Dumsoda Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 If some punks tried to extort me. I'd hire a gang to pour muratic acid on their faces. OMG No need for violence.... Just post the details on all the Boards..... ...Take photos and start a website... ...Write to the newspapers.. I read somewhere that this is the way to stamp out corruption in Thailand Next thing you know these..."Thugs" will be making the Bar owners buy .."Gem Stones".... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 You could play this just so many ways, so here is another variation. Get one of those Pattaya tourist police volunteers. You know those farangs flexing their biceps, clinching their teeth, wearing berets, itching to bust trouble. Tell the volunteer what's up, then here is the fun part. Tell the heat that you've sold the bar and that you just work there temporarily and give the contact info of the volunteer as the new "owner". When the bait is taken, get the popcorn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bust Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 Spot on Cent. Always some level of protection money being paid wherever there is a seedy element. I am wondering whether this Brit thug has seen what other farangs have been doing amongst their own nationality and thought to himself fark I could do that too. There was a Dutch guy doing this exact same thing a couple of years ago and I am sure the Russian girls are paying protection money to would be gangsters. I believe the Dutchie was nabbed and deported. Seems also like he has carefully selected his target. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadfly Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 Always some level of protection money being paid wherever there is a seedy element. And with that protection payment comes more vulnerability â?? and higher payments for more protection money. I have no suggested ideal solution to this problem, but I see plenty of bad ones. Any solution where the bar owner retaliates with violence or hires his own thugs, makes the owner vulnerable to legitimate police action. He is now a criminal and if he is arrested and prosecuted as one wonâ??t have much a choice. Heâ??ll face deportation, blacklisting and a good chance of jail time in a Thai prison. If he goes to the police, he owes them a debt of gratitude they will surely collect sooner or later. Recall that line from the Godfather, â??And if that day shall ever comeâ?¦â? And it always does. Just another fork in the road to perdition. Some will claim they have "Friends in high placesâ? (who will ultimately expect remuneration for any assistance rendered). But the number of foreigners here who believe they have a special relationship with someone who can and will protect them when things go wrong is amazing - awful lot of special connected foreigners here. They all seem to ultimately lose their businesses or worse. Your safest option when doing business in Thailand is to be strictly legitimate. The problem here of course is I donâ??t see how you can be totally legitimate when you are running a bar. I am not castigating anyone for this. What really surprises me, however, is when foreigners who are operating in areas where they can operate legitimately fail to do so. They save a few Baht up front because they believe they have a special relationship that will protect them. They do have viable options, they can operate legitimately and when they donâ??t, they invariably get screwed and there is not much that can be done about it. But as for bar owners, I think it really just a question of cutting your losses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckwoww Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 This is a new twist though don't you think Gaddy? Everybody pays tea money one way or another but this is the first time I've heard of farang on farang extortion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadfly Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 It is a new twist, but the problems are fundamentally the same. The Farang extortionists may also end up in jail and they are also vulnerable to the police. So both the victim and extortionist end up in jail. IMHO, not much of a consolation. If you were operating in a legitimate business, and another Farang tried this stunt, you would have viable options. But in the bar business... I have seen a few Farang scam artists here before. I think we all have. And I think most of us here are aware of (what can charitably described as) the dubious sale of Top Cat a few years back. The former "owner", if that is what he was, claimed to have police connections, and yet he was booted out of the country after that little stunt, wasn't he? The situation here, of course, goes beyond a scam. And if Farang thugs are now joining the mix, it only highlights the dangers of getting involved in that business. Having said all of this, most of my favorite enterntainment venues seem to have Farang managemet or at least Thai management that caters to Farang tastes. So from own selfish perspective, I am in all favor of Farangs buying bars. I just see the problems that arise out of this as inevitable - be it Thai or Farang extortionists. And I havenâ??t seen any suggestions here to solve the problem that even seem halfway viable. If you want to do business here, do it in area where you can operate legitimately, and then do it legitimately. The number of Farangs that do the first but not the second is amazing, and they all seem to eventually suffer because of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Central Scrutinizer Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 Gaddy, You are of course 100% correct in what you say. And these problems, among many others, are why most long term expats will tell you NOT to buy a bar in Thailand, especially a Pattaya bar I would add. However the man is already an owner and his friend is looking for comments and possible solutions. I have no solutions other than go to the police and talk to other farang bar owners and maybe he can see some sort of solution or compromise to continue his business without these violent thugs causing him problems. I do feel though that paying the farang mug is not the way to go at all. That said, ending up paying the cops has its own problems, and once they taste that tea money they will always be hungry, especially if they see you are a soft touch and easily frigthened. You are pretty much fucked no matter which way you go, but to differing degrees. Either way you are paying money for protection, a sad, frustrating, and disgusting situation to be in which usually will ruin you in the end through/from the greed of your 'protectors'. I also agree with you on having farang manage or own the bars. These places usually do have a much higher degree of trying to satisfy the customer and keep them coming back, at least compared to the many Thai owned establishments, which seem to just live for the day and have little thought of 'customer satisfaction' or true business acumen. Cent p.s. I do say though that he should hire a cop or two for/as doormen-bouncers NOW to at least have a beginning of their participation in the situation. It may help a bit (at least the inside of his bar would be protected), and at least the money he would have paid this farang mafia wanna-be cunt may be better spent this way, for the short term at least, until he finds whatever the eventual solution might be. Either way, he is going to be spending money he hadn't figured into his monthly budget from now on I would imagine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Central Scrutinizer Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 Another thing I'd like to know is why the bar owner's wife has no clue on what to do. I'd think her and her family (who may or may not be benefitting along the way in some manner from the successful business staying successful) would be of some help, at least in the short term, or at least might know someone (Thai) who could help at least with some info or connections of connections, etc. Also, I'd suggest the OP/friend of the owner posting here might want to get this out on a few of the other boards like this, especially places like Pattaya Secrets, Pattaya Addicts, and all the other farang message boards dealing mostly with Pattaya to see what, if any, help these guys might be able to suggest. Just a thought. Cent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shygye Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 Just because the bar is in Pattaya does not mean the wife and her relatives are from Pattaya area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALHOLK Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 Pattaya secrets would be a very good idea as there are many Pattaya bar owners posting there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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