminals on Pattaya's streets _ and one way to better deal with them was to improve the capacity of the TNCC, especially its ability to gather information and put it into the police database. "I have to admit there are a lot of foreign criminals who are tourists in disguise. Some are here to work with their Thai counterparts, while others act on their own," Pol Lt Gen Panya said. "Some are paedophiles. Others are criminals wanted by police in other countries yet come here pretending to be language teachers. All this makes Pattaya sound like a horrible city." Pol Lt Gen Panya hoped the Provincial Police Region 2 would achieve its goal of significantly decreasing the number of "unwanted visitors" in Pattaya within six months. The Provincial Police Region 2 is also stepping up efforts to strictly enforce the Immigration Act in which foreign suspects who are found to have criminal records or believed to be involved in a crime will have their visa nullified immediately and be extradited. These suspects will also be blacklisted by Thai immigration authorities. "They normally move around from Pattaya to Phuket, Koh Samui, Chiang Mai and then return to Pattaya again. If we can pool information, it will become easier to track them," Pol Lt Gen Panya said. Different gangs committed different crimes, ranging from theft to murder, he said. Pol Lt Gen Panya said some French gangs were known to be involved with fake credit cards and ATM cards. He said some Colombian gangs were involved with theft, whereas some Taiwanese gangs were linked to call centre scams. Pol Lt Col Chitdecha Songhong and Pol Capt Prajakpong Suriya of the TNNC, who arrested members of a French gang, agreed that inter-agency cooperation was crucial to uprooting a transnational gang. Pol Capt Prajakpong said it was difficult to locate foreign suspects even if police had pictures of them because they were frequently on the move and it was not easy to find information about them. "Pattaya is a popular criminal base because it's a hub of tourists and expatriates and the city has a lot of diamond and gold shops," he said. "The city also has many unregistered or illegal residential services which allow those criminals to stay here and hide away from immigration authorities." The TNNC is working with embassy officials in Pattaya and local banks to keep an eye on foreigners who come to the city to commit crimes.

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German nationals face death penalty over drug smuggling charges in Malaysia

 

A district court near the Kuala Lumpur International Airport charged the three men on January 13 with drug trafficking, said a customs official who declined to be named. Airport officials arrested the men arriving from Istanbul on January 1 after finding 10.2 kilogrammes of methamphetamine hidden in the bags they were carrying, the official said on Wednesday. He said no plea had been recorded from the three pending the case's transfer to a high court once a chemist report on the drugs is ready. The two Germans have parents from Afghanistan but were born in Germany, while the Moroccan has lived in Germany for 15 years, the official said. Authorities in the Southeast Asian country went on "red alert" late last year following a surge in arrests and drug seizures, tightening passenger and luggage screening.

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Two Russian Tourists Arrested For Theft

 

press conference was held by the Deputy Superintendent of Pattaya Immigration, Police Lt. Col. Prapansak Pra-sarn-suk to publicize the arrest of Mr. Denis Skvortsov, aged 31 and Miss Antonian Pavlova, aged 23, both from Russia. They were detained for major Theft, and were caught with  money in Dollars, Thai Baht, Euros and other currencies, plus many credit cards and other property worth over 1 million Baht. These ding-bats were identified by reps from many hotels in Pattaya, where they committed their thieving. The scam was for Miss Antonian to approach wealthy looking hotel clients for consensual sexcapades, and find a chance to steal the room keys for Mr. Denis, who would then enter the victim’s room and steal their belongings. The dastardly duo have been wanted by Pattaya Police and were about to flee out of the country, but were arrested at the Chantaburi Border and sent back to Pattaya.

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Crackdown on Sexploits along Pattaya Beach Road

 

Pattaya police and volunteers organized another crackdown on sexploits that occur on Beach Road.  Due to complaints from tourists, officers went out along the stretch of beach front and confronted a number of prostitutes and Ladyboys wandering about the area. A total of 60 people were taken back to the station, and 10 were detained for being positive after failing drug tests.

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Forty Prostitutes Arrested at Karaokes and Bars

 

It was time for karaokes and bars in the busy areas from Tepprasit to South Naklua to be examined for valid operating licenses, and to make sure that no illegal activities were occurring on the premises. The officers especially focused on uncovering underage workers and prostitution. Over 50 police officers and volunteers, led by the Deputy Superintendent of Human Trafficking Preventing and Suppressing Department Pol. Lt. Chusak Ke-tong inspected many entertainment venues in town, and some 40 women were apprehended for inquiry and examination. The ones proving to be prostitutes were fined, then released, and admonished to find another line of work to feed themselves.

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Bogus Police Officer Accused of Rape

 

 Superintendent of Banglamung Police Station, Police Colonel Somnuek Changate announced the arrest of a man, accused of impersonating a police officer and also suspected of raping a number of young women.  Boonchim, aged 37 was caught in a house in Ban Chang.  Under the pretence of providing drug tests, victims claimed he would sexually attack them, in some instances at gunpoint.  A full investigation is now underway.

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Travelling Traffickers Tracked Down

 

press conference was held on Friday at the Laem Chabang Police Station by The Deputy Commander of the Chonburi and Laem Chabang Police Provincial Police Superintendent Pol. Col. Yongyut Kondog and the Laem Chabang Police Superintendent Pol. Col. Sak-ra-pee Piao-pa-nit to announce the arrest of 4 offenders for Amphetamine or Trafficking Yah Bah. The 4 drug dealers were all in the same gang, and were caught with 1,000 tablets of Yah Bah and some Crystal Meth called Yah Ice in Thai.    The 4 were 2 women named Miss Nantana Sukteuan, aged 36 and Miss Jareewat Proem-laam, aged 33 and 2 men Mr. Chalermchai Sonsiri, aged 29 and Mr. Ot Sukteuan, aged 36,  and the woman Miss Jariwat turned out to be the drug mule, traveling down from Chiangmai with the drugs with her husband Mr. Ot. He had already been arrested and is serving time in Chonburi Prison. On each trip, Miss Jareewat would usually bring down 4,000 tablets, 3,000 of which were already sold for 140 Baht. That doubled the dealers’ money from the buying price of 70 Baht per tab, and they managed to do this for over 1 year without being caught. They all were sent for legal proceedings after the press conference.

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Local Pub Found with Underage Customers and Weapons

 

On Sunday after 3 am, the Sa-baat-chor Pub on Pattaya’s 3rd Road was inspected by the police, police volunteers and officials from relevant authorities under the lead of the Chonburi Police Commander Pol. Maj. Gen. Jamnong Ratanagoon as a number of complaints about the pub have filed with the police. The complaints noted that there were many illegal activities going on in this pub including weapons and underage customers.   The official closing time of 2 AM was not observed, and the music was still playing and the customers cavorting when the police entered the premises. Over 500 customers were tested for drugs, and 2 of them were positive.   The Manager failed to produce the License to operate the pub, and there were 22 underage customers in the bar, plus 2 9 mm guns and a 11mm gun, which were impounded from the customers.   The pub was ordered to be closed for 30 days, and legal proceedings will proceed against the Manager and the owner.

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Bizarre Incident at Pattaya Police Station

 

Pattaya police are quite accustomed to bizarre incidents at the station, but early on Monday morning eyes were turned as a man walked into the station wearing only his underwear.   Embarrassed, the Russian, 30 year old Mr. Sergi Marushko told the officers that he had just been for a swim opposite the Hard Rock Hotel, and when he returned, all of his clothes and belongings were gone.  Fortunate for him, he stated that all his important papers, such as passport and credit cards were safely back at his hotel.  As there were no witnesses, all the police could do was make a report and kindly bought the young man a shirt and shorts and a lift back to his hotel.

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Welshman Mickey Finned in Hotel Room

 

Once again a tourist has fallen victim to a Mickey Finn incident.   This time the casualty was Mr. Brian Richmond, aged 70 from the once prosperous coal mining town of Mountain Ash in South Wales.  He had been drugged and robbed of all his valuables at a hotel on Soi Buakhao in South Pattaya, all courtesy of a woman he had just met and brought back to his room.    Staff at the Jasmine Villa hotel stated they saw the young woman aged around 25 leave early on Sunday morning.  It wasn’t until the afternoon that Mr. Richmond appeared from his room in a daze.  On inspection of the room, officers found the safe had been broken into and confirmed that all the Welshman’s belongings were missing.  He was taken to the Memorial Hospital for a checkup and will then help police with a photofit description to catch this canny thief.

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Heroin Dealer Caught in Chonburi

 

Chonburi police announced the arrest of a man suspected of dealing with heroin.   Police received information about Natasarn, aged 32 from Chiang Rai and he was arrested at a local market with a small quantity of the drug.  Later, on searching his room officers found 205 grams of heroin.  He confessed to obtaining the drug from the Thai Burmese border and sold them to customers in Ban Saen and Chonburi.  He often made a good profit of at least 400,000 baht a week.  He now awaits a day in court.

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Survey reveals expat banking fears

 

The Expat Banking Poll was sponsored by Lloyds TSB International and conducted by expat website Just Landed. Expats in Spain were found to have the most problems with banking abroad. Almost two-thirds of those polled – 64 per cent – said that they do not trust local banks at all. Some of the most common problems cited by those who distrust banks abroad include unfair charges, trouble with the language barrier and money that was deducted from their account without any explanation. Briton Graham Hunt, who runs a Spanish property website and has written some hard-hitting blogs on banking in Spain, said: "Two years ago, there was a lot more trust in Spanish banks. "But the past couple of years have seen new charges for cards, account maintenance, transfer fees... this put people into the red in unused accounts, and they were then given an additional overdrawn charge. As a result, trust disappeared." Spain is happiest expat destination 19 Jan 2012 He also claims bank charges have increased "dramatically" recently and that lack of clear communication is the major problem for expats not speaking Spanish, and banks not employing people with language skills. "However my experience is that if you have a good relationship with the bank manager then any charges on the account can usually be got back," Mr Hunt said. "You just threaten to take your business elsewhere." Ali Meehan, who runs the Costa Women community network, said however there were many reasons expats wanted to use Spanish banking services. ""Many expats bank with Spanish financial institutions because they have mortgage products or loans locally," she said. "Some banks also offer special deals if you have your UK pension paid direct to Spain." More than 11,800 expats in total were surveyed for the Lloyds TSB International report. More than half of those, 59 per cent, said that they do trust their banks abroad, while only 22 per cent of respondents said they did not trust their banks "at all". In the United Arab Emirates, 74 per cent polled said they completely trust local banks; in Kuwait, this number is even higher, at 83 per cent. In Europe, German banks receive a similar score, with 68 per cent of expats polled completely trusting their services. UK banks – though facing many problems – are completely trusted by 52 per cent of respondents. And despite uncertainties over the British pound, 36 per cent of expatriates surveyed claim they would invest in sterling over any other currency. "While the poll demonstrated a lot of positivity, there are also some issues to be addressed," said Daniel Tschentscher, managing partner at Just Landed. "In the current climate, one would expect the level of trust to be lower, but that really doesn't seem to be the case at all."

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A grisly event in South East Asia highlights the region's developing meth-driven drug war

 

The Mekong River in Thailand Photo via By Jed Bickman 10/11/11 | Share Uppers Rock the World New Life for Asia’s Golden Triangle China Unveils Radical New Approach to Drug Treatment Vietnam's Rehab Gulag Revealed Spinning to Cambodia! In one of the grisliest incidents of the drug war in South East Asia in recent memory, the corpses of thirteen Chinese sailors have been found by Thai authorities on the Mekong River. The victims, including two female cooks, were blindfolded, bound, and shot dead. They're believed to be the crew members of two Chinese cargo ships that were hijacked last week by Thai drug gangs—the boats were recaptured in a firefight with Thai police and 950,000 methamphetamine pills were discovered on board. It's unclear whether the meth was loaded onto the boats by the Thai gangs, or whether it was already being shipped from China. Thai military officials blame a drug trafficking ring led by 40-year-old kingpin Nor Kham—who operates out of northeast Burma and is a wanted man in both Burma and Thailand—for the attacks. Authorities speculate that the Chinese ships neglected to hand over protection money and paid the price. The Chinese government has reacted defensively, suspending cargo and passenger trips along the Mekong river. The region along the border of Burma, Laos, and Thailand—known as the “golden triangle”—is the center of methamphetamine production in Asia, although China has also produced vast amounts of meth since the 1990s. Ephedrine, the base of methamphetamine, is derived from a native Chinese herb—“mao,” AKA "yaba"—which has an important role in Chinese medicine. The UN estimates there are between 3.5 million and 20 million methamphetamine users in South East Asia: such a broad range only serves to illustrate how badly understood the problem is. In 2009, countries in South East Asia collectively reported a 250% jump in methamphetamine arrests, as well as an increasing trend of injecting methamphetamine, which leads to a corresponding jump in HIV and other diseases among users.

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Switch to olive oil for better health

 

Indian households should completely switch to olive oil as a cooking medium as its nutritional value is very high, it is rich in monounsaturated 'good' fats and, when used daily, can bring instant and easy wellness to a family's diet, celebrity chef and noted cookery expert Nita Mehta says. "Even though we have such a wide range of olive oils in our market, people don't seem to use them because of their mental block that the flavour of olive oil doesn't gel with Indian flavors," Mehta said at the launch here Satuday her latest book, "Indian Cooking With Olive Oil".

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Tens of thousands flee as floods sweep Bangkok

 

Tens of thousands of Thais are fleeing flood-threatened Bangkok after the city's Governor ordered official evacuations for the first time since the crisis began. Floodwaters bearing down on the city have killed 373 people nationwide since July, causing damage that will cost billions to repair and shutting down Bangkok's second largest airport. Satellite maps of Bangkok last night showed a city almost entirely surrounded by water.

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The Teewave AR.1 uses Toray carbon fiber for its chassis, crash structures, body, and interior.

This concept sports car was built, from initial sketches to working prototype, in just nine months.

(Credit: Gordon Murray Design)

 

Creating a new car can take years of development, but Gordon Murray Design put together a running prototype electric sports car in just nine months. The Teewave AR.1 was commissioned by Toray Industries to show off its carbon fiber production.

Toray says that its process can make carbon fiber components in just 10 minutes. The Teewave AR.1 uses Toray carbon fiber for its chassis, crash structures, body, and interior. Other Toray materials make up interior surfaces and components of the car.

 

Gordon Murray Design opted for a modest electric powertrain in the Teewave AR.1, meaning sluggish acceleration.

(Credit: Gordon Murray Design)

 

Those light carbon fiber elements make the overall weight of the Teewave AR.1 just 1,874 pounds. The lithium ion battery pack for the car makes up 530 pounds of that weight.

Gordon Murray Design did not specify the supplier of the electric power train, but its specifications are fairly standard for new electric cars hitting the market. Range is listed as 116 miles using the New European Driving Cycle test procedure, and charging time is 6 hours.

The Teewave AR.1 does not push the boundaries of electric car performance. Its electric motor, driving the rear wheels, only produces 63 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. That means acceleration of 11.4 seconds to 62 mph.

You won't be able to buy a Teewave AR.1 anytime soon. The car will be used by Toray to demonstrate its carbon fiber capabilities. But Toray says its carbon fiber components will scale from a car as small as the Teewave AR.1 to any other size of vehicle.

What this concept also demonstrates is how quickly a new car can, from sketches to a working prototype, can be built. Components such as the electric drive train and suspension are modular, while the carbon fiber can be formed from molds rather than the more time-consuming stamping process for steel, which involves more tooling.

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Posted in: and interior.,body,crash structures,The Teewave AR.1 uses Toray carbon fiber for its chassis

MINI COUPE

It was quite a good idea for Mini to make a coupe version as the fifth body derivative in the model line-up because the earlier variations basically covered the widest customer expectations possible.

If you loved the Mini for what it has always been, you'd easily go for the classic Hatch. Want more fun and there's the Convertible. Need to be a little pseudo and the Clubman awaits you. Crave for family practicality and the Countryman's yours.

But if you needn't any of those values but want a genuinely good looking and driving Mini for yourself, the Coupe is the perfect choice.

The removal of the compartment for rear passengers has allowed Mini to put in place a three-box profile to give the Coupe a nice coupe profile. Adding more fun is a helmet-style roof distinctively coloured from the body.

But that's just about it when it comes to the cosmetic test because the rest of the Coupe is plainly a Mini.

There's no differentiation when it comes to the lights or front grille. Simply, it's the roof that holds the key to your liking of the Coupe.

The fascia is just like in any other Mini: fun but flawed to use.

Despite the booted appearance, the Coupe's boot lid opens in a hatch manner (together with the rear windscreen) which, in essence, makes the Coupe more of a liftback.

No rear perches means that the Coupe has that kind of boot space rarely seen in any Mini. Mini has also taken the opportunity to design the interior boot cover with stylish twin cowls. In functionality terms, the Coupe is all what two people at most would ever need.

And turning to aesthetics again, the interior reaches the same dead end as the exterior in which distinction is only confined to the rear bit. The front seats, steering wheel and fascia are like in other Minis, with the latest aspect being fun in appearance but flawed in ergonomic terms.

But you really can't blame Mini for the vast similarities the Coupe bears to its other siblings.

It's a diversification of a specific model, in the first place, and not entirely all-new on its own. Hence, the need to share as many parts as possible.

The pop-up spoiler has both visual and dynamic benefits.

So if you're expecting the Coupe to feel distinctively special on the move, prepare to frown because it doesn't. However, that can never be considered a bad thing since Minis have always been known to be cars that are great to drive.

The running gear of the Coupe is predictable enough: the engines and transmissions are the ones you have seen around since the Mini's facelift in second-gen form with no changes in power and torque outputs.

The one highlighted here for the Coupe test drive in Germany this month is the range-topping 211hp 1.6-litre petrol-turbo and six-speed manual gearbox for the so-called John Cooper Works guise.

The chassis setup is basically just like in other Minis including a sporty tuning. Absence of rear seats has also allowed engineers to place a cross-member in their place to further increase body rigidity for even better handling.

With this in mind, the Coupe drives very much like the Hatch. Performance is brisk in a straight line and impressive when picking up from low engine revs and when exiting corners.

There's no doubting the Coupe's handling, too. This is as sporty as a car of this small size gets, and the way it grips at high speeds when slamming down the autobahn to its top speed is quite amazing. Special thanks go to a new rear spoiler that pops up at over 80kph (and disappearing again when dipping below 60kph).

Ah, that spoiler, the item much talked-about in the Coupe which many critics have described as more a cosmetic gimmick rather than one for dynamic reasons. But as things turned out during the international driving trials, there seems to also be much weight leaning towards the latter factor.

The Coupe also goes around into corners with the same conviction as the Hatch: superbly agile, finely balanced and virtually free of understeer. It's equally as capable as a rear-drive sports car like the Mazda MX-5, unless your idea of looking out from the car is through the side windows.

There’s some stow space behind the front seats... and more of it in the boot.

Speaking of the driving view, the Coupe does feel different from the Hatch in the sense that the front windscreen is more slanted and not as upright as in the Hatch or Clubman. And the Coupe's rear view is limited, although the view of the spoiler (and the stripes painted on it) looks cool.

A more serious downside (in terms of marketing and not engineering) is the unavailability of an automatic gearbox. Mini still insists that JCW cars must be manual. This means that Thais won't be getting this powerful JCW, unless they order it.

Instead, the Cooper S and Cooper variants will come at the year-end with six-speed slushers, the prior spec having steering-mounted paddle-shifters. There wasn't the chance to sample the Cooper S, but it's fair to say _ based on previous driving experiences of other Minis _ that the Coupe with this power treatment will still be a fast car to drive.

You need not have suspicions about the Coupe's ride: the underlying firmness of the chassis makes for a stiff ride, even on the slightest of potholes on German roads. We'd easily say that the ride on Bangkok streets would be terrifyingly hard.

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Thailand launches new campaign to fight drug crimes

 

The golden triangle region where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar join has been the centre of drug production and trafficking for a long time. Drug situation in Thailand has deteriorated since 2007 when about 400.000 were arrested on drug related ground. National statistics show that in 2011 the number of persons implicated in narcotics has attained 1.3 million across 80.000 villages. A reason enough for the new government to approve a new anti-drugs campaign that pledges to be inflexible with traffickers and help addicts through rehabilitation programs. Few days ago, a military border force seized 3.4 kilograms of heroin and 95 kg of crystal methamphetamine, worth US$33 million, the drugs were smuggled from Myanmar, where it is believed that ethnic minorities are major heroin and methamphetamine traffickers. In order to stop narcotics production, Thai businessmen will be encouraged to rent plots of land and invest in agriculture projects and then hire hill-tribe people to work on the farms so that they make a decent living. Border checkpoints will be intensified along the Thai-Burmese border to discourage drug smuggling. Prisons are over-crowded with drug convicts, to prevent them from going back to drug trafficking after being released, they will be encouraged to learn new skills in the final year of their jail terms. Children remain an easy target, therefore the armed force will act as a role model and promote sports and healthy life. Opening military camps and stadiums and donating sports equipment to needy youngsters will be their priority. For the past decade, Thai government has been far from successful in its fight against drug trafficking, but Yingluck Shinawatra by joining force with neighboring countries wishes to stop the problem at the root.

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Posted in: Thailand launches new campaign to fight drug crimes

British expat arrested in Phuket today was on a list of fugitives wanted by an international division of the UK’s Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA)

Paul Ridden in detention in Phuket. Photo: Lars Goran Dikander.

PHUKET: A British expat arrested in Phuket today was on a list of fugitives wanted by an international division of the UK’s Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA), the Phuket Gazette has learned.

Paul Ridden, 58, was arrested today after being fooled into meeting a friend in front of Chalong Police Station.

When he drove into the police station car park, his exit was blocked by other vehicles behind him.

“When he pulled up, Tourist Police volunteer Gary Halpin reached in and removed the key from the ignition,” said fellow volunteer Jum Ali Khan.

The move to lure Mr Ridden to capture today follows a Chalong Police attempt to bring him in for questioning yesterday after a fellow expat complained of being cheated out of 75,000 baht.

Sussex Police in the UK appealed to the public for help in finding Mr Ridden in June after he jumped police bail in April.

The appeal, which said Mr Ridden was wanted for “numerous fraud offenses”, was carried nationwide, including on the BBC website.

The appeal was issued by Detective Constable Rick Kent, Senior Officer, Operations, of SOCA’s Middle East and Asia division.

Speaking to the Phuket Gazette tonight, Mr Ridden confirmed that he had been contacted by the British Embassy in Bangkok, but he declined to answer any questions related to why he was wanted by the UK authorities.

After taking Mr Ridden into custody, Police Col Boonlert Onklang noticed that the Eastbourne native had overstayed his visa.

Mr Ridden will spend tonight in detention at the station, and will be presented in court tomorrow to face a fine for his immigration infraction.

However, that may not be the end of his problems in Phuket.

At least six people were lining up at Chalong Police Station tonight to file complaints against him.

All the complaints related to Mr Ridden having allegedly deceived or cheated the plaintiffs out of money.

One woman told the Gazette that he borrowed her motorbike and then rented it out to tourists.

Mr Ridden also hired cars from local rental operators, then rented them out to tourists, “like subletting,” one man said.

“There are eight cars in total,” he added.

Another person ready to file a complaint said he rented a car from Mr Ridden and was still waiting for his deposit to be returned. “That was two weeks ago,” he said.

Yet Mr Ridden claimed that he himself was a victim of deceit.

“I was just trying to run a business in Thailand. What happened was that the guy I came to work with said he would get me a work permit, so I gave him 65,000 baht. That was three months ago," he said.

Mr Ridden said that he was working with a local firm that installs CCTV systems.

“I was like a sub-agent. I was getting the job and they were fitting it. Their manager told me that he could get a work permit for me if I worked for them for a year, so I gave him the money. But the boss never knew about it,” he said.

“The paperwork that was signed – which I still have – was all forged by the manager. And they know about it. That’s how it all started,” he said.

Mr Ridden said that the 75,000 baht involved in the original Phuket complaint was saved in a bank account.

“The money was for getting the man a visa, but he found a cheaper way and decided to do it himself. But to get the visa [the man wanted], he needed to have money in a bank account, and that’s where it is. I will give it all back,” he said.

He also said that he had been in touch with several people – and in front of the Gazette he specifically asked for certain people to come and see him – so he could give the car registration books back.

Mr Ridden also asked that the Thai man he had hired to help him to run his business not be involved, especially since the Thai man’s wife was one month pregnant.

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Posted in: British expat arrested in Phuket today was on a list of fugitives wanted by an international division of the UK’s Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA)

Google closes 10 services in 'spring clean'

 

The services being closed by Google include Aardvark, a social network-powered question-and-answer search tool, Fast Flip, an experiment in displaying news content online, and Notebook, a note-taking and URL-clipping service. In a post on Google’s blog, Alan Eustace, senior vice president, said: “Over the next few months we’ll be shutting down a number of products and merging others into existing products as features. [...] This will make things much simpler for our users, improving the overall Google experience. It will also mean we can devote more resources to high impact products—the ones that improve the lives of billions of people.” He added: “We’ll continue to take risks on interesting new technologies with a lot of potential. But by targeting our resources more effectively, we can focus on building world-changing products with a truly beautiful user experience.” Other services being discontinued by Google include Desktop, which the company says has been superseded by cloud computing, Google Pack, the company’s bundle of downloadable software, and Sidewiki, a collaborative approach to annotating websites. Google Maps API for Flash, Google Web Security, Image Labeler and Subscribed Links are the other services to be closed. Aardvark founders Max Ventilla and Damon Horowitz said that Google+ had taken on some of the role performed by their service. In a blogpost, they wrote: “We’ve been excited to share these lessons within Google over the past year, especially as part of the effort behind Google+. “It has been gratifying to see how well this project is doing — even in these early stages, Google+ has already become a great place to share knowledge online, eclipsing the original vark.com! — and there is much more to come very soon.”

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Posted in: Google closes 10 services in 'spring clean'

Giant saltwater crocodile weighing more than a tonne was captured in a remote Philippine village following a spate of attacks on humans

 Giant saltwater crocodile weighing more than a tonne was captured in a remote Philippine village following a spate of attacks on humans and livestock, officials said Tuesday.

The 21-foot (6.4-metre), 1,075-kilogramme (2,370-pound) reptile may have eaten a farmer who went missing in July, along with several water buffaloes in the southern town of Bunawan, crocodile hunter Rollie Sumiller said.

A crocodile also bit off the head of a 12-year-old girl in Bunawan in 2009, according to the environment ministry.

Josefina de Leon, wildlife division chief of the environment ministry's protected areas and wildlife bureau, said it was likely the biggest crocodile ever captured.

"Based on existing records the largest that had been captured previously was 5.48 metres long," she told AFP.

"This is the biggest animal that I've handled in 20 years of trapping,"

Sumiller added, estimating the male to be more than 50 years old.

"The community was relieved," he told AFP, but added: "We're not really sure if this is the man-eater, because there have been other sightings of other crocodiles in the area."

The team, employed by a government-run crocodile breeding farm, began laying bait using chicken, pork and dog meat on August 15, but the reptile simply bit off both meat and line the it was skewered on.

An eight milimetre (0.31-inch) metal cable finally proved beyond the power of its jaws and the beast was subdued at a creek on Saturday with the help of about 30 local men.

The local government decided against putting down the reptile and will instead use him as the main attraction at a planned nature park in the area.

"He's a problem crocodile that needs to be taken from the wildlife so that it can be used for eco-tourism," Sumiller said.

Crocodylus porosus or estuarine crocodile is the world's largest reptile that usually grows to five or six metres long and can live up to 100 years.

While not considered an endangered species globally, it is "critically endangered" in the Philippines, where it is hunted for its hide to feed the fashion industry, de Leon said.

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Posted in: Giant saltwater crocodile weighing more than a tonne was captured in a remote Philippine village following a spate of attacks on humans

Drug couriers killed in Chiang Rai

 

Two drug traffickers were killed and 22,200 methamphetamine pills seized late on Sunday night in a clash with a combined force of police and para-military rangers of the Pha Muang Force in Thoeng district of Chiang Rai province, police said. Pol Maj-Gen Songtham Alapach, the Chiang Rai police chief, said the combined police-ranger force laid in wait near Rom Pho Thong village in tambon Tap Tao of Thoeng district between kilometre markers 56-57 on the road to Phu Chi Fa mountain near the Thai-Lao border after learning that a drug gang would transport speed pills across the border from Laos. Late in the night, the combined force spotted five men carrying backpacks and AK47 rifles walking down from the mountain and ordered them to stop for a search. The smugglers opened fire and a 10 minute gunfight followed. After the clash, the police and rangers examined the area and found the bodies of two men who were killed in the fight.  One of them was identified as Laopho sae Wang, 50, a villager of Rom Pho Thong village, and the other was an unidentified Hmong from neighbouring Laos. The three other smugglers fled back across the border. A backpack containing 22,200 methamphetamine pills and a 9mm pistol were also found at the scene.

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Posted in: Drug couriers killed in Chiang Rai

Taiwan busts massive drug smuggling ring

 

TAIWAN police say they've busted a drug smuggling ring responsible for transporting $66.06 million worth of narcotics to Australia, New Zealand and Japan. A total of nine suspects have been arrested, including the suspected leader of the ring, 40-year-old Fan Chu-lin, the Criminal Investigation Bureau said on Monday. "This is definitely one of the largest smuggling rings to be uncovered in many years," bureau official Yang Ming-chang said. Over a 10-year period, the group allegedly smuggled hundreds of kilograms of ecstasy and amphetamines from Hong Kong and China to Japan, New Zealand and Australia. It also smuggled large amounts of marijuana from Thailand and Holland into Taiwan. According to preliminary estimates, the drugs smuggled by the group over the 10-year period totalled at least $65.5 million, Yang said. If convicted, Fan could face a minimum 20 years in jail under Taiwanese law.

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Kickboxer Lee Aldhouse is to be extradited to Thailand to face trial for the murder on Phuket of former US Marine Dashawn Longellow,

Kickboxer Lee Aldhouse is to be extradited to Thailand to face trial for the murder on Phuket of former US Marine Dashawn Longellow, a British newspaper is reporting.

The Daily Mirror says a government source told them: ''The only way he could have realistically avoided extradition is if he would have faced the death penalty if found guilty. But the Thai Government have assured us that he will not.''



Aldhouse, 28, has 14 days in which to appeal.

The stabbing murder of Longfellow, 23, became a notorious case on Phuket as a manhunt was launched for his suspected killer.

Aldhouse was arrested at London's Heathrow airport a few days after the mid-August murder, having made his escape via Cambodia and a flight from Singapore.

Prosecution authorities in Bangkok are likely to be delighted with the precedent-setting decision by British Home Secretary Theresa May.

Once it is officially confirmed, Longfellow's family and friends in the US and on Phuket will be vastly relieved.

Prison conditions in Thailand were believed to be what caused the decision to run past the normal two months for a Home Secretary to decide whether an extradition is appropriate.

Phuket Prison is overcrowded with conditions well below international standards.

Authorities in Thailand will be anxiously awaiting a decision on whether Aldhouse chooses to appeal, a move that could mean a delay in the process or worse, extradition being refused.

Aldhouse, known as the Pitbull, picked a fight with Longfellow at the Freedom Bar in Rawai, a southern beachside spot on Phuket. Having lost the fight, Phuket police believe, Aldhouse collected two knives from a nearby 7-Eleven store and ambushed the former Marine when he returned to his apartment.

Did Lee Aldhouse Do It?

Phuketwan has posted dramatic footage of a man who looks like Lee Aldhouse obtaining two knives from a 7-Eleven store shortly before Mr Longfellow was stabbed to death

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Posted in: Kickboxer Lee Aldhouse is to be extradited to Thailand to face trial for the murder on Phuket of former US Marine Dashawn Longellow

Pattaya police catching methamphetamine dealers. Latest drug seller arrest: Middle-aged Frenchman and Thai couple in Soi "PP".

Pattaya August 21, 2011,( PDN) Police Lieutenant Vitsanu Chaisuwan and his team arrests Mr Philipot Vincent, age 40 French citizen in possession 2,000 THB, methampetamine in a clear plastic bag plus drug paraphernelia. Also arrested: Miss Supaksorn Yoriya age 31, address: 71 Moo 5, Tambon Nakornjadi, Lampoon province together with her husband Mr Kampol Kongdaeng, age 32 years old from 37/1 Moo 2, Tambon Lumlukka, Pathumthani province. The suspects were carrying cash 2,500 THB, ya-ice packed in a small clear plastic bag, weight 0.57 grams. They were both detained for further investigation.

Police Lieutenant Vitsanu Chaisuwan said since some time they had planned to arrest Mr Philipot Vincent a suspected drug dealer.

The plan to capture Mr Philipot to was use under cover police agents pretending to buy ya-ice worth 2,000 THB from Mr Philipot at an apartment in Soi Jeerapol (Soi PP).



Later Mr Philipot was caught red handed with ya-ice and cash for the drugs. After inspecting the room various drug paraphernelia were found.

Further arrests were made . First: Miss Supaksorn in front of the 7-11 at Soi Jeerapol in Soi Bua Khao carrying methampetamine and 2,500 THB in cash. Thereafter in a nearby rented room the police found Mr Kampol her husband in the room together with ya-ice and drug paraphernelia.



Upon investigation Miss Supaksorn confessed that she was a prostitute working on Pattaya beach and her husband a motorcycle-taxi rider in Soi Bua Khao. In need of more money the couple bought ya-ice from a dealer for 20,000 THB which they divided it a small portion to sell to foreigners and Thais. This had been going on for a long time and they were also addicted to ya-ice. The urine drug test found them both positive. The three suspects confessed that they both sell and take ya-ice. All three were detained for further investigation

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Posted in: Pattaya police catching methamphetamine dealers

Phuket drug tip-offs lead to four arrests, 6,000 pills seized

anti-drug squad in Thalang District, which covers most of the north of Phuket, last night nabbed four people for drugs, culminating with the arrest of an alleged dealer with more than 5,000 pills early this morning.

The squad, comprising four Thalang Police officers and officials from the Thalang District Office, began the night’s work with the arrest of an 18-year-old at a house in Moo 9, Thepkrassattri sub-district, at about 8pm.

The young man was charged with possession of four ya bah (methamphetamine) pills and handed to the Phuket Juvenile Observation and Protection Center.

In his statement, the teenager claimed that he bought the drugs from Somboon “Tuck” Pinit, 45.

The team moved to arrest Somboon, but while doing the rounds the officers arrested Chanchai “Eak” Phirom, 28, on the Na Nai–Pakrongcheep Road in Thepkrassattri at about 9:30pm.

Chanchai was charged for possession of three ya bah pills, with intent to use.

The team later arrested Somboon at a house in Baan Khanaen village in Thepkrassattri, at about 12:40am.

Somboon was found in possession of 5,800 ya bah pills as well as a rifle with 25 bullets and 3,510 baht in cash.

Charged with possession of drugs with intent to sell, Somboon told police that he sourced his ya bah from Pongsathorn “Nui” Mangka, 40.

Somboon’s statement led to the arrest of Pongsathorn in front of his house at Baan Suan Neramitra 3 in Srisoonthorn sub-district at about 4:30am today.

Pongsathorn was found with 50 ya bah pills on his person.

A search of his house uncovered 300 more ya bah pills as well as 0.7 grams of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) and 6,500 baht in cash.

Pongsathorn was charged with possession of drugs with intent to sell.

At a press conference at the Thalang District Office this morning, Phuket Vice Governor Weerawat Janpen thanked the community for the tip-offs.

“I would like to thank the people for the information that led to these four arrests,” he said.

“Thank you for having eyes on crime. It is very useful,” he added.

 

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Posted in: 000 pills seized,6,Phuket drug tip-offs lead to four arrests

Busted Phuket Drugs Gang Linked to Bangkok Prison 'Mastermind

series of arrests on Phuket last night has involved the exposure of what appears to be two drugs gangs who were handling thousands of yah ba methamphetamine tablets and in possession of several handguns.

It is believed a man who was arrested on Phuket in 2004 and is now serving time in Bangkok's Bangkwang Prison was the mastermind behind one of the gangs.



Following on from the arrest in May of a man on Phuket in May with 30,000 yah ba tablets, governor's officers raided a room occupied by Praphan Nammali, 36, finding 17,000 tablets and 150 grams of yah ice.

Khun Praphan told them the original size of his cache was 30,000 tablets and 1000 grams, but he had sold much of it at 3500 baht a gram.

It is believed he replaced the man arrested in May as a distributor for a drugs network overseen by ''Khun Ae'' in the Bangkok jail.

The raid on the room at Saphan Hin community village was preceded the previous day by a series of inter-connected Phuket police raids, some nearby, that netted three men and a woman and a haul that totalled 5000 yah ba tablets, 590 grams of yah ice, five ilelgal guns and 218 bullets.

 

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Posted in: Busted Phuket Drugs Gang Linked to Bangkok Prison 'Mastermind

Two major drug dealers were arrested

Two major drug dealers were arrested last evening (July 24) and a total of 22,300 pills of ya-ba (methamphetamine) and three quarters of a kilo of ya-ice (crystal methamphetamine), with a total street value of about B7 million, were seized.
The first major dealer, Prapan Nammali, 36, had been under suspicion for some time, police said. His arrest at about 8:30 pm came after an undercover policeman posing as a buyer managed to trap Prapan into selling drugs to him.

The subsequent search of Prapan’s house in the Sapan Hin area uncovered a haul of 17,300 ya-ba pills and 150 grams of ya-ice.

Under questioning, Prapan confessed that he had replaced another dealer at the Phuket end of what appears to be national drug ring. The other dealer, Odd, was arrested on May 12.

Odd and he had both received their orders from a man Prapan named as Ae, currently incarcerated in Bangkwang prison in Nonthaburi Province.

On Ae’s orders the drugs were brought from Bangkok to Phuket by a man Prapan named as Bas. The drugs were delivered to him during a rendezvous outside the Siam Commercial Bank branch on Thepkrasattree Road, close to the Rajabhat University intersection, he said.

Phuket City Police said they will collaborate with Bangkwang Prison officials to identify Ae and arrest him.

On the same evening, around the same time, police began a rolling series of arrests with Yotin Innipat, 32, who was found in illegal possession of a .38 revolver and 12 rounds of ammunition.

His responses to questions led police to the nearby Saphan Hin home of Ekachai Saekor, 28. A search of his home uncovered 1,500 ya ba pills and 90 grams of ya ice, along with a 9mm pistol and 28 rounds of ammunition.

Using information they got from questioning him, police next went to the home of Ekachai Naamkanthi, 25, and On-anong Leesakul, 21, in Phuket Villa 1 in Sam Kong. There, they seized 3,500 ya ba pills and half a kilo of ya ice, along with a pistol and 190 bullets of varying calibres.

All are now locked up awaiting their date with the judge

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Posted in: Two major drug dealers were arrested

British Tourist Complains Police Will Not Investigate His Ladyboy Masseur

Briton who was robbed in a hotel in Bangkok says he was told by Thai police to claim on insurance as they were not going to investigate – despite the fact that the thief, a lady boy, was not only caught on CCTV but also left a copy of his ID with reception.

Kevin M (name withheld) was robbed on the first night of a Thai holiday in Thailand.  To cap his holiday, shortly before his return home he and his friends were victim of a shakedown by Thai police in Pattaya while riding their hired motorcycles.

The young engineer from Manchester had for a long time been a ‘Muay Thai’ enthusiast and came to Thailand to find a ‘Muay Thai’ school.

He arrived on June 6th and checked into City Lodge Hotel in Sukhumvit Soi 19 and that night went out with his friend on the town.  They got home in the early hours.

He decided to go out for one more drink and was directed by hotel staff to a mobile bar on the corner of Sukhumvit and Asoke.  A ‘girl’ there kept offering to go back to his room for sex, but he declined, he said.  He said he had successfully been fighting/fending women off all night while inspecting a nearby infamous red light area. Eventually, he says, he agreed to a massage at 500Thai baht (just over £10)

On returning to the room he gave the ‘girl’ 500 baht in advance and locked his belongings in his safe, or last least thought he had. He had an unimpressive massage and then asked 'her' to leave.  She begged a drink from the hotel mini-bar and he says he must have fallen asleep in the meantime.

On waking up in the morning he found that two credit cards, his mobile phone, and £600 cash was missing.

He rushed to reception and eventually found out that staff had not only caught the culprit on television but also had a copy of ‘his’ ID. 

Kevin says he was shocked to find out that his masseuse was a masseur and that he had had a man in his room that night but said he also actually felt relieved that he had not been murdered as he had heard stories like this. It was a salutary first night.

He then rushed to the police station at Lumpini to report the theft, together with a copy of the ladyboy’s ID.  But police would not accompany him back to his hotel to see the CCTV footage.

He said he found police were not interested in investigating the lady boy but more interested in finding out what he actually did with the lady boy in the bedroom.  'Nothing!' he insisted.  Translation of the police report however has him saying that he invited the lady boy back for sex.

(One good reason perhaps never to give a statement to Thai police without a translator. Had he said he had actually done something with the lady boy, from past cases its seems there's a good chance there would be a queue of police lining up to hear the details)

Police, he said, told him there was little they could do.  He should make a statement to claim against insurance. ‘Can I call the credit card company?’ he asked.  No. The police did not have this facility.

While this was going an Asian Kevin M with black hair, a strong jaw line, but wearing woman’s clothes, turned up at Bliss-Tel on the ground floor of Seacon Square and made purchases totaling over £900 (44,000 Baht) I would guess more than half the shop's monthly wage bill. The most expensive mobile phone in stock was about 15,000 baht.

 

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Posted in: British Tourist Complains Police Will Not Investigate His Ladyboy Masseur

Dangers of Pattaya today.

Pattaya now unfortunately has become a war zone of criminal activity. It is not the Pattaya of long ago where the only thing you worried about was the occasional overcharging at entertainment or Food establishments.

Today there are many criminal gangs who operate in Pattaya with the sole purpose of robbing Farangs/Tourists of Money or anything of value such as rented Motorbikes, Jewelery, cash, e.t.c
These criminals come from far and wide from many parts of Thailand for these purposes alone.
In the process of the many many Robberies that have been committed against Tourists, people have been killed, seriously injured, and left with serious injury and trauma.

There are many Robberies of Tourists daily. Tourists often get approached with knives or guns so that they hand over their valuables and the perpetrators have no qualms about using their deadly force.

If you must go to Pattaya do not wear any Gold or Jewellery that is of value because most likely you may well be targeted by thieves. They will rip the Gold chain from your person without a thought. Resistance to the thieves in many cases has ended in serious injury or death.

The situation is not getting better, but worse and worse daily. Crime is in Epidemic proportions. Foreign embassies do not offer a travel warning about Pattaya which is wrong considering the very high amount of crime in the city. You do not need to take my word about this but read what is going on in print.

There are three excellent newspaper publications published in Pattaya today and they are available to be read online without cost. They are Pattaya Mail, Pattaya people newspaper, and Pattaya city news.

All back issues are available and offer a sample of the many crimes committed in Pattaya today and related problems. They are a warning to anyone who may think that Pattaya is one big entertainment where one can go about there daily routine without being extremely wary of what is going on around you.

Despite the Billions in Foreign currency being poured in to Pattaya by Tourists, the issue of crime against Tourists and locals has not been treated seriously enough by the authorities just by going by the plague proportions of crime in Pattaya today which is very, very sad.

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Posted in: Dangers of Pattaya today.

Two Men Arrested for Sex Crime

Two men, Toi and Koh were brought into Pattaya Police Station on the afternoon of the 16th July, after being arrested and accused of sexually assaulting a young girl under the age of 13.

According to the girl’s parents, they had kidnapped the child and molested her at an apartment room in Huy Yai.

 

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Posted in: Two Men Arrested for Sex Crime

In the 1980s, the Costa del Sol was the destination of choice for many British criminals. Today they head to Thailand

The recent case of the slaying of two young Russian women in Pattaya has highlighted once again Thai culprits involved in crimes against farang.
The problem is that it’s very easy to loose perspective in these cases and slight the Thais as being ruthless. However, as this article will show there have been numerous cases of farangs acting badly, among themselves and against Thais. And not just farang troublemakers from the prominent countries, but from virtually every farang country in the West. The farang crimes range all the way from abusive behaviour to murder. Very often, in cases of murder, however, it is a crime of passion, caused not least because of cultural disparity and communication breakdown

The first three cases involve Russians acting badly.
Recent reports in the local newspaper, Pattaya Today tell how 5 alcohol-affected Muscovites were involved in a violent scene with a larger group of Thais on Second Road in front of Planet Food. The quarrel apparently started when a Thai man accused all Russians of being violent idiots. As the fight developed, a police volunteer was assaulted by one of the Russians and the ringleader of the Russians was struck on the head by a plank of wood. The group escaped stage-left.

The next case describes how a group of Russians, disgruntled by their expectations regarding one of the ladies employed by Relax Massage Parlour, nearly started a riot at 3 am. The group had originally left, but returned after partaking of Dutch courage. When refused entry, they started becoming abusive and heavy handed with the property, leading to their arrest. Later, at the police station, one of the Russians arrested said he couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about as apparently such behaviour is normal in Russia.

The final story Russian involves an Anglo-Irishman who picked up two Russian women for casual sex, but had been given a Mickey Finn and robbed of his valuables to the tune of four million Baht: two diamond rings, a gold cross and chain, a necklace, a laptop computer and other valuable items. These items, along with the women, had mysteriously disappeared.

The British are also prime offenders and not only their infamous football hooligans:
ALLEGED BRITISH PAEDOPHILE SLIPS THROUGH EDUCATIONAL VETTING NET
English Man Stabs Wife Follow-up and Final.
British man charged sexual harassment
A British man has been arrested with the murder of his girlfriend.

The Irish are also implicated
Taxi Heroes, helped in hunt for Irishman after Thai girl‘s murder.

Other Europeans are equally prominent, especially gangs:
Italian convicts arrested by Pattaya Immigration
Pattaya Tourist Police caught young German man who has escaped fraudulent lawsuit

This case refers to a Yugoslavian gang of ATM robbers.
police officer arrested gang convicts of ATM machine robbery

The Scandinavians have a large percentage of foreign national living in Pattaya:
PATTAYA, DRUNK SWEDE KILLS ONE THAI BANANA BOAT PASSENGER AND INJURES ANOTHER.
ESTONIAN VOYEUR CAUGHT TAKING PHOTOS OF NUDE CHINESE WOMEN
NORWEGIAN NATIONAL ARRESTED IN CHILD SEX CASE

Next comes instances of a French-Arab connection:
PATTAYA_FRENCH-ARAB CREDIT CARD THIEVES APPREHENDED

After that, comes the Australians:
Aussie arrested for threatening a waitress
The following case refers to an Australian victim robbed by foreign Mafia with Thai collusion.
Iran’s Mafia and Thai gang carried and robbed young Aussie owner of Diamond Shop

Latin Americans also feature:
Brazilian Youth Mobile Snatcher Caught in the Act

Another case of credit card fraud relates to Koreans, (who are obviously not farang):
Credit card fraud (Korean)

What all the above incidents indicate is that foreign nationals are also involved in criminal acts in Pattaya, not just Thais. The British newspaper The Guardian reported on Monday April 11, 2005 that British criminals were forsaking the Costa del Sol in favour of Thailand.

“In the 1980s, the Costa del Sol was the destination of choice for many British criminals. Today they head to Thailand”

No-one is denying that Pattaya has absorbed more than its fair share of foreign criminals, but lest the situation becomes blown out of all perspective, let it be said that the Thai police are doing their utmost to uncover the culprits in the Russian slaying incidents, with road blocks and increased police and marine presence on the streets of this popular holiday resort. It also needs to be pointed out that Pattaya is far from being a hot-bed of crime.

On rarely hears police sirens on the streets, most incidents are isolated and happen more in side streets than on the main streets of Pattaya. Essentially, there is very little visible crime in this city and no “no-go” areas, unlike in many American and British cities.

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Posted in: In the 1980s,the Costa del Sol was the destination of choice for many British criminals. Today they head to Thailand

Pattaya Sex, Crime and Suicide Capital of Asia

Pattaya Sex, Crime and Suicide Capital of Asia

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Posted in: Crime and Suicide Capital of Asia,Pattaya Sex

Immigration Pounce on Prostitute Ring

Chonburi Immigration announced the arrest of an Australian expat and his Thai wife in the early hours of Thursday morning.  Mr. Greg Johnston, aged 54 from Australia and 32 year old Mrs. Yaonita were caught red handed by an undercover agent for operating a prostitution service at a bar in South Pattaya.  After receiving information about the couple’s antics, Immigration set up the operation to catch them in the act.  At the bar, one bargirl Miss Pigoon, fell right into the trap and was arrested, and so after officers identified themselves, all three were taken away for further questioning.

 

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Posted in: Immigration Pounce on Prostitute Ring

Surprise Surprise for Auntie Som

Mrs. Sompaen, affectionately called Auntie Som by local residents in Soi Chaiyapruek in the Jomtien area, after receiving a phone call, agreed to visit someone waiting for her near her house to give her some money.  When the 61 year old woman went outside she got the surprise of her life, the young man she met handed her some money and as a thank you she gave him some yaba tablets in return.  Little did she realise it was a set up sting operation by local police.  This not so nice Auntie Som was in fact a local drug dealer, and quite often went about carrying a loaded Remington gun – which was impounded when she was arrested and taken back to the police station for further questioning.

 

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Posted in: Surprise Surprise for Auntie Som

Police Begin to Crack Credit Card Fraud Network

Pattaya Police announced on Wednesday the arrest of an Algerian man, Abdelmalek Boukemara, for possession of fake credit cards.  The 35 year old Algerian had been a part of a network in France that organised a system of hacking online banking and credit card information from unsuspecting victims.  He had accumulated hundreds of cards, and when he was caught he was in possession of 114 fake cards.  The arrest was made after an investigative Police team got wind of the man’s suspicious movements with withdrawing money and sending large amounts of money abroad. His bank records showed that on a regular basis, he was sending nearly a million baht out of the country without any reasonable income source in the country.  The Algerian was apprehended after withdrawing money from an ATM in Soi 7 off Pattaya Second Road. Police accompanied him to his residence in Soi 17 where they found over 100 cards.  He confessed to being part of a network and came to Thailand believing its technology was not up to date in tracing him. From his first days in Phuket to his last in Pattaya the man is believed to have accumulated well over 10 million baht.  He was detained for further investigation and a search is now on for his fellow conspirators also believed to be residing in the area.

 

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Posted in: Police Begin to Crack Credit Card Fraud Network

Tour Company Raided for Operating Counterfeit Empire

ongoing investigation about a long established Tour Company operating illegally by selling prohibited drugs and pirate products, Pattaya Police set about with a warrant to search the premises in question on Tuesday evening.  They entered the Malis Travel and Laundry Service 3 storey building on Soi Buakhao and detained Mr. Nadeem from Pakistan and his employees.  After an intense search of the premises officers found a concealed locked store room, where they discovered a large quantity of drugs such as Viagra, Kamagra and prohibited steroids and contraband cigarettes. At the same time, another team of officers and volunteers were searching another of the Pakistani’s businesses and found 10,000 pieces of counterfeit designer clothing and accessory goods. Now under a full investigation, it is estimated that the network being operated out of Pattaya and Bangkok, were in possession of fake products and illegal substances worth over 10 million baht.

 

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Posted in: Tour Company Raided for Operating Counterfeit Empire