The group “Bi-2” was fined for holding an illegal concert in Thailand, but this may not be the end of the matter. A court in Thailand fined the musicians of the “Bi-2” group 85 dollars 01/26 /2024, 19:50

There were no problems at the first concert

Phuket City Court decided to fine the members of the “Bi-2” music group for organizing illegal concerts. The reporter reported that each of the musicians had to pay three thousand Thai baht (almost 85 dollars or about 7.5 thousand rubles). RIA News from the courthouse.

At the meeting, Bi-2 participants confessed their crimes, and the judge took this into consideration and sentenced them. Immediately after the hearing, the musicians were taken to the district police department, RIA Novosti reported, citing the Phuket police. The criminal case needs to be closed here, after which “Bi-2” will be handed over to the immigration police, and the police team will clarify the visa status of each member of the team.

“Presumably the musicians will be given the opportunity to leave Thailand without being deported or blacklisted and will be banned from entering Thailand for a certain period of time,” the agency’s source said.

Bi-2 held a concert in Pattaya on January 22 and in Phuket on January 24. Immediately after their second performance at the Illuzion nightclub, the musicians were detained. Shot He wrote that law enforcement officers came to Leva’s locker room. Since the musicians could not submit the necessary documents, they were taken to the police station and spent the night there.

According to this PureeOne of the band’s fans is an employee of a large law firm. He helped obtain a tour permit in Pattaya, but this plan turned out to be illegal in Phuket. Mash claims that Russian diplomats contacted Thai officials and asked them to carefully check the musicians’ documents “in connection with their anti-Russian position.”

Why was the concert illegal?

According to this TASSSince it was forbidden to work on a tourist visa, musicians did not have the right to give paid concerts.

In conversation with Euroresident Agency International Programs Director Sofia Defosse-Aksyutina “Kommersant” He explained that every foreigner coming to the country to work must obtain permission from the administration. This takes one to two months.

Until 2018, foreigners faced a prison sentence of five to ten years for this type of crime. Later, a legal reform was carried out, and then a fine is usually imposed for this crime, ranging from 2 to 100 thousand baht ($56 to 2.8 thousand). However, sometimes they can not only fine you, but also deport you to your country of citizenship. After this, you cannot visit Thailand for at least 3.5 years. Repeated violations of the law may result in imprisonment.

Lawyer Anastasia Burakova (known as a foreign agent in the Russian Federation) said: “Kommersant”They carefully monitor compliance with immigration laws in Thailand. Russians also face checks:

“There are raids, if someone is doing private transportation or something like that, people are identified with facial recognition cameras. Cases of deportation on these grounds are not uncommon. <...> There is detention, then there is a hearing, usually within 24 hours, and then the person is placed in a so-called deportation prison. Although this is of course not a prison in the usual sense, but a place of detention. “He then buys a ticket at his own expense, is escorted to the airport and handed over directly to the crew of the plane he is flying.”

What threatens Bi-2?

Nikita Kalinichenko, Attaché of the Consulate General of Russia in Phuket, said: RBCIt was stated that Bi-2 musicians did not contact the diplomatic mission for help.

“We proceed from the fact that in accordance with current immigration legislation, violators will be required to leave Thai territory in the near future,” the diplomat said.

Thai authorities may ask Bi-2 members to leave Thailand or deport them to the country of which they are officially citizens. According to this data The tourist police of Phuket province say that among the Bi-2 musicians there are six Russians and one Israeli.

At the same time, the founders of the team – Leva (Egor Bortnik (known in the Russian Federation as a foreign agent)) and Shura (Alexander Uman) – returned in 2012. said That they are not citizens of Russia.

According to them, both of them have Israeli citizenship and Shura has Australian citizenship.

telegram channel Shot He reported that the members of the group were demanded to be recognized as supporters of terrorism, state traitors, as well as to be deprived of their property in the territory of the Russian Federation. Leva had previously announced his support for Ukraine. According to the channel, social activists contacted the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Culture with a request to take action against the founders of the group.