Gadfly Posted April 14, 2007 Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 ...many months ago? It involved a link to (I think) a site called 'Thai stories' and involved an alleged kidknapping at the Starbucks on Thonglor. The author mentioned several Thai-Americans posing as FBI agents and several genuine Thai police officers. The author also said the local authorities weren't particularly cooperative. We had a debate here about whether the story was genuine. Someone said there was no way to know if the story was true or not, but something like this could happen in Thailand. That is essentially where I ended up on the story. Others thought it was even ridiculous to say something like this might happen. Take a look at this in today's The Nation: Kidknap Story - American Businessman / Thai Police Involved The stories sound very similiar to me. Sukhansa, his wife, said four or five men in police uniform and plainclothes - including a Thai-American half-blood, Nicolas Pruksukkan, who claimed to be an FBI agent - had searched their condominium and made off with US$400,000 (Bt14 million) in cash. No time to find the link to that story, but it would be worth comparing. A few here claimed to have more details on that original story. I realize these must be two different events, but the current story is strikingly similiar to the story I recall reading about months ago. Anything that can be revealed now that a similiar story is front page news in The Nation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickfarang Posted April 14, 2007 Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 There are some similarities. I have to ask: What was the couple doing with US$400,000 in cash in their apartment? Smells fishy all the way around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkoktraveler Posted April 14, 2007 Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 I think the reason why so many believe very little goes on in Thailand is similiar to how my wife (Thai) views things in the good old USA. She has wanted to walk to one of her friend's home who lives in one of the worse parts of our city. She could not believe it was dangerous to walk there until one day when I showed her a picture that was in our paper of homicides in our city. Several of the homicides were right in her friend's neighborhood. I pointed out that one homicide was in an alleyway very close to her friend's home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadfly Posted April 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 I have to ask: What was the couple doing with US$400,000 in cash in their apartment? Smells fishy all the way around. Good question. My guess? If you are going to kidknap people for money, you are probably going to target people who are, perhaps, involved in less than legitimate activities. They are less likely to complain to the authorities. And unlike regular folks, they are less likely to keep their money in banks. As I recall the earlier story, the victim there also seemed to be involved in some fishy business. This kidknap group includes legitimate police officers, and maybe that's how they identify potential victims? In Thailand, it is very easy to see how this could happen. Less dramatic methods of extracting money happen all of the time to Farangs here who are involved in grey activties or invested in semi-legitimate activities. This is why I think stricter visa and ownership rules (property and otherwise perfectly legitimate - and as of now - perfectly legal companies) and all of the other changes in the law we have seen over the past year will have an exponential effect in compounding corruption here. Imagine the opportunites for extortion that open up as businesses that are perfectly legal now become illegal after Thailand changes its laws as part of the current wave of economic nationalism? It won't be as dramatic as kidknapping, but given the way this place works, I am sure the opportunities are being considered by those in a position to take an advantage of those opportunities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Central Scrutinizer Posted April 14, 2007 Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 The original story titled 'Bangkok Business' and running 14 chapters was started to be shown on Stick's site, then pulled down before finished showing for some reason. It is fiction according to the author. This one in the Nation is true, and I don't see why anyone would not believe this stuff happens in the LOS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekong Posted April 14, 2007 Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 Original Thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidel Posted April 14, 2007 Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 I was looking for the original story today too... it has been pulled from everywhere; thaivisa.com, writing.com, barladies.com. I'd be interested in reading it again of anyone can find it. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwood13 Posted April 14, 2007 Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 See posts #31 & 32 on thaivisa for posts by the guy from the Starbucks story: http://tinyurl.com/yuxrag -redwood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidel Posted April 14, 2007 Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 Thanks Redwood! So it was the same guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadfly Posted April 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 And this is what the original author says: If the Western news media and the Thai news media had done their jobs as journalists last year, perhaps the so-called â??goodâ? Thai police would have been forced to reign in the â??badâ? Thai police, and perhaps Mark Hutchenson would not have been kidnapped. Some one else here helpfully posted the link to the original thread. Not enough time now, but I am going to go back and take a look as what was said back then. Probably an interesting excercise for anyone who lives or visits Thailand and spends time on this board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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