Arrest bridge players: 'Thailand is ridiculous'
Thailand has made the international press, but mainly ridiculed itself worldwide with the raid on a club night of a bridge club in Pattaya and the subsequent arrest of a group of elderly bridge players.
The incident is getting another tail because many tourists who play bridge are considering canceling the planned trip to Thailand. For example, the chairman of the Asia Pacific Bridge Federation has been asked whether it is safe to travel to Thailand. A group of bridge players from Norway with three hundred members is considering not going to Thailand.
President Chodchoy of the Asia Pacific Bridge Federation says the incident is very bad for Thailand's image: "First of all, the whole world is putting us in a bad light and they think we don't even know what bridge is. Secondly, tourism will be harmed.'
According to Chodchoy, ten thousand travelers arrive in Thailand every year on so-called 'bridge tours', with Pattaya and Phuket as the most popular destinations.
The 32 players arrested on Wednesday had to hand in their passports. They would not get the passport back until the police investigation is complete. That can take up to three weeks. In the meantime, the head of the police in Pattaya has calmed the matter down: he is satisfied with a photocopy.
The owner of the room used by the bridge club has to pay a fine for not informing the authorities about the bridge evening.
According to a member of the bridge club, police thought the scoring system, which is kept on a computer, was linked to an international gambling network. After the players were taken to the police station, they had to sign a document admitting to illegal gambling. They were fined 5.000 baht to be released on bail. Only one woman, a 60-year-old German who lives in Pattaya for two months every year, refused to sign and pay the fine. "I didn't do anything wrong." Another member eventually paid the fine for her.
The organizer of the bridge evening was fined 10.000 baht and also had to pay 140.000 baht for possession of 150 illegal packs of playing cards.
“The police told me to pay a total of 20 baht within 150.000 minutes to stay out of jail. When I said I didn't have that much money, she turned it into 50.000 baht.' In the end, he was only released at 5 o'clock at night after surrendering his passport and driver's license.
Source: Bangkok Post
I wonder with this "incident" to what extent the Dutch embassy can play a role in Thailand.
Or is it the “far from my bed show” for our diplomats in Thailand?
Is everyone completely new to Thailand?
failed to inform the authorities (and left a hefty handful of loose change there) about the bridge night.
Of course forgetting to pay the normal dues to the police, and therefore all the fuss.
So the case is still going on
But you don't hear anything at all about Embassies, whether or not they have offered their services.
Nico
that's one of the reasons why I don't go to Thailand anymore, it's ridiculous how they treat tourists, I love this country but you shouldn't look it up either.
Yes, THAT is Thailand too! Furthermore, Pattaya's police force is one of the most corrupt in Asia in every respect. They are NOT so much concerned with safety and order as with pure money-making. Hundreds of arrests every day for alleged violations or for trifles. And not just for farangs. Just ask the locals...
Sad thing, even sadder in my opinion because people who did nothing illegal, except for 1, signed a document in which they admitted to have gambled illegally?!?
I understand that you want to get rid of all the nagging, the fine is "only" 5.000 Bath, so just pay and go home, but still ....? Can you really not get your rights in Thailand? Sad, I have no other words for it.
Nico B
Very stupid police.
But 5000 bath, little?
For many in Thailand a very considerable amount of money with a minimum daily wage of 300 baht.
If they even get the minimum wage, like those rubber tappers in the south, they only get (illegally) 150 baht for a whole day's work.
What they have “collected” there, that “police” is a CAPITAL!
I'm afraid nothing will come of paying back after an illegal action.
Thailand oh Thailand, how often do you keep cutting yourself in the fingers, of course it is a foreign country with a different culture that we also have to adapt to. But let's not forget that Thailand itself is waiting like a hungry wolf for all those millions of tourists every year. This is another embarrassing incident that comes from the drive for money from corrupt officials, only they remain unaffected as usual.
I have said it before, neighboring countries such as Cambodia and Vietnam are rubbing hands more and more people are choosing those travel destinations. And Myanmar and Laos are also becoming increasingly popular, and now that the Russians are staying away due to the bad economy, they will soon only be left with anti-social Chinese who really don't want to adapt at all.
And what about being able to play clover jackets for a nice evening.
Doesn't matter in Amsterdam style or in combination with a wild tree.
So don't start again in Thailand.
Because before you know it you will be locked up in a Thai police station with the poodle price and all .
With all the consequences that entails, then just go back to gardening or something like that.
But unfortunately elsewhere in this country people still play cards and gamble the Thai way in various places.
Thanks to the squinting of both eyes by the local hermandat.
Don't make me laugh I recognize it and see it with both my eyes, this is Thailand.
Jan Beute an old klaverjasser.
Yes Corretje, many things are indeed very different in Thailand. But if they really cross the line, as in this case, it is very good that people will respond. Because with your attitude “you just have to take it”. They are becoming more and more “creative” in stealing from foreigners. This generally concerned older people. But I'm sure if there are a large number of people who refused to pay. They hadn't pushed it through. Because they know they were wrong.
Bridge, Klaverjassen, bullying, 31s, 21s, poker, Canasta.
Cards encourage needless violence, extortion, suicides, mafia practices, broken families, missing fingers, liquidations, etc. Everyone knows that. Go and play nice solitaire, you won't hurt anyone with that and it won't provoke gambling behavior and all the resulting crime, because who is going to gamble against themselves.
It should be over with that idiotic gambling in Thailand.
Those old people should get a life sentence or be deported to the Netherlands.
The Netherlands knows what to do with this kind of scum.
I also think that illegal Pooling, darts and Risk should be restricted.
No more than 12 darts per dart competition otherwise it will be illegal. (Van Gerwen ps don't play in Thailand please, otherwise you won't come back to the Netherlands)
Pool no more than 4 cues otherwise it all becomes very suspicious and illegal.
When playing Risk, do not have more than 20 armies per person, otherwise we will soon go to world domination that no one is waiting for.
And so I can name more sports that are extremely dangerous in a group (playing football, for example).
But without joking: It is of course incredibly stupid of all those old people (except for 1) that they have confessed that they were gambling illegally, while they all know that this is not the case.
They should have simply refused en masse to sign the document and unfortunately they did not. Now it all becomes a lot more difficult to win a possible case.
People what happened to your principles about what is right and wrong. Are we all participating to maintain police corruption or what? Or do you stand up for your rights and take the inconveniences for granted (despite your age) that this entails. What the hell are you afraid of, to claim your right? I really hope someone sticks their neck out for these totally innocent oldies. Is there still a lawyer in Thailand who is not only working for his own profit, but also wants to work for this case for humanitarian reasons (non-profit)? If the Thai police get away with this without consequences then we have an even bigger problem, because what will be the next step?
So this is a call to everyone:
Bring this to the attention of every social media you know.
I don't care what: YouTube (if some moronic video attracts 1 million visitors) then so can we. How about facebook (not the first the best to attract worldwide attention).
Furthermore, the Netherlands once concluded a treaty with Thailand, so we can also do something with this in the political field. So again people: Don't stand on the sidelines, but do something to bring this to the attention. Even if you only tell this story to your friends and acquaintances: have you read that on Thailandblog what the police did with a number of bridge players?
Resist, get out of your chair and think of ways to bring this kind of injustice to the attention.
Or are we just going to sink back into the easy chair, with the thought: it will be worst for me.
Slavery has been abolished, but not without a struggle. Are you prepared to give that blow or punch? I'm sticking my neck out on Thailandblog for this kind of malpractice, who's next?
Hans
Ahoi Hans, advice: approach the NL-bridge association and the editors of the NL-bridge magazine. They will certainly publish. I'm not a bridge player, but I know they exist. Good luck, greetings, Ad.
The online magazine of the Dutch Bridge Bond has already published these messages immediately (on Thursday 4 February): http://www.bridge.nl/
An old man has been arrested in Pataya. He was talking to an acquaintance
He had his bicycle in hand. 6 cops around him. His lighting wouldn't do it
The man shows that as soon as he starts cycling, the light comes on through the dynamo
yes, what now loss of face that is of course not possible
If not, the man has been fined. But now for the illegal generation of electricity.
An amazing country Thailand 5555
Good that ThaiBlog is right on top of it and indicates attention, hope it gets through to the highest organs (consul etc) and these people get their money back ……?
Keep it up Ms.Frs.Grt; Evie.
Neither the embassy nor the consulate are allowed to deal with the domestic rules or legal process of Thailand.
At most they will act if someone is jailed and then only to pay a visit, hand over some probation literature, possibly a list of lawyers' addresses, some information about the possibilities of serving a sentence in NL. and a contribution of 30 euros. That's about it then.
The Dutch government abroad is nobody's keeper, mother or father, nor does it want to be.
We have to be careful about pretending (and demanding to be allowed to act) as if we are 'at home', in the Netherlands. This is Thailand and whoever is a farang is a guest here. What can just happen is that the host throws us farang, especially the Dutch. Also me, I who never school together or get together with other farang, certainly not with Dutch people. Drug trafficking is very common in NL, but here crime. And playing cards is at least on the edge. If you don't feel well without playing cards, don't spoil it for behaving fellow citizens by coming to Thailand to play cards there. Surely there are better reasons (the meteorological and the human climate) to come to Thailand.
Thais simply cannot imagine that you can play without gambling. When they finally realized that this was a bit overkill it was already too late and now they have to persevere in order not to suffer a huge loss of face.