Word had it that a new Police Chief had recently been appointed in the Mae Hong Son province, and a series of clamp-downs were iminent. We'd already heard of several proposed restrictions leading up to Christmas for bar & restaurant owners, parking of bikes and cars, foreign workers in bars - both bar staff and live musicians, but they decided to choose Christmas Day to make their presence felt.
As I got into the back of the police truck, a police officer who I knew from a restaurant I occasionally drank in (his wife owns it), started quizzing me about the gig - was I being paid for it? Was I being paid for all the other sets I had been playing for the last months? I thought this guy would've given me an easier ride - No such luck. I told him that I wasn't being paid, that I simply wanted to play there. When asked about all of the other nights, I told him I played 'Open Jam', where all musicians were welcome (no money involved). I also mentioned that i accepted tips as my way of income. He didn't buy this, and I never expected him to. So it was off to the station for further questioning...
I arrived at the station to find Nui, the band's drummer, also there. He'd left from Bebop upon my arrest. Good man, I needed his help here - communication had been limited with the police until now. I was questioned (or at least Nui was on my behalf) for a while before being taken to my house to get my passport - they needed to check it. They'd seemed pretty serious until now, I even got the impression Nui was a little nervous about it all, and on the way to my house I was starting to worry myself. I was thinking about books I'd read - about people serving long sentences in Thai prisons, not all of them for major offences. Was bribary was on the cards here? Having heard the stories about Thai police, and not having dealt with them until now, I began to wonder. I got my passport from my house - Sowit and Ken's wife were there and saw the police truck come in. As I got back into the truck, Sowit, wearing a nervous smile on his face, began to speak to the police in Thai. The police seemed very stern in their replies, although I couldn't understand what they were saying.
We returned to the station where they checked my passport and saw that I had only a tourist visa, not a working one. Then they tried to explain to me that I should have registered my name with them when I had been staying in Pai so long - "What if something happens to you? Without knowing you're here, we would never know.... How could we contact your parents?". It was all bullshit really, and after Nui talked with them some more I was let go with no further problems. However, I got the impression without Nui there, I may well have faced a tougher time. The visa was never really questioned.
I walked from the station back to Bebop for the rest of the party. When I got there it was packed, absolutely jumping with people. I squeezed my way through to the bar where the rest of the band stood. I had a laugh with them all about it, grabbed myself a drink and enjoyed what remained of the night.
So my final swan song in Pai ends with my arrest...
Rock and Roll eh ;-P
No I dont 'know any
Police', thanks for
asking....
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