Thai Mafia!!!!

[del boy]

I've just read the post from 'loveyoulongtime' on the Koh Samui section on this forum regarding a chap called Korn, who from his post, has terrified the whole island for years. I have got no reason to believe that this is true either way, is he lying or telling the truth???? The jury is still out for me, but I am taking this post with a huge pinch of salt!

http://www.phuket-info.com/forums/ko...-solo-bar.html

According to him, the whole island was scared of Korn, including the whole of the Samui Police Force. True or not? Either way it made me think back to an experience for me when I was in Patong in November. One night, I was quite happily sitting with a BG in a bar on one of the soi's off Bangla. I was drunk pretty early on! Still I continued to drink more and smoke like a trooper and play all the usual games as you do! Then one of the local boys in brown sat down on a stool right next to me for a while, drinking and smoking away. It did kind of make me feel a little bit uneasy in all honesty. I was tempted to try and strike up a conversation with this guy and maybe get some photo's with a thai copper for my holiday photo album!!! But he never seemed approachable and I think that a smile from him might have killed him! I dont know for certain, but taking into account his apparent age and his uniform decorated with more badges than I could even hope to count, I guessed that he was quite high in rank here in Phuket.

Anyway, he drank up and left not long after. And I felt a lot more relaxed for it when I didn't have a thai copper sitting two feet away from me! So I continued to drink along well into the night. At about 3am, I suddenly realised and was curious to the fact that the bar I was in was alive and kicking when every other bar on that soi had closed a long time ago. Curious, I asked my BG why? Her reply was along the lines of "My boss, big thai mafia boss. Police scared of him!"

Now, as I'm from the UK, police corruption here (in my perception) is pretty much impossible and none existant. Sure, I'm certain that their are some bent coppers out there that can be bribed individually. But compare that on a scale to here, where maybe a whole local police force can be bought off and SCARED of the local gangsters! Well here in the UK, that situation is inconceivable. Of course, I know that the UK is a long established stable democray, as many countries in the 'western world' are. Thailand is not. But neither is it a poor struggling, third world state, but maybe somewhere in between? That said, the Thai government and Police have a hardened reputation as being tough amd uncomprimising. So i kind of find it hard to believe that a whole state such as Thailand could be intimidated by any gang within its borders.

I guess that my point to this post is to try and understand how powerful the mafia in Thailand really is. I think that this is a question that maybe the long term established ex-pats here can answer best!

[stevem]

The "mafia" has been stronger and more visible in Samui then Patong for quite awhile. It come in various forms, like the tuk tuk mafia. All big nightlife venues like discoes and even agogo's pay the police for different levels of "look the other way". Then you have the businesses which are actually owned by these "mafia" and the police, totally different. Ask yourself, how come some businesses can stay open well past the legal closing time.

Its a fact of doing business there

[fun2have]

the thai mafia is ingrained in thai culture and will always be.
the mafia generally only deals in the same industries as the same type of people do in the west.

on seeing some trouble in phuket about a group of farangs not paying a simple bar bill and the attendence of the patong mafia, dont mess with these men.

generally they have identifying tattoos or a charm or amulet of some type which denotes their membership.

in the country side the thai mafia is a strong under current at the lower end of the social scale.

just watch the stories on thai politics at election time and see the number of influential people who become involved in unsavoury instances.

thailand has no shortage of "hooligans for hire".

[LivinLOS]

Originally Posted by fun2have

generally they have identifying tattoos or a charm or amulet of some type which denotes their membership.

I know of no outward symbols like that and have met and drank with a few connected people.. The Islands locals (born and bred) tend to know each other and stay connected that way.. wifey1 was a local girl so we did the visits to coppers she knew and others bearing whisky..

Mafia to me means organised crime.. Controlling usually core biz of drugs and women, armed robbery and that kind of stuff is often connected but more often borne of desperation and crackpot plans than real established crimals would involve in due to the high risks involved.

Out here its not so like that IMHO.. 'Mafia' is a term adopted for hood and thugs, street gangs and associated enforcers.. I dont really see how you can rank taxi drivers as major crime figures..

Also I dont feel the police are genuinely afraid of any elements, they know who each other are, they steer out of each others way.. Theres a you scratch my back I scratch yours system of tit for tat and of course payoffs.. Even the bars owned by 'persons of influence' pay the police structure the going rate for an easy life..

[steve@thaib]

Good post LIL, that's pretty much the way I've understood it over the years.

I don't think the word 'mafia' means quite the same in Thailand as it does in farangland, and I can't imagine Thai policemen being scared of anyone.

[fun2have]

i have visited 2 provincial thai prisons, (nakhon sawan and kampaengphet) with prisons staff.

i was taken to an exercise yard where several inmates were demonstrated to me.

at kampaenphet, my guide pointed out corresponding tattoos on the chests of several of these men.

these tattoos, about 4 cm by 2 cm were above the left nipple and were of a tree and the words family.

the significance of the tree was to show the gang was forever making new growth and getting bigger.

i asked if these were jail design tattoos as similar practice all over the world or to signify group membership or to siginify sentances at that prison.

these chest tattoos were mixed in with various religious tattoos on the men, and only easily identifiable if the viewer was aware of their meaning.

it was explained that these tattoos were the signature mark of belonging to a group loyalty of criminal organisation.

This group was based in the Chiang Mai area and these men were in kampaengphet to remove or reduce their capacity to manipulate prison staff in their local provincial prison.

this group of men 5 in total,were connected with drugs and people trafficking.

these were described to me as very ruthless and dangerous men, operating in a very nasty world.

[steve@thaib]

Interesting post. I guess the drugs thing is a lot stronger up there though? Golden Triangle and all that? They would be more organised.

I think the point is that if everyone who we are told is 'mafia' was actually part of one organised gang they could quite possibly be big enough to invade Burma.

[fun2have]

i have had people described to me as "mafia" in both patong and in other parts of thailand.

i think yes in patong you have "connected people" and i dont think they are "mafia" as such, but people with influence among certain industries.

organised crime exists in thailand, but they operate in a world, we as farangs and law abiding people usually never encounter.

it is the same in the west, unless you are directly involved with these people you never really know of these groups.

if you are not involved with police, prisons or judiciary, most peoples knowledge is very limited of criminal groups.

[stevem]

Maybe the word "mafia" isnt used in the same context that is expected in the west, but believe me, there is some form of organised, well lets just say underworld.

[LivinLOS]

Its where the yaba comes through often also...

Interesting and new to me.. I dont think any of the local 'mafia' have these designs but will ask when I next drink woth someone about it as I am genuinely curious..

I also hear Nakon Si Tammart has the dubious honour of being the hitman capital of Thailand.. I have not worked out why but its well known.. have Even jokes with Nakkon origionating BG's and its instantly understood and gets the 'who tell you.. how you know' type joking..

One thing on tattoos is there is also 'protection' tattoos and protective amulets that are not specific 'mafia' items but I guess if your wearing an amulet to pretect you from getting shot you have to have a reason to want to wear it.. A lot of the 'protective' tattoos are done by monks in specific wats with certain monks and certain wats having pecking order in the power of the tattoo's hoodoo..

[fun2have]

in my gfs village a young man came to my gfs house, and gave the prospective father-in law a very respectful wai.

the young man had just returned from a year in the south with the thai army.

he and my gf's father entered into a long lao conversation and there was genuine joy in their faces.

the young man gave my gf's father a little icon.

apparently this icon was given to soldiers serving in the south to help keep them safe.

the gf's father was so overjoyed to recieve this item he cried as he knew that this was a powerful icon, and he had always carried a similar icon with him in his duty as a policeman and harm had never happened to him.

my gf's father, 2 uncles and brother in law(policemen, a family trade i think) all have similar bhudda tattoos on their chest.

i think maybe after the wedding, i maybe once accepted at the local wat, will get the same, it seems to work.

[the bigboy]

Originally Posted by stevem

Maybe the word "mafia" isnt used in the same context that is expected in the west, but believe me, there is some form of organised, well lets just say underworld.

let's call them boyscouts