News Forum - Police go after transgender sex workers, urge them not to damage Pattaya’s tourism image

[Thaiger]

Police are going after Pattaya’s transgender sex workers. Last night, a team of Pattaya Police and Tourist Police inspected Beach Road, arrested 36 suspected transgender sex workers, and took them to the station for identity recording. The inspection’s leader, Police Lieutenant Colonel Pitchaya Khiaoplueng, stressed to the suspects that they could not loiter on the beach and offer sexual services to people walking by because it was against Thailand’s prostitution law, and damaged Pattaya’s tourism reputation.  All suspects were released, and Pattaya police pledged to continue their crackdown on prostitution every day, The Pattaya News reported. The inspection came after […]

The story Police go after transgender sex workers, urge them not to damage Pattaya’s tourism image as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Soidog]

Where do you start pulling apart this nonsense. Pattaya police are concerned about its image and how it may affect tourism? They could start themselves by stopping the targeting of tourists on the roads. I was in Pattaya for a couple of days in early October. 4 times I was stopped in 2 days for a check I had a license. Each time Thais were waved past and it was foreigners who were being targeted. 
 

They then go on to say that each day they will continue their crackdown on prostitution. Do these clowns ever feel the shame of their stupid words? 

[Mandy]

32 minutes ago, Soidog said:

Where do you start pulling apart this nonsense. Pattaya police are concerned about its image and how it may affect tourism? They could start themselves by stopping the targeting of tourists on the roads. I was in Pattaya for a couple of days in early October. 4 times I was stopped in 2 days for a check I had a license. Each time Thais were waved past and it was foreigners who were being targeted. 
 

They then go on to say that each day they will continue their crackdown on prostitution. Do these clowns ever feel the shame of their stupid words? 

I read a very interesting response on this forum before moving here, it advised falangs to get a dashcam, I've been pulled over multiple times since living here, I've been waved on every single time as soon as they spot the camera. I do have a Thai licence but thanks to whoever gave that piece of advice. 

[Marc26]

40 minutes ago, Soidog said:

Where do you start pulling apart this nonsense. Pattaya police are concerned about its image and how it may affect tourism? They could start themselves by stopping the targeting of tourists on the roads. I was in Pattaya for a couple of days in early October. 4 times I was stopped in 2 days for a check I had a license. Each time Thais were waved past and it was foreigners who were being targeted. 
 

They then go on to say that each day they will continue their crackdown on prostitution. Do these clowns ever feel the shame of their stupid words? 

I say this every single time someone posts about police checkpoints

 

You must not spend much time in local Thai areas

 

I'm not trying to be one of those guys that try to one up on Thai knowledge 

 

But my BIL's get stopped in Samut Prakan more x 10 than any farang anywhere 

And they get pissed tested, randomly just by being pulled over

 

Every time we go to Singburi town to go out when up in the village, we go through roadblocks on the way home

 

Every single night in Phuket, right outside Patong going into Kathu there is a Police checkpoint 

That's not to catch farangs....

[Faz]

3 minutes ago, Mandy said:

I read a very interesting response on this forum before moving here, it advised falangs to get a dashcam, I've been pulled over multiple times since living here, I've been waved on every single time as soon as they spot the camera. I do have a Thai licence but thanks to whoever gave that piece of advice. 

If you take out voluntary A1 (comprehensive) Insurance cover, the Insurers usually offer a discount for having a dashcam installed. In the event of an accident, it can quickly establish who was at fault.
It has other advantages as well!

[Marc26]

19 minutes ago, Mandy said:

I read a very interesting response on this forum before moving here, it advised falangs to get a dashcam, I've been pulled over multiple times since living here, I've been waved on every single time as soon as they spot the camera. I do have a Thai licence but thanks to whoever gave that piece of advice. 

I don't think it has anything to do with the camera ( although smart move to get one, 1st thing my wife did with her car)

 

I've been coming to Phuket for 20 years and lived there and it's pretty common knowledge that they wave farangs in cars through 

 

I've probably been waved through in a car once they peak in about 15x

Never been stopped

 

I don't know the reasoning why they don't want to stop a car though  (but will stop a MB) 

 

Maybe someone knows the reasoning???

 

 

I've never been actually stopped in a car anywhere in Thailand 

Always been waved through without having to show any ID/license 

 

[Soidog]

1 hour ago, Mandy said:

I read a very interesting response on this forum before moving here, it advised falangs to get a dashcam, I've been pulled over multiple times since living here, I've been waved on every single time as soon as they spot the camera. I do have a Thai licence but thanks to whoever gave that piece of advice. 

Yes I think good advice. Both for the police and for any accidents. I know accidents are extremely rare in Thailand but still best be prepared

[Soidog]

1 hour ago, Marc26 said:

I say this every single time someone posts about police checkpoints

You must not spend much time in local Thai areas

I'm not trying to be one of those guys that try to one up on Thai knowledge 

But my BIL's get stopped in Samut Prakan more x 10 than any farang anywhere 

And they get pissed tested, randomly just by being pulled over

Every time we go to Singburi town to go out when up in the village, we go through roadblocks on the way home

Every single night in Phuket, right outside Patong going into Kathu there is a Police checkpoint 

That's not to catch farangs....

Well I do spend the vast majority of my time in local, non tourists areas of Thailand and of course that’s different as there aren’t the same number of tourists to harass. In these areas the police don’t seem to differentiate between locals and foreigners and both are treated equally. My point however, was in relation to Pattaya where the police do go after tourists and this inevitably can damage Pattaya’s reputation. 
 

I don’t understand why you think the checkpoint outside of Patong isn’t to catch tourists? Many tourists go in to Patong at night in cars and on bikes. I’ve even been stopped a couple of times at that very checkpoint and as usual asked for my license. 
 

I don’t have any problem being stopped by the police, it’s good to see them actually doing some work. I do have a problem with them targeting foreigners and tourists while waving on the locals. You know why they do this of course? Foreigners can pay, many locals can’t. 

[Guest1]

2 hours ago, Marc26 said:

I don't think it has anything to do with the camera ( although smart move to get one, 1st thing my wife did with her car)

I've been coming to Phuket for 20 years and lived there and it's pretty common knowledge that they wave farangs in cars through 

I've probably been waved through in a car once they peak in about 15x

Never been stopped

I don't know the reasoning why they don't want to stop a car though  (but will stop a MB) 

Maybe someone knows the reasoning???

I've never been actually stopped in a car anywhere in Thailand 

Always been waved through without having to show any ID/license 

Because on Phuket, farang on Motorcycle, with the cheap helmets, are more likely to be tourists with a greater chance of not having a proper license, as Farang on Phuket in Cars   not easily identified as rentals, or on Motos with proper helmets, who are most likely not tourists.

That is named profiling the more possible "criminal" and fine payer, based on experience and the order of the station chief.

And of course, in non touristic regions, they do stop local people a lot more often, as farangs. Because there are not so many farangs, they do not know. And they have to fine people!

Even on Phuket they wave farang thru, who live there and have been stopped, unsuccessful, a couple of times. They do know them after a while.

Like in other regions in the world, they know the clientel they have to target on "random checkpoints". Pee testing is also one of this "we know who we most likely have to test, and who not".

Phuket is not a metropol area, people know each other, know the long term tourists/expats, know the locals, who they "not know" and may should look at.

And yes, a camera can be the reason for not stopping someone on a bike. But most likely it is the checkpoint itself, set up for targeting a specific group of people today, like every other car but every moto as long there is one officer available, to  check on tax sticker and license 

And that they stop lesser cars, and mostly only windows down, a look, an "go"  can akso have "camera reasons". Aside that the "as more expensive the car, as lesser you get checked" is obvious. But that is slowly shifting to the 5+million baht range, methinks. Was once a camry enough, it must be a "better" import car, now!

 

 

 

[Marc26]

1 hour ago, Soidog said:

Well I do spend the vast majority of my time in local, non tourists areas of Thailand and of course that’s different as there aren’t the same number of tourists to harass. In these areas the police don’t seem to differentiate between locals and foreigners and both are treated equally. My point however, was in relation to Pattaya where the police do go after tourists and this inevitably can damage Pattaya’s reputation. 
 

I don’t understand why you think the checkpoint outside of Patong isn’t to catch tourists? Many tourists go in to Patong at night in cars and on bikes. I’ve even been stopped a couple of times at that very checkpoint and as usual asked for my license. 
 

I don’t have any problem being stopped by the police, it’s good to see them actually doing some work. I do have a problem with them targeting foreigners and tourists while waving on the locals. You know why they do this of course? Foreigners can pay, many locals can’t. 

There is not that many farang heading from Patong to Kathu at that time of the night 

 

It would be mostly Thais 

 

And sorry, I've said this also

I've never seen a roadblock where they were only stopping Farangs

Never, not once, in all my years in Phuket 

 

They would stop Thais as much as farang, if not more

 

I think the whole "only stopping farang" is forum lore

Like so much forum lore that gets repeated on these forums 

[Marc26]

23 minutes ago, Guest1 said:

Because on Phuket, farang on Motorcycle, with the cheap helmets, are more likely to be tourists with a greater chance of not having a proper license, as Farang on Phuket in Cars   not easily identified as rentals, or on Motos with proper helmets, who are most likely not tourists.

That is named profiling the more possible "criminal" and fine payer, based on experience and the order of the station chief.

And of course, in non touristic regions, they do stop local people a lot more often, as farangs. Because there are not so many farangs, they do not know. And they have to fine people!

Even on Phuket they wave farang thru, who live there and have been stopped, unsuccessful, a couple of times. They do know them after a while.

Like in other regions in the world, they know the clientel they have to target on "random checkpoints". Pee testing is also one of this "we know who we most likely have to test, and who not".

Phuket is not a metropol area, people know each other, know the long term tourists/expats, know the locals, who they "not know" and may should look at.

And yes, a camera can be the reason for not stopping someone on a bike. But most likely it is the checkpoint itself, set up for targeting a specific group of people today, like every other car but every moto as long there is one officer available, to  check on tax sticker and license 

And that they stop lesser cars, and mostly only windows down, a look, an "go"  can akso have "camera reasons". Aside that the "as more expensive the car, as lesser you get checked" is obvious. But that is slowly shifting to the 5+million baht range, methinks. Was once a camry enough, it must be a "better" import car, now!

Ok thanks for the explanations and make perfect sense 

[Soidog]

5 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

There is not that many farang heading from Patong to Kathu at that time of the night 

It would be mostly Thais 

And sorry, I've said this also

I've never seen a roadblock where they were only stopping Farangs

Never, not once, in all my years in Phuket 

They would stop Thais as much as farang, if not more

I think the whole "only stopping farang" is forum lore

Like so much forum lore that gets repeated on these forums 

Well either you are lucky Marc or you don’t spend as much time here as I do. Back in March I was in Phuket and just outside Karon heading to Patong near the roundabout there was a roadblock involving around 20 police. Without fail, Thais were waved through or simply not stopped and there was a line of foreigners lining up to pay the fine at a small booth set up. I was stopped along with a friend of mine. I was ok as I had my license. My friend didn’t have his international driving permit and he was fined 500 baht. It’s certainly not forum lore, I’ve seen it many times with my own eyes. The same was happening outside the police station on beach road near Soi 7 in Pattaya. Locals were waved through or not targeted while the police were literally running across the road to stop foreigners who were driving on the beach side of the road. I have also seen the same thing happening up at the Dolphin roundabout. There is a small police cabin on the left of 2nd road. The policeman there was only stopping foreigners.  Nothing forum lore about it Marc. I know you have a need to try and balance the debate against what you perceive as Thai bashing, but the above are facts. 

[JMJM]

Quote

One transgender foundation in Pattaya has expressed concern about stereotypes spreading due to these crimes. 

In other news, wolves complained about being unfairly stereotyped.  "I assure you," said one spokeslupine, "the wolves who eat sheep are not representative of all wolves.  Please approach each wolf as if it were a blank slate and make no assumptions."  He then added, licking his lips, "Especially you sheep."  

 

[Grumpish]

4 hours ago, Marc26 said:

I've never seen a roadblock where they were only stopping Farangs

Never, not once, in all my years in Phuket 

You were obviously never on Phuket 25 years ago, where the police would regularly set up a checkpoint at the junction of Soi Bangla and Rat Uthit at around 5pm, as people were coming off the beach. Thai's without helmets were mostly ignored, there was a string of motorcycle taxis waiting to take people up to the police station to pay their fine so that they could get their motorcycle back. A nice little earner all round.  

[Soidog]

29 minutes ago, Grumpish said:

You were obviously never on Phuket 25 years ago, where the police would regularly set up a checkpoint at the junction of Soi Bangla and Rat Uthit at around 5pm, as people were coming off the beach. Thai's without helmets were mostly ignored, there was a string of motorcycle taxis waiting to take people up to the police station to pay their fine so that they could get their motorcycle back. A nice little earner all round.  

The same was true in Pattaya only four years ago. I sat in a bar in 2nd road and watched as the police, sat in a pick up truck and waited for foreigners to illegally park their bike near a pedestrian crossing to use a money exchange booth. During the hour I watched they nabbed three bikes, impounding them on the back of the pick up, and watched with no action as at least 5 Thais parked in the same place to use the nearby ATM. Utterly blatant targeting of tourists.  

[palooka]

9 hours ago, Mandy said:

I read a very interesting response on this forum before moving here, it advised falangs to get a dashcam, I've been pulled over multiple times since living here, I've been waved on every single time as soon as they spot the camera. I do have a Thai licence but thanks to whoever gave that piece of advice. 

I usually get "Ahhh, Falang" and a quick look at the camera and waved on.

This is usually out of Province as most local cops see the wife and wave us through.

One of the advantages of marrying a ranked schoolteacher.  Disadvantage is every bugga knows you.

[Rookiescot]

My experience around here is that I am no more targeted than the locals AFTER I got number plates from the province I now live in. Before I had plates from a different province and I was guaranteed to be stopped.

[Cleite]

They even stole my bank card

There is too much of it in Thailand, these people should be very controlled. As there are now a huge number of thieves. They should make Thailand like Saudi Arabia, for serious theft cut off your hand

[Faraday]

36 minutes ago, Cleite said:

They even stole my bank card

There is too much of it in Thailand, these people should be very controlled. As there are now a huge number of thieves. They should make Thailand like Saudi Arabia, for serious theft cut off your hand

Kh Cleite, I really hope that you are joking. You are, aren't you?

[HiuMak]

15 hours ago, Soidog said:

The same was true in Pattaya only four years ago. I sat in a bar in 2nd road and watched as the police, sat in a pick up truck and waited for foreigners to illegally park their bike near a pedestrian crossing to use a money exchange booth. During the hour I watched they nabbed three bikes, impounding them on the back of the pick up, and watched with no action as at least 5 Thais parked in the same place to use the nearby ATM. Utterly blatant targeting of tourists.  

Must be fun and amusing to observe their operations.

[Soidog]

29 minutes ago, HiuMak said:

Must be fun and amusing to observe their operations.

It’s the best free entertainment in town. There’s a place where you can sit with a coffee and and a nice slice of cake and watch them jumping out catching kids not wearing helmets at an intersection. It’s like a keystone cops movie. 

[JamesR]

On 11/24/2022 at 9:55 AM, Marc26 said:

I say this every single time someone posts about police checkpoints

You must not spend much time in local Thai areas

I'm not trying to be one of those guys that try to one up on Thai knowledge 

But my BIL's get stopped in Samut Prakan more x 10 than any farang anywhere 

And they get pissed tested, randomly just by being pulled over

Every time we go to Singburi town to go out when up in the village, we go through roadblocks on the way home

Every single night in Phuket, right outside Patong going into Kathu there is a Police checkpoint 

That's not to catch farangs....

I agree, the checkpoints here in Phuket stop anyone no matter the nationality, this has been my experience over thirty years of long visits. 

I went through one yesterday, they were stopping people for not wearing head protection while riding a motor bike, I saw lots of Thais and farangs stopped.

In the other direction a half a mile down the road they were stopping cars which did not display a sticker with the current years date (the annual road tax and MOT payment whatever it is called), they waved me through as I was up to date and stopped others both Thai and farangs. 

The last time I was here they tested everyone (bikes and cars) with a speech breathalyser at a checkpoint at the top of the mountain going from Patong to Kathu, there was a group waiting for a further breath test as they had failed the first test, all nationalities including Thais. 

I will be extending my 90 day O visa to a one year extension in February so I will be able to see how we farangs are treated here but I suspect the targeting of farangs to be a myth in Phuket at least. 

P.S Thanks @Faz for your help with the visa, your detailed step by step instructions were very helpful.

[Poolie]

Thanks for exposing yet another anti-foreigner myth. What will the Thai/Chinese/Indian/Russian bashers do now? Watch this space..............

[Rookiescot]

1 hour ago, Poolie said:

Thanks for exposing yet another anti-foreigner myth. What will the Thai/Chinese/Indian/Russian bashers do now? Watch this space..............

We shall sit with bated breath waiting for your next anti westerner rant. 

[Soidog]

2 hours ago, JamesR said:

I will be extending my 90 day O visa to a one year extension in February so I will be able to see how we farangs are treated here but I suspect the targeting of farangs to be a myth in Phuket at least. 

It’s certainly true they stop cars equally. One obvious reason being that they can’t see who’s driving. You will 100% find that this is not the case in tourist areas with motorbikes. Not necessarily for drink driving checks, but for licence checks. Of course there will be times when everyone is stopped. But there are many times where they target foreigners (western and Asian), but I have never seen them target Thais and wave foreigners on.