British pensioners arrested and detained in Pattaya

[jacko 8,722]

what a pack of fools

 

From MM limnks above there is still one lady in prison as she is refusing to sign a statement that she was gambling.

 

The backlash should be huge , yes its all a big laugh at what a pack of corrupt imbeciles they are but the reality is a huge number of British Citizens have been arrested put in custody and coerced into signing confessions for crimes they didn't commit. Their should be a massive consular response to this

I am more distressed that people are jailed for not signing a 'confession'.....

It is one step down from torturing!

[MM 6,562]

I am more distressed that people are jailed for not signing a 'confession'.....

It is one step down from torturing!

Agreed!

Some reports say the woman didn't have the money for bail. I doubt this because I am sure her "gang of bridge players" would have chipped in to pay the bail.

 

The more believable reports are that she wouldn't admit and sign a document confessing to something she was not guilty of. This clearly shows that the police still don't get how bad this looks for Thailand. As of this morning, the story has gone international, and I am waiting for the "PM" to start getting questions about it and throwing someone to the wolves..or worse yet, saying something incredibly inappropriate.

[jacko 8,722]

A simple 'release her NOW and drop this' is what I hope for... with some subsequent knocking of silly heads.

Let us see.....

[ttk 236]

It was probably the work of a prankster who contacted the plod and said they were running an illicit casino or gamling den.

One of the linked articles says the informant was someone having a fight with the buildings owner where the game was held.

Edited February 5, 2016 by ttk

[Harvey 249]

huh? There is a Playing Cards Act of 1935?

 

SMH

[helloitsme 233]

Just read the story on page 5 (i think)of the Times, whilst waiting for my takeaway to be cooked. (We obviously have an upper class take away!!)

[Lantern 193]

What a bunch of total muppets.

 

Thailand, the laughing stock of the world and they don't even realise it.

[teelack 9,122]

Yes, international laughing stock. It even ended up in the New Zealand papers.

[Fatboyfat 361]

It's a bit of a shame, but none of the bulletins have really laid into the "laughing stock" aspect, and only the public feedback at the bottom of the written articles tend to highlight it. The Thai Visa TV bulletin even went as far as to suggest that foreigners should not play any card games at all whilst in Thailand! Self preservation, for the local media I suppose, in these days of intrusive censorship!

[jacko 8,722]

The BBC are running it but no mention of the lady being held.

I see Barry Kenyon was involved (or was he there playing a hand?) although I do not know what his 'capacity' is these days.

I told my Mrs about it and she had not heard of anything so perhaps the Thai press are not running it.

 

I have stopped playing Solitaire on my computer for fear of a Swat team and abseiling police from helicopters.

 

Later Edit: I have just read that Barry was playing that day and presumably arrested, so much for British Consular influence, surely this man is well known to the police as he would have attended many a person in trouble in soi 9 and did a long spell assisting in immigration soi 5.

Edited February 6, 2016 by jacko

[SlipSlopSlap 186]

Do you think that the 'informant' will at least get an ass kicking from the BIB for wasting their time & looking stupid?

[Gary 4,096]

This just goes to show people what a bunch of morons they have in law enforcement. With all the unsolved crimes, they waste their time hassling senior citizens. This is beyond stupid.

[nus01 305]

This just goes to show people what a bunch of morons they have in law enforcement. With all the unsolved crimes, they waste their time hassling senior citizens. This is beyond stupid.

I think it goes further than that, moronic is one thing. Purely vindictive & corrupt is another.

[MM 6,562]

One source said that this citizen complaint went to the Interior Ministry after the Pattaya Police declined to take action. The Interior Ministry, and possibly the PM, required the police and the Army to take action to root out this nest of aged gamblers under the auspices of Article 44 (absolute power).

[JONPAT 222]

I am more distressed that people are jailed for not signing a 'confession'.....

It is one step down from torturing!

Most of these older folks are on medications that they didn't have on them expecting to be home as usual to take their medications. I wouldn't want to be locked up on Soi 9 without my blood pressure meds or my other meds either. To deny these people their daily meds is torture.

[JONPAT 222]

Do you think that the 'informant' will at least get an ass kicking from the BIB for wasting their time & looking stupid?

I sure hope so, that informant sent his email to the PM office, the orders to clean up the situation came from on high. Somebody is gonna get sent to an inactive post.

[keyman 1,372]

Do you think that the 'informant' will at least get an ass kicking from the BIB for wasting their time & looking stupid?

 

 

He won't get a kicking from those arrested - they would probably put a hip out!

 

 

KM

[cbrib 354]

What a bunch of total muppets.

 

Thailand, the laughing stock of the world and they don't even realise it.

 

Definitely. This is a special kind of stupid. Rounding up seniors for their cards as an excuse because they weren't gambling. If memory serves me correct, last year or the year before didn't Bangkok host the ASEAN Bridge championships

[Regyai 410]

The sooner the junta rolls over

 

and allows the crooks to be correctly voted back into power

 

the quicker the Smile will be back in the Land Of

[forcebwithu 4,746]

Found a link to this article posted on another forum. First hand account from someone who was there. Interesting read. Good account of the bumbling idiots that busted the group and what transpired while at the police station.

Confessions of a Bridge Criminal

[jacko 8,722]

 

Found a link to this article posted on another forum. First hand account from someone who was there. Interesting read. Good account of the bumbling idiots that busted the group and what transpired while at the police station.

Confessions of a Bridge Criminal

 

Thanks for that, very interesting... here is an excerpt.

The deal was:

- each person is charged with gambling, bail set at 5,000b

- each person signs document agreeing that they had been gambling

- we are released that night after bail payment

- we attend court the next morning to answer the charges

 

This is 'justice' here.

[jacko 8,722]

Most of these older folks are on medications that they didn't have on them expecting to be home as usual to take their medications. I wouldn't want to be locked up on Soi 9 without my blood pressure meds or my other meds either. To deny these people their daily meds is torture.

Two players needed their medication. This was denied

[whitney 10]

I had seen this on TV, and thought the police would just walk away when they had seen what was going on with the players in their building playing bridge. The next thing I see is the police loading up the seniors to go to the police station. I hope to never have to deal with the police when visiting Thailand

[jacko 8,722]

When in a deep hole looking silly, keep digging downwards looking for a way out!

Prosecution of Pattaya Bridge Players will continue as planned

Edited February 12, 2016 by jacko

[Gawd Elpus 798]

When in a deep hole looking silly, keep digging downwards looking for a way out!

Prosecution of Pattaya Bridge Players will continue as planned

Unbelievable really. They are now considering whether that evil card game known as Bridge should be legal in Thailand.

 

I honestly doubt whether any of them even understand how to play Bridge All they know is that it is played with cards.

 

What a farce,