News Forum - Russian brotherhood stealing Phuket jobs

[Thaiger]

Hotels are unwelcoming. In the massage parlours, everyone is tense. Down walking street, in the girly bars, excitement is high and the air filled with fearful chatter. The girls are aquiver in anticipation. The Russian ‘brotherhood’ (bratva) stealing Phuket jobs is bringing a whole new style of beatings and rapes to Thailand’s peaceful brothels. How …

The story Russian brotherhood stealing Phuket jobs as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Ramanathan.P]

No point in crying now.....Thailand asked for it.

[TSS]

those targeted "well heeled" tourists. They're here...

Edited February 19 by TSS
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[Pinetree]

A great article and accurate.  Phuket is a dump of a place and the Russians are welcome to it, as are the Thai's, for allowing anyone with a Russian passport into the country.  You reap what you sow in this life and Thailand is sowing weeds, big, bad smothering ones.  The Russian thugs tried this in Pattaya in the late 1990s and it took the rival local Thai gangs to kick them out, literally on many occasions, thereby doing the government's job for them.  I predict that the worst is yet to come, unless the Thai government grow a pair and throw them all out, which they won't do of course.  

[ChrisS]

Systemic corruption from the national government down through the regional government and the police and judiciary coupled with a nation that will 'sweep things under the carpet' to save face. Perfect operating conditions for violent and organised crime. 

[Headgame]

Really? And John Whitman lives in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland and he makes this article seem like some thoroughly investigated, hard hitting journalism. Yeah, lots of corruption in TH and many issues to be tackled but this article is a piece of nicely baked Scottish bullshit.

[BCC]

As a current Bangkok dweller and frequent visitor and part time resident on Phuket since 1990, i've never held back on observations that the island has changed, in many ways for the worse, a lot. No question. But this writer goes over the top with many of his word choices and descriptions. 

[Pinetree]

8 hours ago, Headgame said:

Really? And John Whitman lives in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland and he makes this article seem like some thoroughly investigated, hard hitting journalism. Yeah, lots of corruption in TH and many issues to be tackled but this article is a piece of nicely baked Scottish bullshit.

How do you make that out? 

[HolyCowCm]

Odd story and one would think that its content may have went a wee bit over the edge soiling the good reputation and happiness of the land of smiles.

[Headgame]

1 hour ago, Pinetree said:

How do you make that out? 

I don’t understand your Q. Clarify if you want my response but having lived in Phuket for 13 years this article is so over the top that it has little credibility. Reporting is supposed to be based on actual research, not Google. And these are observations from Scotland. Too funny.

[Grumpish]

There seems to have been something of a humour malfunction among some forum contributors - I read the article as a somewhat tongue-in-cheek vision of a possible future, albeit rather badly presented. 

It could never happen - the police, the local authorities, and influential local families have everything firmly stitched-up already, and aren't about to let anyone else muscle in on their territory.

[BJoe]

GREAT ARTICLE !    Mr Whitman makes points many are hesitant or afraid to address.   The biggest truths are the continuous and systematic  electing of corrupt politicians,  but that is pretty much true in most countries around the world.   The ability of crooks to BUY themselves into office through false promises, bribery, or just plain ballot stuffing is not just a local problem but inherent throughout governments around the world.   But all this flawed election system may still be one step better than tyrants who gain power by coups or invasion. 

Again, well done Mr Whitman.

[ace035]

Russians owns Phuket, that's the reason for it, I'm sure that 99% of them don't have the valid work permit once checked.

[Donald]

10 hours ago, Headgame said:

Really? And John Whitman lives in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland and he makes this article seem like some thoroughly investigated, hard hitting journalism. Yeah, lots of corruption in TH and many issues to be tackled but this article is a piece of nicely baked Scottish bullshit.

Absolutely right. No need for me to write a comment. Just agreeing with the above 100 %. Biased and unprofessional article.

[Jsureemee]

Jon Whitman, were you high on meth when you did a terrible job of writing this article?

Edited February 20 by Jsureemee

[HolyCowCm]

1 hour ago, Grumpish said:

There seems to have been something of a humour malfunction among some forum contributors - I read the article as a somewhat tongue-in-cheek vision of a possible future, albeit rather badly presented. 

It could never happen - the police, the local authorities, and influential local families have everything firmly stitched-up already, and aren't about to let anyone else muscle in on their territory.

Even if tongue and cheek humor you have to agree it paints a bad picture and there is some truth to it. I think Patong fully lost any charm it used to have and that is gone forever, and the quality of tourists do have a lot to be desired. Now that is Patong and other areas are still very nice. But all in all he should have not mentioned names and should have kept it more neutral in a sense.

[TWS60]

Yeah, the guy behind this article, while his heart's in the right place, has forfeited credibility with deliberate exaggerations and images curated from Google Images meant to stir up fear and protectionist anger.   The steroid infused yobs in the top marketing photo all over the internet, are fronted by rapper Tovaritch Yuri.   He's making money off the numpties while he can.  Same as that kook selling bed pillows in Amerika whilst waving a Trump flag and crucifix.  

While we wait for the Thai Gov to figure out how to not throw the Russian baby out with the bathwater, suspect we'll see Thai street gangs and mafia elements mobilize to protect the homeland.  We've seen this movie before.  Queue articles about mysterious, nude Russian corpses found floating in the sea. 

[SLC2Thlnd]

The article began focused, then took a slight turn.  It does point out many truths about what's going on though, and most of us can see the future of Phuket if nothing is done.  But as some have pointed out, corruption begets corruption.  Only when Thai's decide they want to clean up their own corrupt system will this ever be resolved..., which won't happen until tourism (their economics) begins fading again.

[Rookiescot]

16 hours ago, Headgame said:

Really? And John Whitman lives in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland and he makes this article seem like some thoroughly investigated, hard hitting journalism. Yeah, lots of corruption in TH and many issues to be tackled but this article is a piece of nicely baked Scottish bullshit.

And where are you from may I ask?

[Honesto]

Oh dear, poor Jon Whitman. It doesn't surprise me that someone who has ended up living in the Outer Hebrides is suffering from some sort of mental aberration.

As a 76 year old retiree who has been coming to Phuket for 36 years and living here for at least 20, I have witnessed this island paradise transformed by mass tourism. The lack of investment in infrastructure has indeed been and is a disgrace:

1. Lack of Public Transport - we all know why.

2. Lack of Mains Water Supply - hotels and condos should never have been given planning consent without funding their connection to adequate mains water supplies.

3. Lack of Municipal Beach Cleaning - purchase of existing machines designed to do this job.

However Mr Whitman's rant is totally inaccurate. I might have it considered entertaining if it wasn't for the fact that other sad individuals are likely to replicate it elsewhere in this great age of the ignorant and bigoted having access to mass media.

Along with most enterprises in Phuket, including the Kata Group, they employ large numbers of people from Myanmar, Nepal and the Philippines because they will work for a wage most Thai nationals find unacceptable.

Of course we all know that at the root of most of our criticisms is the endemic corruption that exists in Thailand.