Dream turned into nightmare

[jp1]

From today's Bangkok post:

 

 

 

'American says he was jailed after refusing bribe

 

 

 

Imprisoned again, as `guarantee' sought

 

 

 

Anucha Charoenpo

 

 

 

In December, retired American businessman Michael Greenwald left his home in San Diego to start what he thought would be a more peaceful and happier life on Samui island, Surat Thani province.

 

 

 

However, Mr Greenwald's dream of life in a tropical paradise soon turned into a nightmare when the jeep he was driving ran into a motorcycle ridden by a 16-year-old girl, who was admitted to Samui hospital for a number of days and treated for a knee injury.

 

 

 

Despite agreeing to pay a total of 65,000 baht for the medical bill and to compensate the girl, though she had no driving licence, the 60-year-old spent the next four months in and out of prison while police insisted on charging him with reckless driving.

 

 

 

``They put me in jail for days after I refused to pay a bribe of 40,000 baht,'' he said. ``I believe I was treated unfairly because I am a foreigner with no knowledge of Thai law.''

 

 

 

With help from a Thai friend, Mr Greenwald eventually posted bail of 100,000 baht and was allowed to leave police detention.

 

 

 

After the case was finally forwarded to public prosecutors, the American said he received an anonymous phone call from an individual offering to clear the case in return for 20,000 baht. He refused the offer.

 

 

 

On Friday, a court found Mr Greenwald guilty of reckless driving and fined him 2,000 baht.

 

 

 

He was told by the judge that he would not be penalised for overstaying his visa as he was awaiting trial when it expired.

 

 

 

However, when Mr Greenwald went to collect his passport from the immigration police in Surat Thani, he was again put in jail and told to pay 50,000 baht as a guarantee, which he was told he would be given back along with his passport before he left the country.

 

 

 

``I won't return to Thailand ever again, even though I like Thai people a lot,'' said Mr Greenwald, adding he planned to inform American media about his experience.

 

 

 

Pol Col Preecha Kullama, chief of Surat Thani immigration police, denied the demand for 50,000 baht was an attempt to solicit a bribe, saying Mr Greenwald had been given a receipt.

 

 

 

Pol Col Wasant Boonjaroen, Koh Samui police chief, said he would investigate the claims and punish any officers found to be guilty of wrongdoing.'

 

 

 

This certainly does not encourage tourism.

 

 

 

jp1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

Foreigners are guilty every time. I heard similar stories from all over the world, especially from Thailand, Philippines and Cambodia.

 

 

 

I think, he can be lucky; things could have turn much worse (imagine the lady/ girl was seriously injured).

[jp1]

Yes that's true. This gives me some food for the thought. Usually I'm also driving a car in Thailand. Quite often I drive all the way from BKK to Nan and back. Had never any problem so far.

 

 

 

jp1

[Tycona]

Because of shit like this and the nazi laws of Thailand I do not want to live here...

[sayjann]

65,00 baht for a injured knee?.

 

did she need a replacement?.

[Guest]

I saved the following interesting story from the asfo-list. I hope, it is possible to cross-post when giving the full credit. However, feel free to delete this post, if it violates the rules as this is not my intention.

• "Subject: Be careful on motorbikes
   
  Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2002 05:24:44 -0800 (PST)
   
  From: "spurner" <asfo-list@asfo.com>
   
   
   
  I heard many bad stories of accidents on motorbikes in
   
  SEA, but didn't think it would happen to me:
   
   
   
  I was at a brothel in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. I took
   
  one back to the King Gold where I was staying and
   
  realised I'd picked a real dudd. She was a bit older
   
  than I though she was, refused to perform yum-yum and
   
  denied advances for a boom-boom. Totally pissed it
   
  took me half an hour to coax her out of the room so I
   
  coud take her back to the brothel and hit mamasan up
   
  for it.
   
   
   
  Anyway on the way back I was riding along in the dark.
   
  She was sitting behind me but with both legs off to
   
  one side of the bike, and not holding onto anything.
   
  After I hit a moderate pothole at speed she flew off
   
  the bike and landed on her head in the middle of the
   
  road. I turned the bike around and a car drove
   
  straight over what I though was her head. As I went
   
  back I realised it was only her hair, the wheel missed
   
  her head by an inch. She was unconscious, her body
   
  limp in my arms, blood streaming down her face, I was
   
  starting to freak out about now, I thought she was
   
  dead.
   
   
   
  Some people stopped and took her to the hospital while
   
  I went back to tell mamasan. I felt like shit,
   
  vomitted, and went back to the hospital to see how she
   
  was. Fortunately she was still alive and x-rays showed
   
  her skull wasn't cracked but she was unconsciouss all
   
  night or in some kind of a coma. They said if she
   
  didn't wake up or had damaged a blood vessel near the
   
  brain it would be a big problem and need to take her
   
  to PP.
   
   
   
  By now they wanted to know where I was from, where I
   
  was staying, and asked for my passport. I was staying
   
  practically next door and refused repeated requests by
   
  them to hand over my passport. I wasn't planning on
   
  doing a runner but knew if they had my passport they
   
  had the power and could do anything they wanted. As is
   
  the case in SEA, the falang is automatically liable
   
  for all costs associated with any accident,and this
   
  was no exception, and they said I had to pay for
   
  medical costs, which I agreed to. If she didn't wake
   
  up by morning they wouldn't let me leave
   
  Sihanoukville! They camped outside my hotel all night
   
  to make sure didn't do a runner, which I contemplated
   
  at various times but
   
  knew I couldn't carry out without someone knowing
   
  where I was.
   
   
   
  Morning came and she was still asleep or unconsciouss
   
  or sth but her body was moving a little bit so figured
   
  everything was okay now. They wanted $150 for the
   
  doctor, including x-rays and IV's and follow-up care,
   
  $50 for this other guy who was always hanging around
   
  and some kind of boss, but don't know exactly who he
   
  was, and the mamasan wanted $250 for damage to the
   
  girl(total $450). I explained I wasn't from America or
   
  Europe, was not rich, that they wouldn't charge a
   
  local that kind of money, and that if they wanted that
   
  kind of money then I simply don't have it. They
   
  threatened to involve the police but I thought her
   
  being a hooker and probably in the country illegally
   
  it would be bad news for them too. Also I knew I
   
  hadn't done anything illegally or morally wrong so
   
  shook off their attempts to scare me.
   
   
   
  They had a Khmer style henchman there too, complete
   
  with gold capped teeth. I explained I didn't feel good
   
  about it but I didn't feel responsible for the costs
   
  either. After some discussion they settled for $150
   
  for the doctor, and $5 for the guy who took her to
   
  hospital. I figure they were just having a go at me
   
  for the mamasan's $250. If she had been a new girl and
   
  owed the mamasan a lot of money it would have been a
   
  different story though.
   
   
   
  I was a bit pissed at parting with $150, but okay as
   
  I'd never seen anyone so close to dying before, and
   
  happy to get it down from the initial $450. If the car
   
  behind had been 2 inches to the right then she would
   
  be dead, and I wouldn't be writing this today.
   
   
   
  After paying the cash I flagged down the Snooky-PP bus
   
  which happened to be driving past me and got the hell
   
  outta there. Now enjoying the comforts of PP and K11.
   
   
   
  Morale: Be careful on the motorbikes!!!"

[Guest]

 

 

I think foreigners get hit expecially hard, because they are percieved as being rich, but don't forget that Thais have to deal with corruption, getting hit up for bribes to make their problems go away, etc. everyday.

 

 

 

 

[jp1]

 

 

Hi Tycona,

 

 

 

don't be so harsh. There're light years between the Nazi regime in Germany and the corrupt Thai legal system.

 

 

 

jp1

 

 

[Guest lazyphil]

Just some figure of speach I guess, of course nobody compares the two, do they?

[Guest]

"Just some figure of speach I guess, of course nobody compares the two"

 

 

 

#Not that sure,I remembera german fellow claiming the comparaison was made among german expats in Thaland.Agre with Jp1 though:very far fetched