Lock picking and the law in Thailand

[spoonzor]

Dear fellow lock enthusiasts and professionals,

Some years ago I moved from the Netherlands to Thailand. Some of the Thai laws that I since learned about are, how should I put this,. "surprising".

I have searched the Internet a bit but I can't find any English material about the legalities involved with lock picking, owning lock picks, carrying them around, picking in public (waiting for a meal in the restaurant with a cylinder in hand) and such.

If anybody has an idea about this or could point me in some direction that would be great!

Lock picking as a sport is totally unknown here but I found out that many are interested in it (after a lot of explanation and discussion, the usual). I am thinking about organizing a meetup but i'm a bit worried about the legal consequences that might bring, and of course would need to be able to inform any local newcomers about the current involved rules in Thailand.

Best regards,

Spoon

[MBI]

I'm afraid I don't have the answer to your question, but what are some examples of "surprising" laws you've found since moving to Thailand?

[spoonzor]

No one may step on any of the nation’s currency. (imagine a bill being blown away by the wind, what are you gonna do?)
It is illegal to leave your house if you are not wearing underwear. (still waiting for checkpoints)
You must wear a shirt while driving a car. (totally agree with this one, wonder about the law if you're not driving, but just a passenger)
It’s against the law to throw used chewing gum onto the sidewalk in Thailand, and you’ll be fined $600 if you’re caught. If you don’t pay, you’ll be thrown in jail. (note that 600USD is a normal monthly salary for the lower class, the fine for trowing trash on the street is US $ 60,-, fine for most traffic violations is around US $ 15,-)
The selling of alcohol is prohibited from 12 midnight to 11am, but this doesn't count for bar's. restaurants and wholesale. (as in, or buy a whole lot, then it's fine, or go to a bar)
Cursing/insulting the king will get you jail time and deportation + immigration blacklisting. This includes not standing up for the king's song, before the movie starts in the cinema. (nothing against this one, it is actually enforced, we love the king!)
A person who commits defamation against another may be subjected to civil prosecution, criminal prosecution or both in Thailand. (as in: say something bad about me and i will sue you! you're gonna have to find a way to proof that what you said is true, until than you can't leave the country). This happened to a Swiss business woman awhile ago after she insulted some big shot in a corporate meeting. In the criminal law it doesn't even say anything about the statement being true or not, just that any statement that impairs your reputation is defamation. Burden of proof lies at the defendant.

And this are just a few that came to mind right away. In the case owning lock picking tools, the sport is so unknown here that asking a lawyer may not be of much help.
I did once ask a lawyer for advice on another unrelated matter, there answer was: "I would just do it and see what happens" (even though I already found out the law doesn't allow it).

[spoonzor]

here i just found an interesting piece about law and it's enforcement in Thailand that's related to our passion:

...So it’s not surprising that lock companies can’t restrict access to key blanks and lock owners can’t protect themselves from casual copying of keys...

Full story: http://bigbabykenny.com/?p=4661

[bembel]

Being punished for stepping on money is no surprise - everyone visiting the country should know that there's a picture of the King on every coin and people won't take this easy.
I don't have any legal advice for you, but if police causes trouble because of picks you might try to settle this Thai style. I'm sure you know what I mean.

A wonderful country by the way, with very nice people and lots of delicious food.

[spoonzor]

yes personally I don't see myself get into much trouble having lock picks and practicing my hobby here. Whatever the law would say about it, the police likely won't have a clue anyway. It's more about informing others (gatherings for competition etc.). I'm trying to inform the public here that lock picking is not evil, but who knows what the Thai law may say about that...

[spoonzor]

buying selling or owning lock pick tools in Thailand is as legal as owning a hammer. There is no special regulation about it.

However, organizing a meeting where others could learn this skill seems to be risky at the moment as it could lead to some group liability if one of the members does something stupid/is a member of a criminal organization.

[FuzzyChopz]

Maybe if you had some sort of documentation to show the authorities that you were a locksmith or attended a training school it would benefit you if you did perhaps get into legal trouble. It is easy to take classes online, since there are probably not any offered where you are.