Understanding Thailand: Getting yourself out of trouble (1)
February 3 2012 Categories: Understanding Thailand No comments yet
One of the interesting aspects of blogging is that I can see the Google searches that bring readers to my blog. Today a reader had a query which read “how to efficiently bribe Thai Police?”. Now, I don’t know about you but when I read this kind of query I cannot help but guess that someone is in trouble and expect to get out of it through the help of a bribe.
The fact that in Thailand there are many ways of getting yourself in trouble, whether you were looking for it or not, when I mean trouble of course I’m talking about the kind that may get you blacklisted or earn you a stay in a Thai jail.
You don’t need to be a hard core criminal to end up in a Thai jail. For those who did not read the Bangkok Post this morning be warned that driving under influence is more and more severely punished in Thailand. Thai Courts, in many provinces, are not handing suspended sentences anymore and a DUI may now get you directly in jail. Another way to get a test for Thai jails is by working without a work permit and being victim of a denunciation.
So is bribing the police an option if you ever find yourself in such situation? Why I do not condone the practice I understand that from time to time some people may be willing to attempt it.
The first thing you must understand is that you cannot bribe yourself out of any situation, or that attempting to bribe the police to slow or to bury a criminal procedure may not be the end of your problems. Indeed in a case where there is a victim he/she may file a criminal complaint directly with the criminal court to overcome the inaction of the police.
The second thing is that there is a window of opportunity to make a deal. For example if you are arrested while driving under influence or if an immigration or labor officer arrest you while working without a work permit a deal has to be made as soon as possible before any official record has been entered. Once there is an official record of the infraction there is no way out or if there is it may be more costly.
The third thing is that arrogance does not help; flashing the business card of police general or claiming high level connections may instead of helping you antagonize the officer in charge of your case. In most case you will be better off if you try to make a deal with the officer in charge of your case or his direct superior within the police station handling your case than having a high ranking officer from another division calling on your behalf. And if you are trying to bribe yourself out, try to be subtle and discreet about it and to stay calm and polite all along.
The fourth thing is that while there is a lot of talk about police corruption in Thailand, not all police officers are willing to take a bribe or there may be circumstances that make it impossible for a police officer to accept a bribe and that if you ever find yourself in this situation then the best is to immediately contact your lawyer.
Note: This post is an excerpt of Rene Philippe Dubout next book: “How to Invest Safely Into Thailand” to be published in January 2010
About the Author:
The author Rene-Philippe DUBOUT is a lawyer since 1990 when he was admitted to Geneva bar (Switzerland). He practiced as a litigator there for 10 years until he moved to Thailand in 1999. In 2002 he founded with a group of Thai lawyers Rene Philippe & Partners Ltd a local law firm that specialized in Cross Borders Investments and Real Estate. He has been lecturing in several Thai Universities and a speaker to numerous conferences and seminars. He is the author of a must read book:”How to Purchase Real Estate Offshore Safely: The Case of Thailand”.
http//:www.renephilippe.com
© Copyrights 2009 – Rene Philippe Dubout – This article may be reprinted if information about the author, the websites, and the URLs remain intact
Originally posted 2009-12-03 12:50:50.
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