Bangkok Duty Free Scam...

True or not..

Subject: Customs and Duty-Free at the airports..

Unbelievable, but please apply caution.

All those who travel a lot, please be very, very careful. Read ahead...

An Indian was detained in Bangkok for stealing a box of cigarettes in a
duty-free shop in Bangkok International Airport. He had paid for chocolates
and a carton of cigarettes. The cashier put a packet of cigarettes extra
into his bag and he thought it was a free pack. He was arrested for
shop-lifting and the Thai Police extortion price was 30,000 Baht for his
release. He spent two nights in jail and paid 500 Baht for an
air-conditioned cell, 200-300 baht for each visitor, and 11,000 baht for
his final release. The Police shared the money in front of his eyes. On top
of that, he was charged in court and fined 2,000 baht by the magistrate and
handcuffed and escorted to his plane. His passport was stamped "Thief".
While there, his relatives requested help from the Indian Embassy and was
told that they are helpless, many Asians are victimised similarly daily and
letters and phone-calls to the Thai authorities are ignored. He shared a
cell with a
Singaporean the first night who paid 60,000 baht for his release. The
second night was a Malaysian national who paid 70,000 baht.

Mind you this was not in a shanty shop in downtown Bangkok but in a duty
free shop at the Bangkok Int'l Airport. BE WARNED. The above 100% correct
information because Mr.Rajan Khera's customer from India faced exactly the
same scenario mentioned above when he was in transit at Bangkok Int'l
Airport coming to Taipei.

Someone who went through the same ordeal in Dubai. He bought stuff at the
Duty Free upon entering. The girl at Duty Free put a bottle of cologne in
his shopping bag (he did not even see it happen). He was arrested for
stealing ( this is before he even picked up his luggage ). He sat at the
airport jail (where he was harassed for the whole day. (NO FOOD, NO WATER)
for one day and only after he paid a fine (bribe of US 500..). That is all
the cash he had in his pocket at the time. They let him go. These are scams
that are happening all over the place. Please BE CAREFUL! All of this is
pre-planned and the people who work at the airport know who to target.