It's a shocking story. I thought people were entitled to feel safe in an international Airport. Will be flying into BKK this weekend but will be going nowhere near any of the shops.
Now the danish embassy also warns agains the King Power/police scam:
It is in danish but is a warning about a danish woman that had to pay 65000 DKK(11000 USD) to police because she showed a lipstick to a friend. Maybe she took the lipstick across the shop border. It is not quite clear
Here is a google translation:
Danes warned against airport police in Bangkok
Published 20.07.09 kl. 14:01 (GMT+1)
Be careful if you shop in stores in the international airport in Bangkok. You risk being arrested and charged of corruption of Thai airport officials.
That is the warning from the Danish Embassy in Bangkok, who knows a young Danish woman who recently had problems at the airport.
"Be careful with the stores where there is open space, and it seems that you can freely move around," says Mads Beyer, who is deputy head of the embassy in Bangkok, to DR News.
Claims for money
He says that the woman had taken a mascara or lipstick, and would show it to a fellow passager, who was just nearby. Without knowing it the unfortunate woman crossed a shop invisible border and was snatched by the police.
"The police who carried out the arrest, and a translator seemed very aggressive and let know that they must have a lot of money to help," says Mads Beyer, adding that the police clearly expresses that it can be a lengthy and difficult process if you do not choose to pay, says deputy head of DR News.
The embassy does not want to give details about the case, but according to BBC News has more visitors every month problems with the police at the airport.
Two British passengers were among others threatened that they would be thrown directly in the notorious Bangkok Hilton prison, where they had to wait two months before the case was handled, if they did not pay 65,000 kroner to the police and an interpreter to get " help "in this case ..
Woman convicted of shoplifting
The Danish woman who was taken with makeup in hand, was convicted of shoplifting.
The embassy does not want to say hviken punishment she received, but Mads Beyer says that the typical punishment is a fine of 300-400 Danish kroner, and that it could two years of conditional imprisonment.
Beyer urges people first and foremost to take care not to cross a border store with something in his hand. Will is taken, the tourists refuse to give in to threats from the police, whose officers require bribes.
- If people in trouble, it would be a good idea to contact the embassy. We are available to help when there are unpleasant things, "says Mads Beyer.
- I can not guarantee that you do not get an unpleasant experience and a fright. But we are in a legal community, which ceteris paribus will have a trial. And we urge them to not be true to help to contact his embassy.
The Danish Embassy will now make contact with embassies from other EU countries to see how big the problem is and what we might do about it
Source (in Danish language)
Earlier story: British Couple Fights Bangkok Airport Extortionists
Two tourists were held by an airport gang until they paid up £8,000: