Extortion scam at Bangkok airport puts Thailand in poor light
An alleged extortion scam targeting foreign travellers shopping at duty-free shops in Bangkok’s international airport has turned up the heat on the Thai authorities.
Several European tourists say they were falsely accused of shoplifting at the Thai capital’s main airport and some recount being taken to seedy motels where they were shaken down for thousands of dollars by a shady middleman.
In most instances, the victims claimed they were accused of shoplifting or theft, arrested and then made to part with a substantial sum of money to secure their release. Central to the scam is a man who helps mediate between the accused and the police – for a fee.
A British couple paid the equivalent of $11,000 to secure their release five days after being accused of stealing a Givenchy wallet that was never found, say police, who along with airport authorities deny any wrongdoing.
Britain, Denmark and Ireland have issued advisories warning their citizens to be on their guard. The Thai government has vowed a crackdown at Bangkok’s scandal-plagued Suvarnabhumi Airport, which has barely recovered from last year’s public relations disaster when anti-government protesters shut it for a week and stranded 300,000 visitors.
Allegations of the scam surfaced about two months ago in e-mails circulating among travellers which then found their way onto travel websites and blogs.