Airport Scam

[obroadie]

Alfonso I love your style mate.
I must try the steering wheel trick the next time.
A bunch of mates and I used to go on a weekly run on our choppers, part way up a mountain side on a lovely steep twisting concrete road to a cafe at where I would call Base Camp and the concrete ended. From there you can go on various walking and hiking trails and book guest houses etc.. but that's always as far as we went because our purpose was just to have a nice ride and sit on the mountainside where it's much cooler and lovely and quite and have a couple of beers and a chat for an hour or so before heading back down while still mostly sober.
One day 2 or 3 years ago 5 of us rocked up and were told it was 200B each. Now 200B is nothing and even the combined 1,000 for 5 of us is not a lot of money but it is equivalent to a weeks wage for most Thai's in this area. It's come about from a decision high up in government that is so out of touch with reality that it makes me sick.
None of us have been back since nor have any of us taken visiting relatives etc.. up there like we used to. So not only has the cafe (belonging to the national park) lost out on what would have been B100,000+ in beer money over this period, it's also lost out on all the meals we used to go there for.
I suppose it still gets the odd Farrang who hired a motorbike in town to make the 30klm trip and won't turn back at that stage but they have to come past my house and I doubt I see one a week.
Silly and a shame.
BTW I've heard you can take your house registration book if your name in on them and pay Thai prices but I've not tried it yet on principal.
My silly little way of fighting back.

[GenetheMachine]

In my prior post on page 9 (Jul 28, 2009 ) I suggested writing the editors of the BP to make this an issue. If someone who can see the bigger picture such as someone from the ministry of tourism, then they may apply pressure to the right spots to get this scam stopped. A few days ago the BP had a story on its homepage about this scam. I doubt it was so much my pointing the editors to this topic as much as the BP reading the BBC news and other news web sites. I encourage everyone to write the BP and the ministry of tourism if you know how to reach them.

Stealing from peoples' luggage does not happen only in Thailand. This week 3 luggage handlers were arrested in San Francisco for stealing from peoples' luggage. These guys made the mistake of stealing a gun from a policeman's luggage which prompted the investigation.

[Isaannative]

Stealing from peoples' luggage.
Most of the comments posted here regarding stealing from people's luggage are from people who just wanted to create a bad image for Thailand. They are mostly farangs. We know stealing is wrong, is thieving and those convicted should be punish. But it happens anywhere and western countries are said to be worst than Asia. Please read below and if you want to read the full story I’ve provided the links to each case. If you wants to read more of this stealing from people luggage stories , I can provide more mostly from western countries.[/color]



SFO baggage handlers convicted of stealing
Friday, July 31, 2009 | 11:52 PM
SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KGO) -- Three baggage handlers at SFO have now been convicted of stealing from passengers' luggage.
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?sectio ... le-6943513


Newark Airport screener accused of stealing electronics from luggage
by Jeff Whelan/The Star-Ledger
Tuesday October 07, 2008, 6:17 PM
As a screener at Newark Liberty International Airport, Pythias Brown was supposed to keep deadly objects off airplanes. But for the past year, authorities allege, Brown has been swiping electronic equipment from luggage of the passengers he was supposed to protect.
A laptop here, a cell phone there. Within months, he had snatched more than 100 items, authorities say.
But this summer, Brown got too ambitious for his own good, allegedly stealing a $47,900 camera from an HBO crew and a camcorder from a CNN employee, authorities said.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/1 ... _with.html


Sting nabs sticky-fingered JFK airport workers going through luggage
A sting captured by security cameras nabbed two sticky-fingered airport workers who swiped electronics planted by authorities, officials said.
Brian Burton, 27, and Antwon Simmons, 26, stole a laptop and cell phone from the decoy luggage as it moved through Kennedy Airport, Port Authority officials said.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crim ... ggage.html


Newark Liberty Airport screener charged with stealing electronics from luggage
by Steve Surjaputra
Transportation Security Administration agents are supposed to be the first line of defense against terrorists. Not Pythias Brown. An airport screener at Newark’s Liberty Airport, he has been accused of swiping electronic equipment from luggage.
He started out small, stealing a cellphone here, a laptop there. Then he expanded. In all, he’s stolen more than 100 items, according to authorities.
This summer, he got a little too ambitious. He stole a $47,900 camera from an HBO crew and a camcorder from a CNN employee. It would have probably gone unnoticed if one of the victims didn’t later recognize the item up for sale on eBay.
Federal investigators have charged Brown with theft. He faces up to 10 years in prison. Based on their own findings, the Transportation Security Administration will soon fire him. He has been a screener at Newark since 2002.
http://www.tripso.com/today/newark-libe ... -luggages/


Who's Stealing Your Luggage At The Airport?
It's a headache no one wants or needs when traveling by plane: discovering something stolen out from the luggage.
CBS 11 News uncovered about 2,000 reports of stolen and missing luggage at DFW and Dallas Love Field Airport.
But while DFW is the third busiest airport in the nation, it actually ranks 15th when it comes to claims of bags being stolen and lost.
"I don't really think about my stuff getting stolen," said traveler Lance Wagner. He felt that way until he flew on Sun County Airlines from DFW to Minneapolis last August.
http://cbs11tv.com/local/stealing.your. ... 63072.html


Airport screeners accused of stealing from luggage
KENNER, La. (AP) -- Louisiana officials say some airport screeners were doing more than just screening. Nine employees of the Transportation Security Administration have been arrested for allegedly stealing items from the luggage they were screening at the New Orleans airport.
Sheriff's officials say they started investigating when a TSA worker reported in May that she had seen some of the thefts and had seen baggage screeners dividing up the stolen items in a workers' parking lot.
A TSA spokeswoman says the screeners have been suspended pending the outcome of the criminal cases.
Congress created the agency less than two months after 9/11.
http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=1963960


Queens, NY - Two Homeland Security airport personnel -- including a TSA officer -- were arrested after being caught in a sting riffling through a luggage bag and pilfering a laptop and an iPod at JFK Airport, sources told The Post.
The employees were identified as Brian Burton, 28, a seven-year veteran Transportation Safety Administration officer and Antwon Simmons, 26, a Aviation Safeguard Employee.
The duo came under suspicion after investigators at the Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General determined that they were working on days when items were reported missing from Delta Airline flight bags over the past six months.
During an "integrity test" yesterday morning, investigators sent a luggage bag down a conveyor belt where the two men were working and and watched as they lifted the laptop and iPod from the bag, and then ripped off the destination tag and sent it on its way.
The twosome were handcuffed and held for questioning by the Port Authority police, pending their transfer into the hands of the Queens DA, who is expected to arraign them on grand larceny charges.
http://www.vosizneias.com/35001/2009/07 ... ge-at-jfk/

[Isaannative]

To all readers,

Airport scam & luggage handler theft happens anywhere in the world and not just Thailand. All these negative comments posted on this forum are mostly by farangs as I have mentioned in my earlier post. They intentionally just wanted to create a bad name/image for Thailand. Just like BBC making this such a big news.

If this happened in western countries let say in the US, Canada, Germany or UK, I believe there will still be news but not such a big news likes BBC has reported on the recent BKK case so aggressively.
The first reason behind I can say is bias. Secondly, if Thailand is a superpower country likes US that will be different. Third it is not a country with the majority of the population are farangs . We are Asian and a poor developing country. Another word for all the reasons is BIAS. And this is farang mentality.
I would like all readers and you farangs who have posted harmful comments here to read below article. One of the victim is well known celebrity Paris Hilton, and that happened in the world most power nation USA and one of the most popular city LA .

AIRPORT WORKERS FACE THEFT CHARGES FOR STEALING CELEBRITY PROPERTY

A group of luggage handlers at Los Angeles International Airport are to face misdemeanour theft charges for allegedly stealing personal items from celebrities including hotel heiress PARIS HILTON and singer KEYSHIA COLE. A spokesperson for City Attorney ROCKY DELGADILLO announced their decision to file the charges against 10 airport employees and one transient yesterday (22MAR07) for reportedly taking items like watches and jewellery from celebrities' baggage. Eight of the suspects worked in the airport luggage screening department and have been dismissed from their jobs. At the time WENN went to press, Hilton's spokesman ELLIOT MINTZ could not be reached for comment.
http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/ar ... ty_1025898

[Chang Noi]

Isaannative
You are quite right about airport baggage thefts they happen everywhere.
Many years ago; the supposedly best airport in UK was nicknamed Thief Row for obvious reasons.
All the links you have posted indeed show that it happens worldwide, however it also shows that the affected countries take this as a serious crime & all the cases you highlighted ended up with court cases or with court cases pending.

I am still waiting to read in the BP or the Nation about anybody prosecuted in Thailand for stealing from tourists.

We are not belittling the Thai nation, but highlighting a problem that needs to be resolved. If these were addressed or seem to be addressed them more tourists would end up coming back.
Over the past 10 years or so I have seen the airport scam, rouge taxis, gem scam, car hire scam, Ekkamie bus station scam, blank DVD scam on Sukhumvit, plus many more.

Similar scams operate in the UK, the difference been in the UK they are usually stopped and prosecuted.

[Alfonso]

Reference Chang Noi

Good constructive reply

Cheers
Alfonso

[villager]

Isaannative
You are quite right about airport baggage thefts they happen everywhere.
Many years ago; the supposedly best airport in UK was nicknamed Thief Row for obvious reasons.
All the links you have posted indeed show that it happens worldwide, however it also shows that the affected countries take this as a serious crime & all the cases you highlighted ended up with court cases or with court cases pending.

I am still waiting to read in the BP or the Nation about anybody prosecuted in Thailand for stealing from tourists.

We are not belittling the Thai nation, but highlighting a problem that needs to be resolved. If these were addressed or seem to be addressed them more tourists would end up coming back.
Over the past 10 years or so I have seen the airport scam, rouge taxis, gem scam, car hire scam, Ekkamie bus station scam, blank DVD scam on Sukhumvit, plus many more.

Similar scams operate in the UK, the difference been in the UK they are usually stopped and prosecuted.

Of course you are spot on Chang Noi in your summing up , here in Thailand the "boys in brown" it is strongly rumoured are taking "kickbacks" from every scam under the sun, hence very few successful prosecutions, and to be candid Issannative whilst I truly admire your patriotism you are trying to defend the indefensible!!.

[Michael Bukit]

On the front page of today Singapore Straits Times.

Travellers alerted to Bangkok airport scam.

800,000 Singaporean are said to has visited Thailand last year.

[villager]

On the front page of today Singapore Straits Times.

Travellers alerted to Bangkok airport scam.

800,000 Singaporean are said to has visited Thailand last year.

Thanks for the info MB, and having read the article , It just shows that this government has a real problem on its hand,s, however if past performances are anything to go by, little or nothing will be done to solve it, the Thai word of Mi Pen Ri springs readily to mind!!

[Renaissance]

My daughter took a flight from the airport the other day, and noted how quiet the ////// Power duty free shops were at the airport. Now the news about the duty free scam has spread and spread.

I suppose that the management of ////// Power was caught between a stone and a hard rock when the scam was blown open. If they had apprehended one of the people behind the scam, and paraded the person before the cameras to show that they were sorry and that were trying to clean up their reputation, then they would have automatically validated the reports that there was a scam going on, and no doubt for a long time. Worse still, if the scam was organized, that now fired employee, might have revealed publicly that the scam was organized with the knowledge of ////// Power. They would also have discredited themselves because ////// Power had denied that there was a scam when it surfaced a month or so ago.

But by doing nothing, keeping quiet, and hoping that people will forget it, they are either showing that they do not care or admitting through their silence that there really is an organized scam going on at their shops. But by keeping quiet they risk a serious loss of revenue because people will distrust their shops and avoid them.

I don't think that people will forget, not just because the airport is so full of scams, which nobody wants to deal with, but also because Thailand's scams and corruption are so famous internationally. One almost expects scams. I expect that ////// Power's sales will plummet further, and of course, they will blame the foreign press and embassies for their plight rather than looking at themselves in the mirror.

If ////// Power had taken swift action and had someone arrested, people would have forgiven them quickly. People would have understood that ////// Power simply had a dishonest member of staff. This can happen. Their PR people could have said that they had been looking for "that rogue employee" for months, but that they had never been able to catch him/her until now. They could have paid the "rogue employee" to keep his/her mouth shut ... or else! Or, like sometimes happens, they could have put an employee in prison, in a VIP cell, paid him to keep quiet, and then released the person two months later when the dust had settled. Then they could have hired the person at their shop in central Bangkok. That would have been the end of it and everyone would have been happy.

I'm not condoning this solution. This is simply how things are done here.

Having chosen to keep quiet and to deny that there was a scam, they now have to take the financial consequences, which might be severe.

I wonder what has happened to Tony. I expect that the police have advised him how it would be in his interests to keep a low profile. He has probably been moved to a desk at the Ministry of Inactive Posts as a token of the police's gratitude for him keeping his mouth shut, and for helping the police to contribute to their favourite charities for so long.