Pot-Smoking Backpackers Fined 500 Euro in Laos

prahocalypse now · Post by **prahocalypse now** » Thu Jul 19, 2018 11:53 am

From facebook:

‎David Jessop‎
to
Vientiane Social

REQUEST FOR ADVICE: I am asking this because my European backpacker friend is very worried: Despite normally being an intelligent person, he made a very dumb decision and a few days ago was sitting in a hostel public area in Vang Vieng with a group of other farang backpackers smoking marijuana. The police came (surprise!) and took all these backpackers down to the police station with their passports and made threats to harm them to get them to sign a confession; one cop even punched one of the other guilty parties in the face while handcuffed and broke his nose because he wouldn’t sign the confession. Finally, all of them signed the confession and paid a 500 EUR bribe and got their passports back and left the police station totally free with no more threats.
Now I am assuming that the problem is done with; the police got their money and that’s what they were looking for and done. BUT my friend is very worried that when he reaches the border or airport he will be arrested or he will have an international criminal record and won’t be able to get a visa to Vietnam. I think he is overly concerned but told him I would post here to ask others. Any ideas? Thanks for any ideas.

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hanno · Post by **hanno** » Thu Jul 19, 2018 12:03 pm

They got off cheap, I have heard of the Laos coppers extorting lots more than that.

Heng Heng Heng · Post by **Heng Heng Heng** » Thu Jul 19, 2018 12:24 pm

He wasn't convicted in a court of law, so he wouldn't have to worry about a criminal record or his ability to travel across international borders. Your friend's buddy shouldn't have been a smartass, he was dumb enough to be caught smoking dope in public, he should have confessed, and taken his punishment without wingeing and thus saved a broken nose. Anyway it was character building and a healthy reminder that he was not traveling in some liberal democracy but was a long way from home. Court adjourned.

fax · Post by **fax** » Thu Jul 19, 2018 12:41 pm

Who would’ve thought corrupt cops are prone to breaking the law?

Remember the murder on the Vientiane airport? Stop fucking around and pay as told.

https://globalnews.ca/news/2320536/time ... nara-pech/

Yobbo · Post by **Yobbo** » Thu Jul 19, 2018 1:37 pm

I was in Vientiane in December & was offered heroin & pot within 20 minutes walking down riverside.
I took the tuk tuk driver up on his offer for some smoko & headed straight into the market to get lost in the crowd. Being a bit paranoid & cold i thought that i would buy a jacket & cover up my Cambodia t shirt displaying a picture of Angkor Wat knowing that i stood out like dogs balls in case of a setup, just my luck that i couldn't find any clothes big enough!
Speaking with an expat later that night who had also spent a lot of time in Cambodia, he said that i have to be a lot more discrete in Laos & that hotel staff are likely to call the police, seemed like some sort of brownie point system rather than any kickbacks.

Jimmy Crow · Post by **Jimmy Crow** » Thu Jul 19, 2018 2:27 pm

Never had any problems in Laos,love the place and the people and have had the pleasure of staying in luxury at the Belmond hotel in Luang Prabang,everybody respects the law and I do not see any wrong in reporting suspicious activity or banned substances being used in your country weather it be at a hotel,on the street,etc....obey the law and respect each countries codes of ethics and laws,actually the accused in this story should of actually been booked in and charged for his actions and now we have a person connected to the accused asking if his drug using friend can travel since he paid off some crooked jakes and is concerned about it backfiring ..pssss

Beerinthemorning · Post by **Beerinthemorning** » Thu Jul 19, 2018 2:38 pm

On the old backpacker trail i remember stories of this nearly daily.

Except this fines were 500 EU per person.

Laos was never that great of a place anyway, just a sketchy druggy destination full of snitchs.

Pot-Smoking Backpackers Fined 500 Euro in Laos

Pot-Smoking Backpackers Fined 500 Euro in Laos

Re: Pot-Smoking Backpackers Fined 500 Euro in Laos

Re: Pot-Smoking Backpackers Fined 500 Euro in Laos

Re: Pot-Smoking Backpackers Fined 500 Euro in Laos

Re: Pot-Smoking Backpackers Fined 500 Euro in Laos

Re: Pot-Smoking Backpackers Fined 500 Euro in Laos

Re: Pot-Smoking Backpackers Fined 500 Euro in Laos

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