


Pai has long been a tranquil, peaceful escape from the urban problems of Bangkok, and even nearby Chiang Mai, but over the years the scene has changed as shown by the recent murder of a Canadian tourist and articles published about Pai's problems in paradise.
You might first read the Wikipedia listing on Pai where a section on the police conduct goes:
Although it is a sleepy town in the mountains, Pai has over the past decade generated an unusual amount of controversy (even for Thailand) concerning the conduct of its local police, as well as the conduct of Thai drug enforcement police operating there. This is partially due to the proximity of Pai to drug routes from the Shan State in Burma, however given the post-2000 rise in incidents involving foreign tourists, it is evident that other factors are also at work. Some examples of this clear long-term trend in Pai include:
On December 24th, 2001, the local Pai police arrested and jailed the owner of Bebop bar, with the rather dubious explanation that he was "letting people dance in a place of business not officially licensed as a ‘disco.’"[7] After this event, both Bebob and Mountain Blue received additional discriminatory treatment in the form of illegal, or uneven, application of Thailand's closing-time laws. The so-called "dancing ban" by the Thai Police became a famous and well-known joke which business owners are still talking about in 2008.
Also in 2001, and again in 2003, Pai district officials and police began enforcing several illegal measures ostensibly aimed at increasing "safety" for the local tourists, specifically "a ‘recommendation’ via illegal denial of permits whereby all guesthouses must have walls made from a solid material, such as wood, gypsum, compressed fibre or cement"[8] rather than the cheaper and more traditional bamboo favored by many guesthouse owners and low-budget backpackers. Most locals suspected other motives were involved, including both a desire to "weed out" low-budget tourists and to encourage higher-priced construction that would generate higher construction kickbacks. Several locals pointed out uneven enforcement of these laws for different businesses, depending on personal relationships with the police or district officials.
The so-called "War on Drugs" launched in February 2003 by former (now deposed) Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, in which "more than 2,000 people in Thailand were killed as the government effectively declared 'open season' on those accused of involvement in the drug trade,"[9], took a heavy toll on Pai district and downtown Pai in particular. Many locals whose family members were murdered without investigation now take an extremely skeptical view towards any police action here.[10]
In 2006, the Pai Police purchased a new mobile drug testing vehicle, and there have been numerous reported instances of the police entering bars and other establishments and randomly urine-testing foreign tourists. In many of these cases it is apparent that the searches were not performed legally. In Thailand, "when requesting urinalysis for drug identification purposes, at least one member of the Narcotics Suppression Police must be present. Regular Thai police do not have this right, nor do the Tourist Police. Second of all, there must be probable cause."[11]. In most cases, apprehended suspects are detained in Mae Hong Son jail for a few days, then released with a "fine" typically on the order of 5,000-10,000 baht.[12]
On January 5th 2008, Pai made national and international news when an off-duty police officer, Sgt-Major Uthai Dechawiwat, fatally shot Canadian tourist John Leo Del Pinto, and shot and wounded a second Canadian tourist Carly Reisig, fleeing the scene immediately after the event.[13][14] Nearly all involved believe that both the policeman and suspects were drunk at the time. Official police reports differ widely from eye-witness reports and it is expected that the officer will be acquitted by the Thai Justice system. In an extremely unusual development which highlights the deep integrity issues that exist with the Pai police, reporter Andrew Drummond published an editorial in The Nation where he expressed his regrets for publishing views from all sides of the story in his earlier Nation article because:
Perhaps the TAT needs to go over that Wikipedia listing... Then consider a recent
CityLife Letter to the Editor about Pai that states:
I am writing to express my concerns regarding the future of Pai and the surrounding area in Mae Hong Son, Thailand.
I have been visiting Pai for over four years now, initially attracted to the somewhat cooler climate of the area and the fact that the town is far enough away from the noisy and busy city of Chiang Mai. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that this unique town welcomed foreigners and has even made significant efforts to cater (both food and entertainment) for all types of tourist. It appears that the locals and tourists can live together here, sharing and learning from each other, enjoying Thailand and its natural beauty.
However, perhaps inevitably, Pai is changing. As with many other areas in Thailand more and more tourists are visiting and this kind of demand forces change. Obviously, in response to this, there needs to be changes in infrastructure; better roads, more services for tourists and locals, even traffic lights! I accept this and we must all learn to adapt to the impact of an increased popularity of an area.
Unfortunately however, I have noticed another significant change over the last year, which is the reason for writing this letter. The method of law enforcement in this small town needs to be seriously examined. I along with many other people (regular tourists and those who are visiting for the first time, and a significant number of local Thais that I have spoken with) have become quite upset with the manner in which the police are enforcing the law.
I would like to repeat that I accept that changes are necessary. I also agree that noise pollution should be carefully monitored and controlled, as should drug abuse and any other illegal acts or unpleasant kinds of behaviour, but we ought not to be scared to leave our homes (or guesthouses)!
I have seen and heard of many instances now where the police have quite aggressively detained individuals for relatively minor offences.
One Saturday in particular remains in my memory, where several police officers decided to inspect a party at a bar in town. I believe that they were looking for drugs. I along with many other tourists was especially shocked to see that one officer was carrying a machine gun. No drugs were found and it does seem a little extreme that a machine gun would be required for such an investigation anyway. This kind of behaviour is likely to scare tourists and leave very negative impressions on them with regards to Pai town as a holiday destination.
The police are also actively confiscating mother vehicles, testing individuals at random for drugs and alcohol abuse, detaining owners of restaurants and bars for remaining open past the agreed time, and generally making a lot of noise in a relatively quiet town that did not appear to have many problems beforehand. If a bar stays open beyond the agreed time I agree that this should be controlled but I feel that it does not require detaining the owner in a police cell over night. Rather, a firm instruction to close would suffice in my opinion or at least a warning.
The increased police presence is clearly visible and does not, in my opinion, make Pai town look like a place one would like to visit. There is also a general feeling of unrest here and I feel that it is quite obvious to the tourist travelling through. The police are unapproachable and menacing. This has a strong negative impact on the atmosphere here in Pai town. The previously friendly and welcoming town appears to have changed into a place where everyone is afraid to even walk down the street in case they are accused of doing something wrong. Should the police not be employed to protect civilians? Should they not be approachable in case I or someone else requires some help? They are certainly not even close to doing what a police force is meant to do.
Before, I only heard other tourists talking about how Pai is their favourite holiday destination because of the cool climate, the beautiful views, the friendly locals and its quiet and relaxed atmosphere. It appears now that the favourite topic of conversation is not when they will come back but rather where else they might go next time.
I am sure that you will agree that tourism is very important for many businesses here in Pai. I feel that many individuals depend on tourists continuing to visit the town and telling their friends and relatives to come and experience it too. But it is exactly these people that will be driven away if the attitude of the police force is not changed. I hope that you are able to address this concern of many of the people who live here.
So the good citizens of Pai are concerned about a police department apparently out of control, and plead for help in an almost eerie predication of the tragic events of the following month. That's not the only story in
CityLife about violence in Thailand and it probably won't be the last.
For more information about Pai
click this great page with stories, photos and opinions.