According to Chiang Mai police, both the homeless and some illegal aliens, have been working Tha Pae Gate for many years now, selling bird food to tourists.
However, recently a few of them have taken the step to pressure tourists, often charging them 100 baht per group, even per person, to allow them to take pictures of pigeons.
Police say that they have conducted numerous raids, but they are often seen coming and the few itinerant ‘mafia’ know how to hide.
However, yesterday, the police again raided the area, arresting eight people, each of whom have been fined 100 baht. As this number is not a deterrent, police say that they will now issue proper arrests warrants, which could mean fines of up to 5,000 baht each if convicted.
The saga continues.
