Transcript of the above video: 

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing Thailand being no place for foreign predators to hide. One thing I rather enjoyed watching "Big Joke" when he took over as Deputy National Police Chief is he seemed to make it a crusade to go after those who prey on the most vulnerable, specifically sex offenders and those who victimized children. I was really heartened to see that; I really liked that phase of sort of the "Big Joke" chronicles. That said, this video today is specifically on the issue of these foreign predators. 

I thought of making this video after reading a recent article from the Thai Examiner, that is thaiexaminer.com, the article is titled: Former Phuket expat media salesman can expect to die in the UK prison if convicted of abuse charges. Quoting directly: "Former Phuket media salesman, known locally as Peter Smith, faces 29 counts of sexual abuse after his arrest at Heathrow Airport, London. At 80 and in poor health, Richard Burrows who was on the run for 27 years is likely to die in prison if convicted." Now "if convicted" is the operative term. These remain allegations; this is not a foregone conclusion, so we can't presume a conviction; we can't presume guilt, he's innocent until proven guilty even in the UK system, so again, act accordingly. Quoting further: “A former media personality in Phuket looks set to die behind bars in the United Kingdom. It comes following 20 further criminal counts brought against him last Thursday. The news came from police in Cheshire in Britain's Northwest. Burrows is presently facing 29 counts of sexual abuse and indecent assault over a thirty-year period in his home country. Richard Burrows' arrest after stepping off a flight from Thailand at Heathrow Airport came after 27 years on the run. Known in Phuket as Peter Smith, an avuncular media salesman, the news has come as a jolt certainly to many expats on the resort island. However, at 80 years of age and in ill health, Richard Burrows can expect to die in prison. Undoubtedly, he is facing an extremely long sentence if found guilty of the serious criminal charges..."  Again "if found guilty", these remain allegations. Quoting further: "..he must account for. His trial is expected to begin next year." 

This was the key point I wanted to make with this video, quoting further: "Burrows managed to change his name to Peter Smith and lived undetected in Phuket for 20 years. Charged this week with using a false identity document. At length, the on-the-run former Scoutmaster from Cheshire managed to change his name. Among the additional charges announced on Thursday by the Cheshire Constabulary were four counts of using a false identity document with intent." Quoting further: "Burrows had managed to change his name and identity while abroad. Afterwards, he used his identity to live among Phuket's colourful expat community. The UK man is facing a certain probability he will die behind bars." 

So not to get into the sort of substance of that case, but I wanted to give some background so people understood what was going on. Look the era of being able to just sort of live under an assumed name is effectively over. Biometric processing, especially at Immigration checkpoints here in Thailand, have effectively precluded that from happening. Your facial recognition, your fingerprints are now on file. Now I have certain issues with that. I find that very Orwellian on a certain level but let's look at all sides of the issue and understand that there is something of a silver lining to this insofar as it is catching people like this alleged perpetrator who may have been on the run for a prolonged period of time from what appears to be multiple charges of some seriously heinous, again alleged, crimes. 

That said, the thing for folks who are watching this video to understand is that era is over. By any metric you want to look at, that era has ended and let's be clear, Thailand was never complicit in any of this stuff. It is just in the era of the analog system and in the era of a lower level of technology, both domestically and internationally, Thailand just did not have the resources nor the manpower to really effectively sift through every single person and they still don't but the mechanisms are far more sophisticated. As we have noted in other videos, they now have tip-off systems; they now can cross-reference people's addresses with their entry to Thailand and they can ascertain basically where they live and if they are going into overstay or if they are on overstay. Meanwhile, as previously noted, biometrics and Thailand's Advanced Passenger Processing System as well as PBICs, (P I B I C S), and then APPS (A P PS) are the acronyms for those systems, Immigration is heavily integrated now and can process quickly, data pertaining to foreign criminal record, foreign criminal arrests, foreign criminal activity; it's far more sophisticated and efficient than it once was. So again to reiterate, the era of this being possible for any of these predator types is effectively at an end.