Immigration Police Chief Moved To Inactive Post

[A_Traveller]

Thaksin's cronies get shown door

Military, police reshuffle lists to be revised

The military and police are poised to flush remnants of Thaksin Shinawatra's regime from key positions to prevent counter activities in the aftermath of the coup, sources said yesterday. Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, army chief and head of the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM), has reportedly revised the army's annual military reshuffle and asked the air force and the navy to do the same.

...

The others to be shifted to inactive posts due to their close affiliations with Mr Thaksin include Special Branch Police chief Pol Lt-Gen Thaworn Chanyim, Immigration Police chief Pol Lt-Gen Suwat Thamrongsrisakul, Police Region 4 chief Pol Lt-Gen Sathaporn Duangkaew, Central Investigation Bureau chief Pol Lt-Gen Montri Chamroon, Crime Suppression Division chief Pol Maj-Gen Winai Thongsong, 191 Police chief Pol Maj-Gen Sumeth Ruangsawat, Metropolitan Police Division 5 chief Pol Maj-Gen Kosin Hinthao, Metropolitan Police Division 7 chief Pol Maj-Gen Boonsong Panich-attra, and Special Branch Police Division 3 chief Pol Maj-Gen Atthakrit Thareechat who is providing security for Mr Thaksin in London.

Source:

Bangkok Post 2006-09-24

Edited September 24, 2006 by george

[john b good]

Sonthi is really doing a first class job. What I still cannot come to grips with is this inactive posts business. Just fire them and be done with it. And make sure that they are never ever in a position in the future to wield their crooked agenda's.

[jdinasia]

I think <but am not 100% sure> that firing civil service folks is as hard to do here as in the West ..... until they can prove malfeasance etc.

[wombat]

cannot come to grips with is this inactive posts business.

just think of it as a sideways shuffle.

[john b good]

cannot come to grips with is this inactive posts business.

just think of it as a sideways shuffle.

I'd "sideways shuffle them" alright.

[sadako]

Remember .........Thailands a great place . This is how it is . And thats what makes it different . I cant get enough

[teko]

Just like in the west..........you just can't sack these guys, but you can put them on ice and keep an eye and ear on them for ever and a day...................keep up the good work Sonthi and crew

[h90]

Sonthi is really doing a first class job. What I still cannot come to grips with is this inactive posts business. Just fire them and be done with it. And make sure that they are never ever in a position in the future to wield their crooked agenda's.

you can not until you find something he did very wrong, as well as you can not in the west.

but you can move him to a positon where he sorts the photocopys of the farang passports accourding to the alphabet or make him officer of the immigration in ban nok.

Really love Sonthi cleaning all the thaksin junk out....

[nullx8]

seems like national replacement from taksin staff to military staff ;-)

so nothing will be changed ;-) (just guessing)

[stoneman]

The others to be shifted to inactive posts due to their close affiliations with Mr Thaksin include Special Branch Police chief Pol Lt-Gen Thaworn Chanyim, Immigration Police chief Pol Lt-Gen Suwat Thamrongsrisakul,

Do you suppose that they might reconsider all the new Visa rules that were to go into effect in one week?

[Tywais]

I think <but am not 100% sure> that firing civil service folks is as hard to do here as in the West ..... until they can prove malfeasance etc.

You are correct. I have a tech (civil service) I would like to get rid of at the uni but not possible. Problem with these positions is they know they can't be fired so they feel they can do nearly anything without repercussions.

[nasa]

Hope to see Thailand will have a better and clean adminitrative government from here on......

[brahmburgers]

let's hope the next instalment at the feeding trough is not quite as heartless as the Thaksin's TRT brood. Meanwhile, the former PM's wife is frantically reshuffling tens of billions out of their 60 accounts at Thai banks - because the prez of Bank of Thailand didn't have the cojones to freeze TRT bank accounts - as he should have. As the months and years roll by, and legal proceedings come to bear, where will the culprits and their money be? - outside Thailand and untouchable by the short arm of Thai law. If they're found innocent of cheating the Thai people, then OK, the authorities can un-freeze their accounts and offer an apology.

Sonthi is alright!

[sabaijai]

The others to be shifted to inactive posts due to their close affiliations with Mr Thaksin include Special Branch Police chief Pol Lt-Gen Thaworn Chanyim, Immigration Police chief Pol Lt-Gen Suwat Thamrongsrisakul,

Do you suppose that they might reconsider all the new Visa rules that were to go into effect in one week?

The $64,000 question ...

[onlooker]

I have a feeling the reshuffles arent being implemented to help border runners. But maybe the new guys in charge want to reach out to farangs and revoke the new laws, you never know.

[99BigLad99]

The others to be shifted to inactive posts due to their close affiliations with Mr Thaksin include Special Branch Police chief Pol Lt-Gen Thaworn Chanyim, Immigration Police chief Pol Lt-Gen Suwat Thamrongsrisakul,

Do you suppose that they might reconsider all the new Visa rules that were to go into effect in one week?

It may just end up like a lot of other things here inplemented for a few weeks then relaxed again other wise there would be loss of face so lets just hope at the moment

Edited September 24, 2006 by mgc

[Boatabike]

I have a feeling the reshuffles arent being implemented to help border runners. But maybe the new guys in charge want to reach out to farangs and revoke the new laws, you never know.

I very much doubt that reaching out to farangs has a lot to do with anything right now. They need to clear their power base and build their own support system, from there they may well take a broader look at the canvas.

First coup that i feel was the best option available.. Long live the King.

[MatPayne]

Special Branch Police Division 3 chief Pol Maj-Gen Atthakrit Thareechat who is providing security for Mr Thaksin in London.

Sounds highly illegal in the U.K! Would this not require a work permit?

[littlebritain]

I have heard a rumour that Mr Thaksin has bought property in England and will now have to do a border run to ...Wales every month.Is this true and will Port Talbot be twinned with Pophet ?

Also does anyone else think he should do adverts for "profitable plots' ??

[hotgeekus]

I have heard a rumour that Mr Thaksin has bought property in England and will now have to do a border run to ...Wales every month.Is this true and will Port Talbot be twinned with Pophet ?

Also does anyone else think he should do adverts for "profitable plots' ??

HAHAHA, Thaksin doing border runs! Now we are getting somewhere on this board....

[bkkandrew]

I have a feeling the reshuffles arent being implemented to help border runners. But maybe the new guys in charge want to reach out to farangs and revoke the new laws, you never know.

I very much doubt that reaching out to farangs has a lot to do with anything right now. They need to clear their power base and build their own support system, from there they may well take a broader look at the canvas.

First coup that i feel was the best option available.. Long live the King.

Quite agree with you. We are the last thing on their mind. The only plus for us is that the new man in the chair will obviously have bigger fish to fry than making problems (and bad headlines in the west) for us. This may create an element (especially at the more mainstream tourist entry/exit points, such as the international airports) of a smile and a stamp in the passport.

If I am not mistaken, it was the sacked police chief that made the original announcement on the intended implementation of the Visa rules??

[horseracer21]

I THINK MAYBE YOU ARE UNDERESTIMATING THIS VISA SITUATION AS BEING A BACK BURNER ISSUE FOR PRESENT THAI REGIEME ....MANY WEALTHY BUSINESS PEOPLE IN THAILAND COULD BE SERIOUSLY PUT OUT BY THESE VISA CHANGES ....I BELIEVE THIS COULD BE A PRIORITY MORE THAN WE THINK AND I ALSO SEE THEM LEAVING THINGS STATUS QUO BY TAKING THIS PRESENT GUY......ONLY AN EDUCATED GUESS.....HE IS OUT....NEW RULES OUT...

[Indifferent]

I have heard a rumour that Mr Thaksin has bought property in England and will now have to do a border run to ...Wales every month.Is this true and will Port Talbot be twinned with Pophet ?

Also does anyone else think he should do adverts for "profitable plots' ??

Had to chuckle at that one.

I think farang are very low on the list of priorites at the moment as onlooker stated.

A revisit of the recent visa changes will probably be something the new policy makers will handle, when/if contol is handed back.

For now it's just regroup, consolodate and eat away at the rot that has grown over the last few years.

I gota take my hat off to these guys.

It was well planned, well thought through and is now being well executed-without fuss, efficiently and with (so it seems) total transparency. They are making the sweeping changes AND keeping everyone informed therefore avoiding panic in uncertain times. Something that I hope the following politicians learn from and continue.

[twix38]

Not a single descenting voice on the coup then.

I really hope it turns out bloodless and good for all. So far so good, but I don't see that the change will benefit foreigners. Many Thai's dislike too many foreigners in their country intensely and although they need the currency, it comes at a price.

I think the rules will be tightened in due time and recieve popular support, from many that just want to see less foreigners living and misbehaving in LOS. Not great changes as they need tourists and currency, but I really do not see any cause for celebration on this question. as the facts of control, income generation, illegal working and wanting a better class of foreigner to visit will not change.

There is even a remote possibility that the new administration will pander to a pouluar vote and make things harder for foreigners. After all this is just what many of us in Britain want our government to do and complaints about immigration are a hot topic.

I think the jury is out and it could go either way, but it is possible that we foreigners may even live to regret the removal of TAXIN. Now that would be bizzare!!!

[pascharay]

let's hope the next instalment at the feeding trough is not quite as heartless as the Thaksin's TRT brood. Meanwhile, the former PM's wife is frantically reshuffling tens of billions out of their 60 accounts at Thai banks - because the prez of Bank of Thailand didn't have the cojones to freeze TRT bank accounts - as he should have. As the months and years roll by, and legal proceedings come to bear, where will the culprits and their money be? - outside Thailand and untouchable by the short arm of Thai law. If they're found innocent of cheating the Thai people, then OK, the authorities can un-freeze their accounts and offer an apology.

Sonthi is alright!

If I'm not mistaken bank transfers can be rescinded for any amount up to 10 days after the transaction. I hope some bright lad who watched a crime caper movie shuffled the money sideways. even the float on the interest for a weelk would make him rich.

As for the present re-shuffle

At least heads aren't rolling

Only careers

[lubbkis]

Sounds highly illegal in the U.K! Would this not require a work permit?

Probably not if he is visiting as a tourist. I was at a seminar run by an Immigration Oficer a number of years ago who stated that personnel in entourages are allowed to enter to perform their normal duties whilst their principal is visiting. There are reasonable grounds for concern that some of the people admitted to the UK under this courtesy are actually slaves, but not those accompanying Mr. Thaksin, I hasten to add.

I believe HM Customs, however, have occasionaly opened diplomatic bags, sometimes of our closest allies, when they have been suspected to contain firearms which were subsequently seized.

Personally I'm about to start lobbying for Thailand's 51% rule to be applied to his Kensington Condo.

[deminister]

If we talk about nepotism, this a good example, just fire anyone, who have not been proven a threat, but only on the grounds that they are close to someone. Than put people in charge who are clos eto you. Ahh well in two years time we have to go an other round I suppose, when the guards will change again. Or everybody here is quite ignorant or stupid, or they simply love non democratic people.

[CTM]

All you Brits need to write your government today! You need tighter visa requirements to prevent Britain from become a refuge of foreign criminals, undesirables, and illegal workers not paying taxes.

I would guess part of the reason former Taksin supporters won't be dealt with too harshly is sort of an unwritten “gentleman's agreement”. This isn't Africa. When a leader loses power, the new leaders don't cut the heads off previous leaders and cronies.

[kurtgruen]

Do you suppose that they might reconsider all the new Visa rules that were to go into effect in one week?

October 1st not September, If I remember right for the new visa rules...

More importantly, I think they should reconsider the National Park fees. They last government said they would double them by next year in November for both Foreigners and Thai's. 400 Baht is a little expensive I think. I thought 200 Baht was already too expensive.

I have a feeling that for every 1 farang who will pay the 400 Baht, 10 won't, which will leave them with a net loss of 1600 Baht. If they reduced them to 100 Baht instead, I think they would get at least 10 times the customers they get now at the National Parks... but you guys all know that, so I am preaching to the converted.

As for the new visa rules, Mexico is starting to look better and better again. I used to live there and as a Canadian, I could just enter with a 6 month (free) tourist card, which I used to fill out on the plane between drinks, stay for 6 months, cross the border for one day and go back for another 6 months.

I found the language there easier to learn, because we share the same writing system and when I got out of the cities and tourist traps, people were real friendly there, too.

The climate wasn't quite as hot either, which was nice.

Of course, now I am married to my lovely Thai wife (and her family) and that option, as good as it looks right now, is not very practical anymore.

Maybe one day, she will have enough, too and we can move our Chiang Dao restaurant to some place quiet in Mexico. Then again... same story there...TOO MUCH RICE....NOT ENOUGH PROTEIN (That was for those of you who can read between the lines and have a sense of humour....Hmmm wrong forum maybe....Just kidding guys)

[cmiuc]

The thing you guys forget, the economy was moving, not much but was. there was a lot of reforms including the educational reform. before Mr. T, there were not many Foreign teachers, or the ones who were here were mostly volunteers, or Peace corps...

The salaries have went up for the foriegners since that "regime" as you call it.

Who says things will become better under the new management? Times past in history there has never been "someone" better.

This matter does not affect us so much as it does the Thai citizens... except our future to live in this country. Remember new ideas bring new changes, and most are not so good. Their will be somebody else to line up to start filling their pockets.

This is my opinion... But I never felt any problems with the old management. But I do think the "new management" maybe not as good. Maybe we all will be "re-shuffled sideways, up n down AND OUT!

So...something to think about in your comments.