Thailand Land of Smiles» Thailand Commentary

Outrage Over Hmong Repatriation Misplaced

Talen — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 12:09:31 +0000

Picture courtesy AFP

The Hmong Came to Thailand as refugees from Laos in 2004-2005 and they have remained in Huay Nam Khao refugee camp in Petchabun Province guarded by the Thai military until this past Thursday when 452 of the Hmong refugees were among the first to be repatriated back to Laos.

Cries of outrage have echoed across the blogoshpere and through the world news outlets about Thailand’s great injustice about how Thailand refused U.N. access for interviews with the refugees, about how the Thai army wouldn’t reveal their screening process and of course how the Hmong have legitimate protection concerns and Thailand isn’t protecting them.

This isn’t going to be one of those articles.

The United States, Australia, Canada and Australia all condemned the forced repatriation as well as the U.N., who recognized the Hmong’s refugee status. The aforementioned countries also offered the 4,400 Hmong refugees resettlement in their respective countries. So here’s the question, why haven’t these countries resettled the Hmong? Why hasn’t the U.N. stepped in and asked that the Hmong be handed over to them for resettlement in another country?

This situation didn’t just begin on Thursday, this has been an ongoing concern for 4 years. These countries and the U.N. couldn’t figure it out in that length of time? Of course they couldn’t, because they never had any intention of resettling the Hmong. While they cry about abysmal conditions in the refugee camp and they disagree with Thailand’s assessment that the Hmong are economic and not political refugees they didn’t take the time or the diplomatic initiative to do anything about it.

The U.N. and the United States are the last entities that should be crying foul with their abysmal records of refugee treatment. Has everyone forgotten the Cuban refugee crisis of the 80’s in the United States when Fidel Castro figured out how to relieve his over populated prison cells? The problem was Castro not only released his prisoners on America but normal everyday Cuban citizens saw this as their chance as well and boarded anything that would float for America.

The United States had their own Abysmal refugee camps in Miami where murders happened daily and basic necessities were scarce. The United States not only forcible repatriated thousands of Cubans, which went against their own dictate they also patrolled the waters off of Florida and fired warning shots across the bows of boats filled with refugees heading to America. To add insult to injury they forced these boats to return to Cuba where many of these refugees were imprisoned and killed. Not to mention that many of these boats that were returned had a staggering death rate due to starvation and dehydration due to lack of food and water. Where was the U.S. outrage then? Where was the U.N. then?

Picture Courtesy Reuters

When I hear of the U.S. State Departments outrage over the Forced Hmong repatriation I have visions of Elián González being forcibly repatriated to Cuba by armed Force. While the Elián González incident is a little different than the Hmong I think the picture clearly shows how The United States saw fit to repatriate a child. The family weren’t cooperating with the U.S. State Department and refused to hand Elián González over but they weren’t exactly armed insurgents that needed to be raided by a heavily armed tactical squad.

The real outrage shouldn’t be targeted at Thailand, it should be targeted at the real cause of all the Hmong’s problems…The United States of America!

Most people reading about this situation will have no clue that the United States are the sole cause of the Hmong peoples persecution which led to this point in the first place. During the Vietnam War the CIA recruited and paid the Hmong to fight alongside American troops in a secret war to halt communism in Laos and keep Vietnam from using Laos as a site for the Ho Chi Minh trail. The communist government of Laos didn’t take too kindly to this and the Hmong have had a rough ride since.

Many thousands of Hmong have made it to the U.S. and resettled but those left behind were forgotten by the U.S. government that now so strongly condemns Thailand for not cleaning up the mess that they made

Picture courtesy some smartass

The U.N. are just as responsible for the Hmong situation although they always like to claim that they are working on the problem. There hasn’t been a more ineffective or inefficient organization since the U.N. was created so there was no doubt that they would provide no real relief for the Hmong. The U.N. has proven time and again that they are inept at helping any citizens of the world and that is clearly evident by their inaction’s in Africa.

Thailand has housed, clothed and fed the Hmong refugees for 4 years and the Thai claims that they are economic refugees isn’t a blatant disregard for the Hmong’s political situation, which can’t be denied, it is a very real concern. Thailand has to deal with thousands of illegal Lao and Cambodian workers yearly. They are taking jobs from Thai citizens and it has become as big a problem as illegal Mexican immigrants in America.

It also has to be noted that Thailand is the country that will have to deal with the political and diplomatic ramifications of this situation and it’s inevitable fallout with it’s neighboring countries.

Diplomatically this has been a nightmare for Thailand especially considering the current strain on relations with Cambodia. Thailand has had an agreement with Laos for several years now to repatriate the Hmong and the Lao Government has guaranteed Thailand that the Hmong will not be persecuted. Thailand has held off from repatriating the Hmong for 2 years because various nations and the U.N. have promised relief that never arrived. Should Thailand now forget that agreement and cause more diplomatic strife for itself?

Thailand shouldn’t become the worlds whipping boy when no one else has stepped up to do anything about the situation. Furthermore the eyes of the world should more importantly be focused on Laos and America. Laos, to make sure that the Hmong are treated fairly and America because the United states government should be taking responsibility for the actions that led to the persecution of the Hmong in the first place.

The U.S. government created this situation with the Hmong and the U.S. government should be the one to solve this problem, not leaving it for others to clean up as they always do. The U.S. State Departments press release of outrage should be seen as exactly what it is, just words. Once again the United States has successfully transferred responsibility onto another country and then attacked the diplomatic decisions of that country.

If you still need to feel outrage then you should consider directing it at those who created the problem and those that stated they would resettle the Hmong but didn’t. I know diplomatic lines between various countries can take time but 4 years was more than enough time to help the Hmong. Those countries and the U.N. that are now expressing outrage should be ashamed, they talk a good game but when it comes down to it they did nothing.

Will the world now be watching Laos, the United Nations and the United States or will it be easier to keep their anger focused on Thailand?

Thailand Wishes for 2010

Talen — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 07:13:15 +0000

Last January one of Thailand’s most respected young Monks, Phra Maha Wuthichai Vajiramedhi, released his list of 9 wishes for Thailand in 2009 and I followed suit and released my own list of Thailand wishes for 2009. So, here on the first day of 2010 I thought it might be a good idea to put together a list of wishes I would like to see come true for Thailand in 2010.

I hope everyone had a safe and very happy New Year and may your 2010 be a great year!

Thailand Wishes for 2010:

1. May King Bhumibol Adulyadej have continued good health throughout 2010.

2. May Thailand and Cambodia put their troubles over Thaksin Shinawatra and Preah Vear behind them and move to strengthen their ties.

3. May Thaksin realize that what he is doing is dividing the country he claims to love and reconsider his actions so that Thais can come together for a better Thailand for all Thai’s.

4. May the Islamist insurgency in the South be put down for good by any means necessary so the killing of innocent people will stop.

5. May all the people of Thailand realize that they are not red shirts or yellow shirts, rich or poor, they are simply all Thai people that must work together for a better Thailand.

6. May Thailand’s leaders realize that the Lèse majesté laws are antiquated and abused political vehicles that serve no real purpose in the 21st century and strike them from the books for all time.

7. May all travelers to Thailand find the beauty and kindness of the country in every Thai smile.

8. May 2010 be a good year for Thailand tourism and a prosperous year for all Thai people.

9. May everyone visiting or living in Thailand in 2010 have a safe, happy and healthy year filled with laughter, friendship and those famous Thai smiles.

What are your wishes for Thailand in the new year?

No monks were harmed in the poorly executed photoshop process and as always no disrespect was meant.

Wandering throughout Thailand

Talen — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:45:31 +0000

When I’m in Thailand I become a different person than I am in The U.S. I become more of an explorer and while I’m not discovering new lands or people I am discovering more of myself and the Thailand that I have grown to love. Thailand isn’t perfect by any means but it’s so far off the beaten track in terms of cultural differences of what I know that it seems like it could be perfect.

I think we all find something in our lives that bring on such feelings at one time or another, it’s what shapes us and makes us who we are. It’s not so much the destination or that perfect sunset picture but the journey that led to it. I become a nomad of sorts when the plane touches down in Bangkok, wandering from place to place searching for something more, something else. The best part is that I am a digital nomad so I can take pictures and share my journey with anyone that wants to come along.

In 2007 I sent pictures home daily to my brother who printed them out to show to my mother, who was otherwise worried about her youngest son being on his own in Thailand for an extended stay. Mom passed away last December, but not before showing me a large folder with all the printed out pictures and emails I had sent over 5 weeks while I was in Thailand. They meant something to her because Thailand meant something to me. A year on and her laugh is still dearly missed.

It’s the little things that are most important, like the folder of my journey that my Mom kept or the fact that I have it now and even though I lived through the journey this folder means more to me than the journey itself…because it meant something to her.

No matter where you are in life, take pictures and make memories that you can share with those you love. And remember to keep an eye out for those little things because they are often the things that hold the most meaning although we sometimes overlook them.

Long Live the King & Happy Fathers Day

Talen — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 15:53:00 +0000

A very happy 82cnd birthday to the king of Thailand today. The King’s birthday is also fathers day in Thailand so a happy fathers day to everyone in Thailand as well. Let’s hope the King continues to recover from his recent illness and that the Thai People can come together for the king and the Kingdom and put aside all the political strife at least for the next few days.

Remembering Those Who Served in Thailand

Talen — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:33:56 +0000

Picture Courtesy John Sweet

This week saw yet another Veterans day pass with the observance by most nations of those brave men and women who have served their countries with honor and in some cases made the most noble of sacrifices by giving their lives for their countries.

Everyone knows that Thailand played a role in the American war with Vietnam but most have only seen that role as one of R&R provided for American Military away from the front lines. Others may know that Thailand filled a much more needed role to the American military.

Today I received an E-mail from John Sweet about a site I might be interested in because it deals with the history of Nakhon Phanom and some of those brave individuals I mentioned before. The link he sent me was to Nakhon Phanom During the Secret War 1962-1975 which tells the story much better than I ever could.

I had known that the American military ran operations out of North East Thailand but I didn’t know to what extent. John’s web site is filled with information and pictures concerning Nakhon Phanom’s role in the war and I would think he would know exactly what he is talking about since he served there between 1969-1970.

You will also find a link from John’s site to The Thailand-Laos-Cambodia Brotherhood which John and almost 500 other servicemen are a part of. This brotherhood provides humanitarian assistance throughout Issan and Laos. This says so much about the honor and integrity of those who have served and continue to give of themselves.

John, Thank you for sharing your site and for the service you and all the other American servicemen and women have given to your country, and continue to give though humanitarian efforts.

John Sweet

TUOC – 1987th Comm NKP 69-70

Thaksin Shinawatra and the Chamber of Secrets

Talen — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:44:02 +0000

With Thaksin’s recent interview with the Times released this week it has all suddenly taken on the air of a Harry Potter book with everyone exclaiming the words ” He who must not be named” and ” The interview that must not be named”. The Thai government in all of it’s archaic grandeur have proclaimed that this interview with he who shall not be named shall also not be published or spoken about online.

I originally considered Thai politicians to be the same type of highly trained hypocritical monkeys that can be found in any western country. Basically, not concerned with more than what they can get out of any situation and how anything they do can be used as an opportunity to help with re-election efforts. Unfortunately I was wrong, as Thai politicians are much more dangerous in their ineptitude.

Instead of releasing a statement that the government disapproved of the interview done with Thaksin they have basically issued a decree stating that they will take action against anyone printing, posting or generally discussing said article online or otherwise. What they fail to understand is the fact that with every such step they make they lend more and more credence to everything Thaksin says and does. The Thai government is playing into his hands.

Now that the Times online interview is front and center in the news charges of lèse-majesté are most likely going to be brought against Thaksin and journalist Richard Lloyd Parry of the Times. Thaksin for his part is saying that the interview was taken out of context and he plans to sue the Times.

Thaksin is not a stupid man, he knew exactly what to say in the interview and how he wanted to say it and he knows those words were not an affront to the Thai royal family but to those surrounding the royal family. I believe Thaksin has calculated every move he has made since the 2006 coup, from buying Manchester City to becoming Cambodia’s economic advisor, and now this interview.

With every step Thaksin has given the Thai government more means to stumble in the eyes of the world, and they have. Instead of ignoring the man they removed from power and treating him as an insignificant outsider they have given him a platform to stand on and call out their hypocrisy.

Thaksin is now in Cambodia and leaders of his defunct Thai political party as well as leaders of the red shirt movement are crossing the border to meet with him. It isn’t coincidence that Thaksin is so close to his homeland or that his words have become more measured. He means to hold a position of power again in Thailand and the Thai government that fought so hard to remove him from office in 2006 are falling over themselves to hand him the keys to the kingdom by their arrogant and dismissive nature of the Thai people and democracy.

Thaksin is no hero by any means, he is a corrupt politician that abused the Thai peoples trust, but he still has the ear of the people. As long as the Thai government continues to hide behind the archaic lèse-majesté laws and discourage the peoples freedom to speak they will continue to push more people towards Thaksin. For his part Thaksin would love nothing more than to see the Thai government divide it’s nation so he can once again come to power.

What both Thaksin and the Thai government don’t seem to see is that this collision course has very real ramifications for the people and country they both claim to love. When blood is spilled it is never the blood of a politician.

Thailand Boogie, One Step Forward Two Steps Back

Talen — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:27:00 +0000

Picture Courtesy Reuters

Over the weekend Miss International Queen 2009 was Crowned in Pattaya, Thailand. You might think that that isn’t such a big deal, beauty contests take place all the time. Well, this beauty contest is a little different as all of the beautiful female contestants are actually male. This years winner was Ai Haruna age 37, from Japan.

Whether they be called Ladyboy, Kathoey or the third gender they often lead a very normal life in Thailand to some degree. They are generally accepted more and more into Thai society even though they are still looked down upon by a good many Thai’s.

Even so, the Miss International Queen pageant was broadcast live and watched by millions of Thai’s this past weekend which suggests that Thai’s are becoming tolerant of their transgendered countrymen.

While the Thai’s are seemingly taking a step forward on the transgendered front they are absolutely taking two steps backward on the laws which could protect them and millions of Thai women. Specifically, the rape laws in Thailand. For a very long time the rape laws in Thailand were a very narrow affair, not accepting spousal rape, male on male rape or transgendered rape within their scope.

It took some time but various rights groups, through very public campaigns, turned the tide and helped to get the rape laws amended to include marital rape, protection for homosexuals as well as expanding the term rape to include the anus and the insertion of objects into the anus or vagina.

You would think anyone in the 21st century would see that as progress and yet there are those who are clearly more comfortable with the old way of doing things. Thai government agencies such as the Office of Welfare Promotion, Protection and Empowerment of Vulnerable Groups, and the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, think the law is now too broad. These agencies are saying that the police and judicial system are finding it too hard to prosecute offenders and want to see a return to the more narrow rape laws.

They have put forth a draft amendment to Thailand’s rape laws that would once again narrow the definition to forced vaginal intercourse between men and women. Forced oral sex, anal sex and male on male rape would be removed from the rape laws and be covered under the sexual obscenity laws. While the sexual obscenity laws would carry the same penalties as rape they belittle the people involved by downgrading their existence to something less than.

The draft amendment, funnily enough, seeks to protect those who cannot protect themselves by adding to the law increased punishment for the rape of under-age girls, the disabled, the elderly, and pregnant women. Unfortunately The law lacks protection for spousal rape, instead placing this issue in limbo by stating that this is a family problem that needs time to resolve within the family.

The amendment also seeks to take the courts power away to issue a divorce on behalf of a victim of spousal rape and place it back in the woman’s hands to file for a divorce. Ultimately this makes it much harder for spousal rape victims to get away from their attackers because certain Thai officials believe the family unit takes precedence above all.

It’s easy to see that little by little the attitude towards the transgendered is changing in Thailand. The fact that millions of Thai’s watched a transgendered beauty pageant on a Saturday night is at least a sign of passive acceptance. Unfortunately these small steps forward are often overlooked due to the narrow minded ignorance of Thailand politicking for the greater good of the Thai bureaucracy

It seems the more things change the more they stay the same in Thailand.

Hitler’s Not So Triumphant Return

Talen — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:45:27 +0000

Photo courtesy AP

Not only has the Nazi regime reared it’s ugly head again in Thailand this time their leader is making an appearance as well.

Next month Louis Tussuad’s Waxworks is set to open in Pattaya and among the famous and infamous to be on display will be the likeness of Adolph Hitler. The wax Hitler will be on display in what is termed “the scary section” of the museum. The owners say it’s not meant to celebrate Hitler but to show the important historical figure in a horrible way.

Unfortunately the Thai’s never seem to get it right when it comes to the Nazi’s as can be seen in the above picture of a billboard erected on the main highway leading into Pattaya. The caption underneath the large image of Hitler reads ” Hitler is not dead”. Rightly so, this has upset and angered many German and Israeli tourists as well as their embassies who have asked that the tasteless billboard be taken down.

The museum operators have agreed to do away with the Hitler image and will be replacing the billboard with another historical figure to promote the grand opening in November. One can only wonder what they were thinking when they could have used other historical figures set to be on display such as Gandhi, Michael Jackson or martial arts legend Bruce Lee. Of course they wouldn’t have generated the publicity that Hitler has, and everyone knows that there is no such thing as bad publicity.

While I’m sure that the Hitler billboard was at least partially a stunt to garner interest and get people talking about the upcoming opening, there still remains a very real fascination in Thai culture with the Nazi’s and their symbolism. Just two years ago a Thai school put on a show that had students dressed in Nazi regalia complete with guns and swastika’s. After all was said and done many apologies were made and the teacher in charge of the event was let go. The school has since implemented holocaust lectures into it’s curriculum in a bid to promote understanding of the atrocities committed by the Nazi’s.

Photo’s courtesy AP

And still the fascination with Nazi’s continues. If you go to any market in Bangkok or Pattaya you’re bound to come across t-shirts and other Nazi paraphernalia for sale. I’ve never seen anyone actually buying any of it but just the fact that it is for sale suggests that there is a void being filled.

The Swastika is actually a very ancient and revered Buddhist symbol that Hitler usurped for his own purposes which tainted the symbol forever with it’s negative connotations.

I honestly think it’s more of a fashion statement than any kind of racism or direct affront to any nationality, but you would think that by the 21st century the people of the world would understand and appreciate the atrocities committed behind these symbols even if they weren’t directly impacted by it.

One can only hope that this infatuation with the Nazi’s will fade away into Thai history soon but I have a feeling this won’t be the last we hear from Hitler and his buddies in Thailand.

For a great look into the Asian fascination with the Nazi’s check out Sweet “Nazi Chic”: It Could Only Have Happened In Thailand? over at Absolutely Bangkok

Raw Footage Released of Phuket Jet Ski Scam-Gun Incident

Talen — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:00:38 +0000

[qt:http://thailandlandofsmiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/video.mp4 470 270]

So, after I made my post yesterday responding to Gavin Hill and Tim Wright a commenter by the name of Trustyswordoftruth commented on the article More Trouble for Big Trouble in Thailand and left a link. The link was to the raw footage of the gun incident that has been in question for well over a month.

This link goes to the Big Trouble in Thailand Youtube account that Gavin Hill has previously released raw footage to. So I can only assume that Gavin Hill or someone else related to the production of Big Trouble in Thailand is Trustyswordoftruth. Either way I’m not sure why the video was released because I believe it supports everything I have been saying all along.

The video clearly shows JJ laughing and acting in a joking manner with the marines as he brings out the rifle, The audio of JJ laughing is cut from the aired footage completely. The marines were never held at gunpoint as originally stated by Tim Wright previously, the rifle was always pointing at the ground. After the Rifle is put away JJ and the Marines are hanging out and talking about various things including motorcycles, t-shirts and Muay Thai.

Tim Wright was quoted in Camera director of ‘Big Trouble in Thailand’ makes ‘tactical withdrawal as saying:

The Thais are trying to say my men were not threatened or held at gunpoint. But by doing this they are questioning my integrity. I do not like my integrity being questioned especially by a two bit crook.

No marines can be heard as being shocked or upset at the situation, in fact they are as calm and reserved after the gun shows up as they were before. One marine can be heard asking JJ very calmly what sort of gun it is as JJ is walking back towards the house. The raw footage plays out nothing like the aired footage that you can watch below.

Clearly the marines were not in any way threatened by a gun and they didn’t react in any way that would show them as threatened. It’s amazing what a job those editors can do to make a joking situation into a harrowing ordeal.

While JJ may be a scammer and a thief I don’t think it’s right that he was arrested and charged with a felony based on bad footage cut in a way to make it seem more dramatic for reality TV. The producers of Big Trouble in Thailand shouldn’t feel good about it either.

If you compare the raw video footage above to the footage cut and aired on Bravo TV below I think you’ll find it’s not apples to apples but more like apples to water buffalo.

Watch both videos and come to your own conclusion. I stand behind everything I’ve had to say on this matter and I think I’ve backed it all up pretty well with the evidence given. What do you think?

Gun Scene starts at the 6:22 mark

Gavin Hill & Tim Wright Respond to Big Trouble in Thailand

Talen — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:55:49 +0000

Gavin Hill, the producer of the documentary Big Trouble in Thailand, and Tim Wright, the Royal British marine Police Sargent, have taken time to respond to my various points on the article More Trouble for Big Trouble in Thailand and I thought their comments deserved to be addressed in a post.

I’ve made no bones about the fact that I believe the jet ski incident in the first part of this documentary was at least partially staged. I have written numerous articles about the subject now and have dissected not only the aired footage but the raw footage released by Gavin Hill and have used this footage to back up the points I’ve made.

The biggest problem I had was the missing raw footage of JJ holding the British Royal Marines at Gunpoint. I have asked for the release of this footage 6 times. Gavin Hill stated twice he would release this footage but failed to do so leading me to believe that the gun incident was spliced in for dramatic effect and didn’t happen as portrayed.

I have chosen to respond to these comments as to keep it all out in the open and so there is no doubt as to what I am saying. These comments have not been edited in any way and can be found by following the link above to the article they were posted to.

Gavin Hill:

Hi Talen – sorry for the delay, just came across your reply.
I am unable to release the footage for copyright reasons and due to an active police investigation. If you listen again to the aired footage JJ does indeed tell me not to film. He says: “Don’t film”. Again, I ask you why he would make that request. And why at first was the gun concealed behind his back? What’s your theory? In reality, you say, it was a BB gun. Was it Talen? Now, are you sure? Quite the gunsmith you must be. I think, actually, the jury (of people who know one weapon from another) is out on that. But JJ is Thai so if he says it’s a BB gun then a BB gun it must be. Just as it’s 40,000 Baht plus to fix a broken jet ski. As one of the Marines later said – he wouldn’t want to be shot by the gun whatever type it was. Perhaps you wouldn’t mind inviting me over to your place for tea – you could even pull a gun on me … just for fun, mind you. But please let it be a BB gun and once we’ve had a laugh (mine more nervous than yours) you can remind me about the 40,000 Baht you’d like me to cough up. Have you been in a Thai jail? Quite obviously not. Yes, I’m sure you’re right that Marcus is thanking his lucky stars he wasn’t put out of his misery – 50 years and he’ll be free in any case. Walk in the park that. And you should know – being so very familiar with the precise detail of the legal arguments and knowing his case inside out like you do. I’d go easy on the mercy though Talen … mercy and humanity are wonderful things in a person but really you shouldn’t empathy for another man’s suffering get the better of you. And finally, BTIT wasn’t made for the TAT. It was made for a UK niche TV channel aimed at men aged between 18 and 34 in Britain. I happen to think it will be great for tourism, in much the same way that UK and US police shows are good for tourism … especially considering the target market and if the numerous positive comments left on You Tube are anything to go by. Have you watched the Thai TV news? Well, it’s a bit like watching car accidents. More bad things on Thai TV and in the newspapers than anything you will see on BTIT.

Gavin, I originally asked you to release the FULL raw footage of the jet ski incident over a month ago, well before any police involvement and before you had a problem with copyrights. You originally released most of the raw footage and followed up with another small clip after my last article on the subject was posted. You apparently didn’t have a problem with copyright before. Now you are using the guise of copyright and police investigations to make it seem as if your hands are tied. I think we both know you never had any intention of releasing the raw footage of JJ holding the Marines at gunpoint. Everyone else that has been following this knows this as well.

You are correct that JJ tells you not to film, but we aren’t positive of the context as we don’t know what happened before and audio was dubbed in just after. The audio at the end of that aired segment was dubbed in for dramatic effect. Something I proved some time ago. Again why wasn’t JJ arrested that day by the police? You had the film as evidence to show them right there and then. Why didn’t you?

As for my theory … well, here it is. I think you got JJ screwing around on film and thought it would be great to edit it in to the final cut in a way to make the scene much more dramatic. The raw footage of the incident was absolutely boring. You have made inaccurate statements about the scene being a rolling scene with no cuts and I think you are trying to cover your ass and that’s why we won’t see the raw footage. Simply, I don’t think you are credible.

I don’t need to be a gunsmith to tell you the gun JJ had was in fact a BB gun. The police have the gun in evidence, it is in fact the very same gun and is also in fact a BB gun. Why are you now trying to say it wasn’t a BB gun? If you are referring to the Marines as ” the jury of people that know one gun from another” then you really have a problem because quite honestly I doubt they know their left from their right. If they told you anything other than the fact that the gun in question was a BB gun then they should be relieved from duty immediately as a danger not only to the themselves but to the entire fleet as well.

As for the fourth episode which introduced us to Marcus and the drug dealing incident you refer to. No, I have not been in a Thai prison. In fact I never will be in a Thai prison because, unlike the drug dealing scum bag Marcus, I know that dealing drugs in Thailand is against the law and can carry the penalty of Death. And yes, he should be kissing the ground every day he wakes up because he is still alive, he should have received the death penalty. Sorry, I have no mercy nor empathy for scumbags of his ilk who prey on people and then pretend what they are doing is meaningless and not harmful. Seems you have enough empathy for him to cover the rest of us.

Gavin, for you to state that U.K and U.S police shows of this kind have been good for tourism in those respective countries is a laugh. Are you really serious with that statement? If you are I can easily see how you would believe that Big Trouble in Thailand is good for Thailand’s tourism industry. I’m sure the Thai Tourist Authority would thank you to please stop helping them.

The target audience of this documentary is exactly the tourist that Thailand doesn’t want or need coming to their country. They will be the ones most likely to be involved with the police. And while I agree that Thai television news is quite over the top and sensationalistic, it is at least real which is more than I can say for your production.

Tim Wright:

Talen

I have just found this site and as you seem to have taken an aversion to my methods let me put you in the picture about the incident, which I see Gavin Hill has already commented on.

I was called to the scene, one of numerous similar incidents I had been called to that week, and had been informed that a gun had been pulled on a group of Royal Marines by a local ‘business man’! It was not my intent on arrival at a scene to allow that weapon or any other to be drawn again. As for not calling the local police, they were there, I didn’t have to, my Thai colleagues had called them and they sat around doing nothing, just waiting for the money to be handed over and for us to leave. If the lad had not already made a deal with JJ, I would have removed them from the scene and told him to take him to court. He would not have done because he knew it was a scam.

This onging corruption and criminality spoils a beautiful country and a very generous and loving people. I saw many tourists being scammed by the jet ski hire people, it is something I would warn anybody visiting Thailand against doing, along with motorbike hire, drugs and ladyboys.

The whole visit to Phuket was marred for many of the young me and women I was policing by such scams, and it would be far more productive for you to try and remove that blight from your golden beaches than to insult law abiding tourists who bring much needed foreign currency to your country.

I am an honourable man and I would like an apology for your comments about me. To insult me as you have and caste doubts as to my character and professionalism deeply saddens me I can only hope you never fall foul of a similar con.

your aye

Tim

Mr. Wright,

I do think I owe you an apology but probably not for the reasons you would like. I think the way the film was edited and how the jet ski scene was portrayed left too many questions that were unanswered for too long resulting in you looking bad. Do you fault me for bringing up the obvious questions? Supposedly your men were held at gunpoint with what they believed to be a high powered rifle. At no time during the incident nor after the incident was this brought to either the attention of the Thai police or the British Royal Navy.

You’ve done a disservice to your men if what you and Gavin Hill say is true. You should have told the police when they arrived of JJ’s actions and had them arrest him on the spot. Gavin claims the incident happened exactly as aired so you had proof positive of JJ’s actions on film to show to the police immediately. Why wasn’t JJ arrested that day and why did the police not see this incident on film until after it aired on the Bravo channel? Forgive me if I seem just a little skeptical of your statements.

You say the gun incident was brought to your attention when you arrived but the raw footage released by Gavin belies that fact. And I find it wholly unbelievable that any British Marine, and yes, I know a few, would shake the hand of the man that held your men at gunpoint.

Mr. Hill did finally release raw footage showing the police were on site. You say the Thai police ” sat around doing nothing” just waiting for the money to change hands. Honestly what could they do when your Marine Mr. Tebbot admitted, not once but three times in the raw footage, to being involved in an accident. The police in America and Britain could do no more than what the Thai police did, listen to both sides. Your Marine agreed to pay the price and so did you. If in fact he didn’t create the damage you should have walked away and not payed. I highly doubt the Thai police would have stopped you. Even they know that dealing with another countries military is best not to be done.

I agree with you that there are many scams in such tourist destinations involving jet ski’s, drugs and motorcycles, although I believe not all ladyboys are bad just misunderstood. Unfortunately people don’t seem to research destinations they visit as much as they should. And even when warned properly they still ignore the reality such as your young Marines who you yourself warned repeatedly.

I would love nothing more than to see those scams removed from the beaches of Thailand and with them the law abiding tourists that aren’t smart enough to figure it out even when they’ve been warned repeatedly by those around them as to the danger. Unfortunately wherever you find tourists you’ll find the scams, even in Great Britain and America. In most cases forewarned is forearmed.

I think this is where I will leave it for now. As I said before I don’t see any other raw footage ever being released and what was released was taken down apparently due to copyright concerns, although I’m sure it didn’t help that I used that same footage to prove all of my points beyond a reasonable doubt.

There is no such thing as reality television. Real life, even for those with more adventurous jobs such as policeman, is pretty much a mundane affair. Because of this and the fact that everyone involved knows there are cameras around things become blurred and much less real than they are portrayed.

Believe only half of what you see and nothing that you hear.

More Trouble for Big Trouble in Thailand Documentary

Talen — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:10:07 +0000

Update: September 23. Gavin Hill has removed all the raw footage he placed on YouTube concerning the Big Trouble in Thailand Documentary. I referenced those videos in this post as well as all the other posts I have made on this subject. If you Try to play them now you get a message stating that the video is now Private.

This past week Thai authorities have claimed that Black Sheep Productions, the production company that filmed what would become the documentary Big Trouble in Thailand, have run afoul of two articles of the Thailand Motion Picture Law.

Specifically they are being accused of violating articles 34 and 23 of the motion picture law. Article 34 pertains to showing the Thai Tourism and Sports Ministry film committee the film before airing it abroad . Article 23 of the motion picture law states that no film can be produced that tarnishes the image of Thailand.

Black sheep productions, headed by Gavin Hill, face 1 million baht fines and a year in jail for each of the production crew that took part in the documentary Big Trouble in Thailand.

The Thai authorities believe that the jet ski incident that happened in part one of the documentary was staged and while they believe the entire film tarnishes the image of Thailand, the jet ski incident is the main issue.

I have asked several times now for the full complete raw footage of the jet ski incident to be released. To date all the raw footage except the crucial raw footage of JJ supposedly holding the British Royal Marines at gunpoint has been released. Why hasn’t Gavin Hill released this footage if, as he claims, it isn’t staged?

Well, one reason might be due to the Thai authorities accusing him of breaking the motion picture laws. The other reason might be because he was too busy fleeing Thailand or as he put it ” Making a tactical withdraw” while his Thai film crew takes the heat.

I’ve gone over the aired first episode dozens of times as well as all the released raw footage of the jet ski incident and you can see what I found in Phuket Jet Ski Operator Blames Film Makers. There was clear evidence of manipulation to the aired segments audio and video. Gavin Hill admits that the editors in Britain moved audio around for dramatic effect but still maintains that there were no cuts in the video.

There is no cut between JJ emerging with the gun, hidden behind his back and approaching the Marines, during which time I’m focused on the gun.

Gavin keeps claiming that the scene with the rifle is a rolling shot with no cuts. You be the judge. Below is the original aired footage. At the 6:31 mark the camera cuts from JJ to the Marines and then Back to JJ. This was not a rolling shot.

You can see more on this including statements made by journalist Andrew Drummond on Gavin Hills behalf in the comments section of Phucket Jet Ski Operator Blames Film Makers.

Apparently now Gavin Hill is making claims that the Royal Marine, Jack Tebbott, who was involved in the jet ski scene, was kidnapped by Thai tattooed mafia figures. After watching the aired scene and all the raw footage that was released I can only say someone has an active imagination. The raw footage Speaks for itself and you can see it all here and on Gavin Hill’s YouTube . Would you casually chat with the cameraman/producer if you were in a kidnap situation? I didn’t think so.

If this was truly a kidnap situation then clearly it was more important to Gavin Hill to get the film footage then to place a call to the Thai police. Why wasn’t Royal Marine Police Sergeant Tim Wright upset about the kidnapping of a Royal Marine, and why didn’t he involve the Thai police? Marines were held at gunpoint, right? Surely A Royal British Navy Police Sergeant would see that as an incident worthy of filing a complaint with the Thai authorities. Wouldn’t military protocol demand it?

Royal Marine Police Sergeant Tim Wright:

The Thais are trying to say my men were not threatened or held at gunpoint. But by doing this they are questioning my integrity. I do not like my integrity being questioned especially by a two bit crook.

They aren’t the only ones questioning your integrity Mr. Wright. The incident should have been reported and yet somehow that slipped your mind during your film premiere. Or doesn’t holding your men at gunpoint warrant investigation by both Thai and British authorities?

As well as not seeming to be kidnapped our young Royal Marine also accepts fault himself in the raw footage by saying he did indeed get into an accident with another jet ski before back tracking and not remembering. Don’t take my word for it, listen to what Mr. Tebbott has to say in the below raw footage from the 5:01 mark to the 5:15 mark.

Basically I was out on the jet ski this morning and uh apparently it we got uh um one of them hit me when I was out there but I can’t really remember it myself

Then at the the 5:30 mark he admits:

We did crash

The more I review footage and write about this incident the more shady this production seems. I have no doubt that JJ is a scam artist but I don’t think he was the only one involved with this production. My guess is that it is highly unlikely now that we will ever see the raw footage of the gun incident from the first part of Big Trouble in Thailand. What has been said about the incident to this day by those involved rings untrue and the raw and aired footage backs that up.

Gavin Hill may stand behind his film but I would say he is on shaky ground. The fact that he has left his Thai production crew behind to face the consequences of his actions speaks volumes. Yes, the Thai motion picture laws are ludicrous but if you truly believe in what you have produced you would stand behind your work, and more importantly stand behind your crew.

For a different view of this story you can read more over at Andrew Drummonds blog Camera director of ‘Big Trouble in Thailand’ makes ‘tactical withdrawal’

Thai Authorities Upset with Documentary

Talen — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:41:02 +0000

Thai authorities are finally speaking up well over a week after the first airing of Big Trouble in Thailand on the Bravo channel in Britain. While there has been a huge buzz on the internet by those who write about or talk about Thailand there has been little to no interest outside those circles. Apparently only 113,000 viewers even saw the first episode on the Bravo channel.

While the internet Thailand community discussed and scrutinized the footage for it’s reality TV feel and possible staged events, the Thai authorities have taken it to a new level. Some Thai Authorities are claiming that the video footage was made solely to damage Thailand’s tourism industry. Phuket governor Wichai Praisa-ngob went as far to say that the footage might have been made by someone that stood to benefit from Thailand tourism getting worse.

While I agree that the documentary is nothing more than sensational reality TV crap I hardly think anyone was looking to torpedo Thailand tourism.

Pol Lt Gen Santhan claims that the way the footage was edited suggested a set up. The Jet Ski incident clearly looked staged but the release of some of the raw footage clears up some of the awful editing done to make the show seem more intense and gritty. Although we’re still awaiting the release of the raw footage pertaining to the gun. You can read more about this in Phucket Jet Ski Operator Blames Film Makers & I apologise to the Thai people but blame the film-makers – JJ (updated).

Pol Lt Gen Santhan also claimed that the documentary had been edited to tarnish Thailand’s image as well as the image of the Tourist police. While I agree that the editing was awful and sensationalistic, I don’t think the intent was to tarnish Thailand but to draw in young viewers for what they hoped was a cool new cop show.

One would hope that the Thai authorities would see this program as an opportunity to clean up some of the problems they have in the tourist industry such as the jet ski scams. While Phuket governor Wichai Praisa-ngob is cracking down on jet ski operators in Phuket by demanding that they self insure, I have yet to hear of any other beach province taking such measures.

While authorities should be taking this time to look into the real problems facing the tourist industry they are too busy stomping their feet and looking to investigate those involved in the production. They should leave the investigations to the online Thailand community because it’s been doing quite well in that regard. Eventually the dust will settle down and the documentary will be old news, Lets hope the same can be said for the scams and payoffs that plague Thailand’s tourist industry.

With the economy still down and the tourist industry bleeding the documentary couldn’t have come at a worse time for Thailand. Luckily the majority of viewers were people already interested in Thailand who were watching to see the place they miss or love. The show itself won’t take off anyway with leading men like Howard Miller in the new Kojak role, but I do have to say it has a chance if Tourist police volunteer Noi gets into more action…she’s a cutie.

Phucket Jet Ski Operator Blames Film Makers

Talen — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:47:28 +0000

JJ, the notorious Phuket jet ski operator who was filmed for the Bravo documentary Big Trouble in Thailand, has made a statement on Channel 3 apologizing for disappointing Thailand. At the same time he claims that the producers of that documentary set him up because the scene involving the gun was filmed separately.

The producer Gavin Hill stands behind the aired version of the documentary and swears the gun was part and parcel of the scene. Gavin released the raw footage of the jet ski incident last week and curiously the whole scenario played out uncut and there was no gun present. Did he just forget to release the raw footage of the most important part?

Andrew Drummond posted today on his blog I apologise to the Thai people but blame the film-makers – JJ, where Gavin Hill is quoted as saying:

I do have problems with the way this show is being put together but the gun incident is quite clear. It is a rolling shot, there are no cuts except when JJ tells me to stop filming.

This statement is false on it’s face as there is a clear cut in the original documentary when JJ goes to get his gun. If you watch the raw footage at the end of this post you can see exactly where the cut happens when compared with the final cut of the documentary. As a matter of fact the raw footage shows JJ getting along with all of the marines in the raw footage that the gun scene is cut into.

Even more troubling are the audio cuts that accompany the scene. At the 6:40 mark of the original documentary you clearly hear a marine say ” Sorry mate, Sorry” during the gun scene and if you watch part 4 of the raw footage at the 2:21 mark you hear the same exact “Sorry mate, sorry” that was from a different scene. It’s the same exact audio dubbed in to the final cut to make the scene seem more intense. Also watch the expression on JJ’s face as he comes out with the gun, he’s smiling which seems odd given the circumstances.

Original Documentary: At the 6:40 mark you hear the audio dub “Sorry mate, sorry”

Raw Footage: at the 2:21 mark you can hear the same exact “Sorry mate, Sorry” used in the final cut

The raw footage was clearly manipulated during editing to make the scene look and feel more dangerous. The raw footage released so far doesn’t include the gun scene so apparently there is more raw footage that needs to be released.

Don’t get me wrong here, JJ is most likely guilty of perpetrating jet ski scams on tourists and if he is found guilty of that then hopefully the full weight of the law will be brought to bear on him. But, if the editors of this documentary have edited in such a way to make JJ look like he is guilty of pulling a gun on innocent tourists then who is the criminal?

I think it’s time all the raw footage of the incident is released so there is no question as to what happened. How about it Gavin?

All the raw footage of the Jet Ski incident released to date:

The above video is all of the footage surrounding the gun scene which is absent. The gun scene was clearly cut into this footage.

Fallout From Big Trouble in Thailand Documentary

Talen — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 01:10:30 +0000

Photo Courtesy Phucket Wan

Since the airing of the first episode of the documentary filmed for the Bravo Television channel in the U.K there has been a lot of discussion across Thailand blogs, forums, Thailand news and in Thailand itself.

There seemed to be a even divide amongst watchers as to whether or not parts of the documentary were staged. The Thai police have had a viewing of the first episode and promptly arrested Winai Naiman ( JJ ),the jet ski operator that appeared to have threatened Royal Navy personnel with a rifle. The rifle has since been discovered to be a BB gun.

The scene involving the jet ski incident has drawn the most commentary due to the fact that it happened at the jet ski owners house/boat yard instead of on the beach. The Royal Navy Police officer who decided to go it alone instead of involving the Thai authorities, which one would think is proper protocol, added to the debate.

One good thing that has come of this is that Thai authorities seem to be cracking down on the jet ski operators and the scams they perpetrate on the tourist community.

The Governor of Phucket, Wichai Praisa-nob, has also responded stating:

Jet-skis are allowed to operate as a sport in Patong, not as a business. Unless this kind of activity stops, we will ban them all.

At a meeting with Phucket’s jet ski operators yesterday at Patong Municipal offices the governor told the assembly that they will all be required to have their jet ski’s insured for damage at their expense. Hopefully this will filter throughout Thailand’s beach destinations and the scams will stop for good. Although I’m sure the more industrious operators will find new scams to employ.

Good or bad the documentary has received a lot of press recently and we all know there is no such thing as bad press. You can be assured the next installment of the 8 episode documentary will be very heavily watched.

The Producer/Director of the Documentary, Gavin Hill, has also responded on a few blogs to clear up what he believes are misconceptions about the documentary as well as stating that no scenes were staged.

Gavin Hill also went as far to say that he will release all the raw footage of the jet ski incident to show it wasn’t staged. He has since released the raw footage of the incident, while it does make the incident more believable it still doesn’t answer the question of how this came to take place at the boat yard of the business owner which is reported to be 10 minutes away from the beach.

There is the possibility that JJ somehow talked the young marine into going back to the boat yard to get an estimate which would make this just a very foolish mistake on the Marine’s part. As an interesting aside if you watch the raw footage from JJMarines 2 at the 5:30 mark the marine admits to crashing into another jet ski but then quickly doesn’t remember crashing. Apparently his friends also left him on the beach to deal with this alone.

The one troubling aspect of the original footage where JJ gets a rifle out is oddly absent from the raw footage and seems like it may not have been part of the confrontation but spliced in to look as it was. Hopefully that isn’t the case and more raw footage is forthcoming that explains the rifle. The jet ski operator, JJ, has been arrested and charged due to the rifle scene in the documentary.

Gavin Hill’s full statement can be read here: From the Producer/Director of Big Trouble in Thailand

The first episode of the 8 part documentary can be seen in the video gallery.

Thailand’s Tourist Police Volunteers

Talen — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:05:48 +0000

In my previous post, Big Trouble in Thailand?, I related my opinions on a scene involving the Pattaya Tourist Police Volunteers in the British Documentary Big Trouble in Thailand, which was aired on Bravo TV.

Mr. Howard Miller who is the head of the Pattaya Tourist Police Volunteers responded to my post and I thought I should further clarify some misconceptions about the Tourist Police and it’s volunteers as well as give some further opinions on this matter.

I believe that the volunteer tourist police perform a vital function in regards to helping to assist tourists who have found themselves in need of assistance in Thailand. I respect the fact that these volunteers give of their free time to perform these duties, and likewise I think over all they provide a much needed service.

The tourist police volunteers are there to assist the regular tourist police in aiding tourists who have had a problem with a merchant, a Thai national and or any manner of crimes they may have committed or had committed against them. Assisting the police can come in many forms from playing the role of interpreter to simply calming down a distraught individual and giving them a degree of comfort that they are not alone when dealing with the Thai authorities.

The problems start to arise when there is no clear line drawn and the perception becomes that the tourist police volunteers are actual police. Mr. Howard Miller will tell you himself and he has stated on this blog that he is not a police officer and I don’t have any qualms with Mr. Miller or any member of the tourist police volunteers in that regard.

While the tourist police volunteers will tell you they are not regular police their dress and demeanor often belie that fact. They dress in police like uniform, They wear the embroidered badge of the tourist police, they wear the medals and insignia of the regular tourist police as well as don hand cuffs and batons as the regular Thai tourist police do. These items are not provided by the Royal Tourist Police but purchased by the volunteers themselves.

The tourist police volunteers are a constant presence in Thailand’s popular tourist destinations. On one hand it gives you the reassurance that they are there and ready to help if you should need it but on the other hand you get the impression that they are acting like real police . The addition of the para military style uniform and wearing of handcuffs and batons infers that they have the authority to to arrest, detain and or subdue you. The tourist police volunteers do not have this authority at all as per Thai law or per the Royal Thai Tourist Police.

As per the Royal Tourist police website application:

1. Volunteers clearly understands that this program is purely volunteer, no payment in kind or cash for contribution what-so-ever
2. TPD will not be held responsible for any loses or accidents during volunteer work
3. Volunteer must pass probabtion period of 3 months to be fully endorsed as a TPD assistant
4. Volunteers understand that being a volunteer is to assist the work of a police officer and not act on behalf of a police officer
5. Volunteers should not be involved in activities such as arrests, interrogations, investigations or inspections.

The below video was taken in March of this year by a gentleman filming on walking street. While I don’t believe the video is as bad as some would suggest I do think it illustrates that the Tourist Police volunteers in Pattaya act as if they have authority that they clearly do not have. The tourist police in this situation had no authority to stop this man, question this man and or tell this man that he had to ask before filming on walking street.

A month before this incident the Tourist police volunteer identified as Mr. Harrison in the above video, who was out of uniform, was involved in an altercation on beach road while off duty. Mr. Harrison saw an arguement happening between Thai nationals and tried to intervene. Apparently 2 ladyboys were trying to close a deal with a tourist for sexual services when a Thai woman told the tourist that they were in fact men. At this point an arguement ensued between the ladyboys and the Thai woman.

As the arguement became more heated Mr. Harrison, who was walking by, stepped in to break up the fight. Mr. Harrison pulled out a can of pepper spray and used it on one of the individuals. Mr. Harrison was off duty and out of uniform at the time. He was called to the police station later that night to give his statement. While his intentions may have been good in helping to diffuse an arguement his actions were not in line with his duties as a Tourist Police Volunteer. An off duty volunteer at that.

This incident and others like it have called into question the role Tourist police volunteers provide in helping to assist the Royal Thailand Tourist Police in their mission of helping tourists and promoting Thailand tourism.

While I think there is a place for the tourist police volunteers they need to be identified clearly as volunteer personnel, which means having a look that is distinguished as different from actual Thai tourist police officers. They should not be allowed to dress in uniforms or carry handcuffs and batons which they are not legally allowed to use.

The biggest problem with this program is that there is no iron clad set of standards enforced from city to city in regards to the Tourist police volunteers. Each departments mission statement reads differently. For example:

In Chiang Mai Lieutenant Col. Nattawut Chotikanjanawat, inspector of the Chiang Mai Tourist Police states in an interview with the Nation:

These volunteers are not here to fight crime. They are here to serve as an intermediary between tourists and the Thai culture and police. They translate between various languages and Thai, they teach our tourist police to speak English, they tell tourists where to find certain things, or what to do under various situations.

While the Phuket branch of the tourist police volunteers defines the role of their volunteers as:

FUNCTION & RESPONSIBILITY

Functions and responsibilities of the Tourist Police Division are as follows:

To suppress and to protect criminal problems affecting international tourists.

To facilitate and to provide both Thai and international tourists with the security and protection of their interests.

To promote the Thai tourism industry.

To join with or to support any activities of the authorities concerned.

The duty of the Tourist Police is to help and care for tourists throughout Thailand. We would like you to enjoy your trip in the Land of Smiles. We can advise tourists about how to take care of themselves, as well as alerting them to some common problems that they should be aware of when travelling in Thailand.

And then back in 2005 we have a Stickman Bangkok interview with an Australian Tourist police volunteer who states:

Stickman: What are the roles of the farang tourist police? Just how much power do the farang tourist police volunteers have? Can you arrest people? Can you detain people? Are you equipped with equipment or weapons of any kind?

Volunteer: We are regulated by a long list of rules. We can arrest anyone. We can detain an offender (like a ladyboy who steals the wallet from a farang and wants to run off) until a regular cop turns up. We need to speak at least a reasonable amount of Thai. We cannot carry firearms, but we do carry handcuffs, a baton and a radio, as well as some of us who are first aid officers and carry medical kits.

Remember, the official line from the tourist police themselves in the the application for becoming a tourist police volunteer states:

5. Volunteers should not be involved in activities such as arrests, interrogations, investigations or inspections.

There needs to be a clearly defined role for the volunteer tourist police assistants throughout all of Thailand and they should have a clearly defined mission statement that explains exactly in what capacity they are acting when the are wearing the badge of the tourist police.

I think in the majority of cases the Thai Tourist Police Volunteers perform a much needed service and should be applauded for their work. Even so I believe they would be doing themselves and Thailand a huge favor if they dressed more appropriately to their role as assistants to the Royal Thai Tourist Police. Handcuffs and batons should give way to notepads and flashlights and the para military style uniforms should be orange vests with tourist police emblems. Not only would they become more visible to tourists they would also be much more inviting to a tourist who may feel threatened at the time of contact.

For another view of the Tourist Police Volunteer program please read this article published by the Bangkok Post:

Farang “squad” a force to be reckoned with

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