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Aussies Tried to Bribe Me After Patong Theft, Says Phuket Detective
By Chutima Sidasathian Thursday, December 4, 2014
PHUKET: Two Australian men stole 10 shirts from a stall in Patong's Bangla Road and later offered police a 140,000 baht bribe not to pursue the case, a senior Phuket detective said today.
The chief investigating officer at Kathu Police Station, Colonel Sutthichai Thianpho, told Phuketwan that security camera footage enabled police to see what had happened and trace the two men straight to their resort.
''It was in the resort that the men offered me the bribe,'' the colonel said.
The pair were initially named as Maurice, 21, and John Jo Han, 25, although those names may be incomplete. A friend named Mr Wilson accompanied them to the police station.
According to the stallholder, the two Australians lifted 10 items of clothing - all Adidas-labelled shirts - from her shop in Bangla Road, Patong's popular walking street, about 8pm last night.
Police say they checked the security cameras nearby and confirmed that Maurice handed items to John Jo Han.
Colonel Suttichai said security camera footage led police directly to the men at the Diamond Cliff Resort and Spa in beach road.
''One of them said to me: 'Can we pay' and offered 140,000 in cash,'' the colonel said. ''I replied 'This is Thailand. In your country, can you bribe your police?'''
The two men are being held at Kathu Police Station, which oversees Patong, and will face charges of theft and attempting to bribe police.
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Comments
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just choked.... ''One of them said to me: 'Can we pay' and offered 140,000 in cash,'' the colonel said. ''I replied 'This is Thailand. In your country, can you bribe your police?'''""""" will laugh a week on that one....
Posted by
frog
on
December 4, 2014 11:50
Just where would they of got the idea that the Thai police accept bribes?
Posted by
Arun Muruga
on
December 4, 2014 12:03
Foolish young men. They won't forget this holiday for a long time. I see that they are not pointing like the Thai lady. Do they have to be trained to do that?
Posted by
seht1912
on
December 4, 2014 12:48
Wow. These guys must be the "quality" tourists that the TAT have been spending billions of Baht in trade shows, to attract to Phuket?
Posted by
Duncan B
on
December 4, 2014 12:53
I seem to recall that 'Aussie Pub Beer Mat lady' complained that the police wouldn't accept her offer of a bribe either!
Was the stall holder prosecuted for selling copy goods or is that a rhetorical qhestion.
Posted by
Mister Ree
on
December 4, 2014 13:39
So. Some tourists do read up on the local customs and expectations before planning their activities abroad.
Posted by
Manowar
on
December 4, 2014 13:40
I assume she didn't see them do it or she would have chased them down. So why is she pointing at them? If you put 2 totally unrelated people in those chairs, she would have pointed at them. Totally useless procedure IMO.
Posted by
GiantFan
on
December 4, 2014 14:01
???? Why would someone offer 140,000THB bribe for 1500THB worth of T-shirts?
Posted by
Davemc60
on
December 4, 2014 14:03
Editor Comment:
How much jail time have you done in Thailand? Possibly something to be avoided.
Well done Colonel Sutthichai Thianpho, you may send the same message to your colleagues on top hierarchy to see if they can learn something from you?
Posted by
Sam
on
December 4, 2014 14:40
Looks like imported Asian Australians to me seems they know the ropes very well in Asia but in a rare twist of fate they found a honest policeman.
Posted by
slickmelb
on
December 4, 2014 15:01
Editor Comment:
Australia, like most countries these days, contains people from many backgrounds. I know fifth-generation Australians of Chinese descent. Plainly, you don't get out much, slickmelb.
If I read this correctly, at this time it's the officers' word only that "claims" there was a bribery attempt ?
Have the Aussies spoken up in regard to this accusation ? Denied ? Admitted ?
Strange how in a country where bribes and corruption are a fact of life it's foreigners who seem to get charged for offering them.
Maybe they did offer a bribe, maybe they did not but without evidence just because a police officer says so doesn't make it so.
Posted by
Herbert
on
December 4, 2014 15:10
"I know fifth-generation Australians of Chinese descent" - Al, you and I have lived in OZ but for the people that haven't they would not know the importance of 5th generation, the arrival of the First Fleet etc. I must say I have never met any fifth generation Chinese most Asians appeared to be taken in after the Vietnam war compassionately with operation "Baby LIft"
A lovely thing to happen especially privately funded as the orphans would probably have been murdered by the communists. You do have some educated intelligent readers, Al. What happened last night PW was down.
Posted by
Fiesty Farang
on
December 4, 2014 15:44
Editor Comment:
''Between 1848 and 1853, over 3,000 Chinese workers on contracts arrived via the Port of Sydney for employment in the NSW countryside.''
''The 1850s and 1860s . . . saw the largest pre-federation migration of Chinese to Australia, with numbers peaking around the 40,000 mark. These numbers were only reached again after the abolition of the White Australia policy in 1973.''
''The Museum of Chinese Australian History Inc. is an Australian history museum located in Melbourne's Chinatown. The Museum was established in 1985 with a charter to present the history of Australians of Chinese ancestry.''
Whether they did or did not offer a bribe, it would appear from the report that they are dishonest and by having access to at least 140,000 Baht and attempting to steal a few thousand worth of goods, it would be hard to argue they are not guilty of stupidity.
Posted by
Manowar
on
December 4, 2014 15:57
These guys had 140k handy but went out and lifted about 2k worth of swag. Obviously not criminal masterminds. Then again, we don't know where they got the 140k from. Could be the proceeds of previous shirt jobs. They both might be professional shirt-lifters.
Posted by
Arun Muruga
on
December 4, 2014 16:38
Ed, would not want to spend time in a jail anywhere, let alone Thailand. Just do not understand why anyone who can supposedly offer a bribe 10 times more than what they stole would even consider stealing. Just does not add up. Could be as Manowar says, they are just stupid, in which case throw the book at them.
Posted by
Davemc60
on
December 4, 2014 16:42
Makes me laugh (not really) when so called 'Real Aussies' make comments about 'immigrants'. Unless they are of Aboriginie extraction they want to remember that their families were once immigrants (either by force or choice) as well.
Bear in mind I have no issue with the fact one is an Immigrant - my family was one of many that emigrated to Canada - another country built up by its huge population from other countries.
Posted by
Mister Ree
on
December 4, 2014 16:43
Fair enough Ed but these are later immigrants in any case I doubt these are old school! Are you sure they are Aussies?
Posted by
Feisty Farang
on
December 4, 2014 17:53
Editor Comment:
We only have the say-so of the police.
@ Arun "They both might be professional shirt-lifters" - made me laugh. What a skill to be a professional at although I would have thought being out of sight out a CCTV camera would be imperative to be a master shirt lifter
Posted by
Feisty Farang
on
December 4, 2014 18:26
@ Fiesty Farang: 'named beer wife beater'-check, thongs- check, look guilty- check, one named after a Bee Gee- check.
Yis mite they're fair dinkum Aussies orl roit.
Posted by
Mister Ree
on
December 4, 2014 18:56
slickmelb & Fiesty Farang
As long as you are not an aboriginal, you have nothing to complain about.
Posted by
FS
on
December 4, 2014 19:46
Quote source Wikipedia the gold rush
The Chinese were particularly industrious, with techniques that differed widely from the Europeans. This and their physical appearance and fear of the unknown led to them to being persecuted in a racist way that would be regarded as untenable today.
In 1855, 11,493 Chinese arrived in Melbourne.
hope that adds value Ed I just don't see these 2 guys as old school stock.
Posted by
slickmelb
on
December 4, 2014 23:57
@ Mister Ree guilty looking beer swilling wife beating thong wearing bee gee listeners must be orstralians and guilty as sin I sure hope your never the victim accusing someone in a police line up based on evidence like that.
Posted by
slickmelb
on
December 5, 2014 00:13
HAHAHA!! The lighter side of "squeaky clean" policing. "Shirt lifters" Brilliant!! And all over knock off shirts ta boot! Made my day!
Posted by
david
on
December 5, 2014 07:06
@ slickmelb- I always heard Melbourne was the humour vacuum of Horstroylia. Try look up the words 'tongue, in , and cheek some time.
Chill out and have a beer- oops you can't today. Son Nam Na!
Posted by
Mister Ree
on
December 5, 2014 09:31
@Fiesty Farang - Pretty sure the aboriginals are the only "old school" Aussies. Read a book.....mate.
Posted by
concerned in karon
on
December 5, 2014 11:26
@concerned in Karon - most of 22m people have a good life in Australia as a developed economy including indigenous people. I lived in Australia so I don't need a book and I am not your mate.
Posted by
Feisty Farang
on
December 5, 2014 13:46
@Fiesty Farang - Wow, thanks for that completely off topic reply. Yes, I'm aware that the vast majority of Australians, whatever their ancestral heritage, can get along together just fine. You were the one who brought up the appearance of these two and then used that as a starting point to make baseless assumptions about their nationality. As far as the "mate" comment goes, it was very thinly veiled sarcasm. Come on, don't be dense.
Posted by
concerned in karon
on
December 6, 2014 11:16
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just choked.... ''One of them said to me: 'Can we pay' and offered 140,000 in cash,'' the colonel said. ''I replied 'This is Thailand. In your country, can you bribe your police?'''""""" will laugh a week on that one....
Posted by frog on December 4, 2014 11:50