News Forum - Can your Embassy protect you from the local police in Thailand?

[Thaiger]

https://youtu.be/cx8VyHfKXV4 To what extent can your embassy save you from local authorities in a foreign country? How much power do they have and can you rely on them to protect you? Tim newton sits with Ben hart from Integrity Legal to answer all your questions in Part 2 of the role of embassies in a foreign country.

The story Can your Embassy protect you from the local police in Thailand? as seen on Thaiger News.

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[palooka]

Only if you have an additional 10 letter word on your passport  -- DIPLOMATIC -- even then in some rare instances that will not save you.

[Pinetree]

No, and indeed, why  should they? 

You and only you, are responsible for any interaction with the RTPF.  We all  know what they can be like, so avoid them, don't antagonize them and try not to do anything to expose yourself to their corruption, such as DUI, not wearing a helmet on a bike, no Thai license etc.  and don't do drugs. If you do, you are on your own.   

[Morpheus]

Was this for American expats only! I think you will find all embassies are not the same.

[Pinetree]

The number one rule in LOS is to be the 'grey man' ( or woman), never draw attention to yourself, never engage voluntarily with any government agency. Stay loose, stay aware and stay invisible. As an obvious corollary to this philosophy, don't try to do business here.   

[Pinetree]

5 minutes ago, Transam said:

Does that mean I must give up singing, or be sure to wear flip-flops when out and about....

Sing softly, no hard rock, no AC/DC stuff 

[Johntucker]

I don't know to which foreign embassies this will apply but certainly the Dutch embassy will protect Dutch citizens once they are on embassy ground see https://www.thepresidency.gov.za/national-orders/recipient/mr-klaas-de-jonge-netherlands

[Jayjay1980]

 

They British consulate are worse than useless. 

In 2020 after a perfect immergration record in Thailand since 2003, largely due to confusion over my visa status due to covid I made the mistake of using a corrupt visa agent to secure a visa for me. He was working with officers from chonburi immergration. They took my money and did not provide the visa. This put me unknowingly on overstay. They arranged for me to be charged with this crime, although I didn't knowingly commit any crime. Last year I was in IDC jail for nearly 2 months. The British Embassy lead my family in the UK to believe I was a criminal. And forced me to buy a ticket to the UK at an inflated price for legal reasons I couldn't use. I eventually had to use a local lawyer to help. I left Thailand and was ban for 5 years. Now I have a legal complaint against the British consulate in Bangkok for defimation. They told my family lies about my situation! I now live in Vientiane Lao PDR. If anyone from this media group would like to contact me I will tell the whole story. I love Thailand and normal Thai people. But a few scammers and corrupt police and immergration offices are a very bad. And the embassy was worse than useless!