haltest Posted September 11, 2002 Report Share Posted September 11, 2002 Police arrest 100 Africans in raids on city tourist spots Two Africans are arrested during a raid on a guesthouse near Wat Bovornnives yesterday. They were part of more than 100 Africans rounded up by tourist police in citywide raids yesterday morning. _ KOSOL NAKACHOL Concern over rise in crime by foreigners Anucha Charoenpo Tourist police rounded up at least 100 Africans for immigration offences in Bangkok yesterday, amid concern over a rise in crime by foreign gangs. Two hundred police conducted 10 raids on tourist spots such as Khao San road, Pratu Nam area, Soi Nana, Sukhumvit area and Huai Khwang area between 2am and 6am. They arrested people from Malawi, Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Congo, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Nigeria, Cameroon and Lesotho. Pol Maj-Gen Sanit Meephan, the commander, said they were charged with not having passports or necessary travel documents, overstaying their visas and entering the country on fake passports. He said he had yet to check how many of them were blacklisted or watchlisted by Thai authorities for suspected criminal activities, or wanted by authorities in their countries. He said he would cooperate with the Immigration Bureau and Interpol for further checks. Those who were found to have committed crimes in Thailand would be charged while those wanted in their own countries would be sent back for trial. Pol Maj-Gen Sanit said police had received many complaints from Thais, most of them women who had been sexually harassed. He said the Africans also disturbed residents whose houses were near the raid areas. Many residents had lodged complaints with police about their suspicious behaviour which appeared likely they were involved in some criminal activities. He said the raids were also aimed at promoting a tourism atmosphere in the country. Pol Maj-Gen Sanit said he was ready to explain to embassies, consulates and human rights organisations why the Africans had been arrested. He denied the arrests were racial. He said he had arrested other foreign nationals such Koreans and Arabs in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
didierhardy Posted September 11, 2002 Report Share Posted September 11, 2002 Very good move from the Tourist Police! To get a visa will become harder only for certain countries. Nothing to worry about. Didier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shotover Posted September 11, 2002 Report Share Posted September 11, 2002 "10 raids on tourist spots such as Khao San road, Pratu Nam area, Soi Nana, Sukhumvit area and Huai Khwang area" I never thought of Huai Khwang as an area many Africans frequented. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 12, 2002 Report Share Posted September 12, 2002 when will they start rounding up the bald men or fat men, or white men, or children under 4... what are we in khmer rouge territory.. this is awful.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiHome Posted September 12, 2002 Report Share Posted September 12, 2002 when will they start rounding up the bald men or fat men, or white men, or children under 4... what are we in khmer rouge territory.. this is awful If the bald men, fat men, or children under 4 do not have legal papers to be in the country then they should be rounded up. This was not a general roundup of black Africans. This was a roundup of illegal immigrants and overstays. What does your country do for people that entry illegally or overstay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg Posted September 12, 2002 Report Share Posted September 12, 2002 Put them in B & B's at the tax payers expense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 13, 2002 Report Share Posted September 13, 2002 Really???.. They were just grabbing blacks off the street, out of the grace and guest houses and threw them in Jail. They said that they would contact the embassies and human rights later. I suppose the innocent were/will be eventually let go , but it is still a violation of human rights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted September 13, 2002 Report Share Posted September 13, 2002 "but it is still a violation of human rights." You have made a charge - would be interested in learning your reasoning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 13, 2002 Report Share Posted September 13, 2002 And from todays Pattaya Mail "The government will improve its tourism policy to put more emphasis on quality tourists, rather than focusing only on attracting the greatest number of tourist arrivals in the kingdom, according to Interior Minister Purachai Piumsombun. The Interior Minister said the new policy will be based on a qualitative basis, rather than a quantitative basis. This new approach will aim to reduce problems in the kingdom caused by foreign tourists. Purachai said, ?We?ll focus on quality tourists who really prefer to visit tourist destinations in our country, not disguised visitors who enter our country with other objectives and later cause problems in our society, including crime and drugs.? Members of Nanaplaza.com need not apply???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straycat Posted September 13, 2002 Report Share Posted September 13, 2002 Time to withdraw those 'Amazing Thailand' ads TOT put in Nigerian & Uzbek travel magazines? Straycat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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