Phuket Immigration officers transferred amid corruption probe

[webfact]

Phuket Immigration officers transferred amid corruption probe

The Phuket News

 

Three Phuket Immigration officers have been transferred to Bangkok with immediate effect. Photo: The Phuket News / file

 

PHUKET: Three Phuket Immigration officers are among six police who have been transferred out of Phuket affective from yesterday.

 

The official order, issued yesterday (Nov 13) by Royal Thai Police Acting Inspector-General Pol Lt Gen Suchart Teerasawat, called for the six officers to report to the Royal Thai Police Operations Centre in Bangkok.

 

The officers were to present themselves to the Royal Thai Police Operation Center at 10 am today (Nov 14).

 

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-immigration-officers-transferred-amid-corruption-probe-64693.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2017-11-15

[Thaiwrath]

During my working career (not in Thailand), anyone caught doing illegal activities, was immediately dismissed with no recourse.

Different world over here !

[KarenBravo]

It's all about the pension.......

[colinneil]

All the BS there has been about Prayut stamping out corruption.

Yet when officials are caught, all that happens is a transfer, so they can carry on elsewhere.

What a joke, get involved with corruption, get sacked, is the only way to stop it.

[Somtamnication]

I hope one of them is a long time official there. Notorious with shaking down Korean tour agencies for YEARS.

[Bangkok Barry]

5 hours ago, colinneil said:

All the BS there has been about Prayut stamping out corruption.

Yet when officials are caught, all that happens is a transfer, so they can carry on elsewhere.

What a joke, get involved with corruption, get sacked, is the only way to stop it.

 

And jailed too. Like in the Real World.

[Ulic]

Just part of the "good guys in bad guys out" policy.

[Ernst Ruetimann]

7 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

And jailed too. Like in the Real World.

No  way  ,  Thais  are  in  a  world  of  their  own !

[metisdead]

Off topic posts and replies have been removed. 

[tryasimight]

It would be interesting to see the real result of this. Publicly transferred maybe to an inactive ,but what does that mean in reality - it might be a lot harsher than the commentators here may think. I know in the public service in Oz you can be unsackable in some cases but transferred to an office with nothing to do but have to still follow the soul destroying rules . After a few years the chinese water torture approach gets to people and they resign with no pension or benefits. I'd imagine the UK is similar....perhaps Thailand too. Would be interesting to here from anyone who knows the real facts and not just regurgitated TVF dribble.

[nasa123]

ONLY IN PHUKET:

The revelation came in a notice issued by Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Col Peerayuth Karajadee to Region 8 Police dated Sunday (Nov 12), but revealed yesterday (Nov 13).

The notice explains that Phuket Provincial Police had learned that 142 illegal immigrants had been arrested but not presented to immigration, thus sparking the fuller probe into all police stations across Phuket.

In learning of the initial 142 foreigners not duly processed came the news that local police were being paid up to B100mn a month in bribes for overstaying their visas in Phuket. (See story here.)

Phuket Provincial Police subsequently ordered 11 police stations on the island to report the number of illegal immigrants arrested over the past year, from “October 2016 to October 2017” so that the arrest statistics could be compared with those of Phuket Immigration.

Of note, Patong Police Station reported 862 immigrants arrested, but only 52 being presented to Phuket Immigration – leaving 810 of those arrested unaccounted for.

In stark contrast, Phuket City Police Station arrested 174 immigrants during the period, with all 174 presented to Phuket Immigration – a discrepancy of zero.

The revelation of the huge discrepancy at Patong Police Station comes just days after former Patong Police Chief Col Chaiwat Uikam and the Patong Police Deputy Chief Lt Col Somsak Thongkleng on Friday being transferred out of Phuket to the former Region 8 Police Headquarters in Surat Thani province until further notice following allegations of taking bribes from entertainment venues in Patong. (See story here.)

The details revealed in the notice are as follows:

Police Station	Arrested	Reported to immigration	Unaccounted for
Sakoo Police Station	76	3	73
Thalang Police Station	78	16	62
Chalong Police Station	171	52	119
Karon Police Station	344	95	249
Kamala Police Station	269	145	124
Tha Chatchai police Station	20	2	18
Cherng Talay Police Station	75	60	15
Patong Police Station	862	52	810
Kathu Police Station	98	27	71
Wichit Police Station	248	59	189
Phuket City Police Station	174	174	0
Total	2,415	685	1,730

So far 15 police officers across Phuket have been named as under investigation for their possible connection to the racket. (See story here.)

 

                                     

                                                    Phuket Immigration officers transferred amid corruption probe

PHUKET: Three Phuket Immigration officers are among six police who have been transferred out of Phuket affective from yesterday.

Three Phuket Immigration officers have been transferred to Bangkok with immediate effect. 

The official order, issued yesterday (Nov 13) by Royal Thai Police Acting Inspector-General Pol Lt Gen Suchart Teerasawat, called for the six officers to report to the Royal Thai Police Operations Centre in Bangkok.

The officers were to present themselves to the Royal Thai Police Operation Center at 10 am today (Nov 14).

The Phuket Immigration Office officers transferred were named as Lt Col Surasak Jaidee, Lt Col Teanchai Chomphu and Sen Sgt Maj Pongphet Jantharat.

The other three officers ordered to report to Bangkok were Capt Adul Boonrat Sub-of the Patong Police, Sen Sgt Maj Pornprasit Wenthong of Phuket City Police, and Capt Nimit Sukprasert of Region 8 Police, based at the north end of the island.

The order said the transfers were “to manage neat and productive working”.

 

The order required that the officers were to remain in Bangkok until further notice.

The transfers come amid a police investigation into alleged shakedowns and possible extortion – or at the very least acceptance of an estimated B100 million in bribes – to not present illegal immigrants arrested to Phuket Immigration for deportation. (See story here.)

So far 15 police officers across Phuket are investigation into the alleged racket. (See story here.)

Meanwhile, former Patong Police Chief Col Chaiwat Uikam and the Patong Police Deputy Chief Lt Col Somsak Thongkleng on Friday (Nov 12) were transferred out of Phuket to the former Region 8 Police Headquarters in Surat Thani province until further notice following allegations of taking bribes from entertainment venues in Patong. (See story here.)

[Somtamnication]

Take that report with a pinch of salt. A lot of the "arrests" are NOT reported. 

[xylophone]

On 15/11/2017 at 6:56 AM, Somtamnication said:

I hope one of them is a long time official there. Notorious with shaking down Korean tour agencies for YEARS.

Or the short, slim weedy one who has tried to shake me down a couple of times, AND I have SEEN small envelopes passed over to him as he was processing some passports, which he surreptitiously slid into a drawer.........little weasel.

[the guest]

Name them, and shame them !

[xylophone]

36 minutes ago, the guest said:

Name them, and shame them !

You can't do that here as Thailand's stupid defamation laws will have you locked up. Really a case of the corrupt hierarchy ensuring that the corruption that fills their coffers can continue.

[pearciderman]

On 11/15/2017 at 6:29 AM, colinneil said:

All the BS there has been about Prayut stamping out corruption.

Yet when officials are caught, all that happens is a transfer, so they can carry on elsewhere.

What a joke, get involved with corruption, get sacked, is the only way to stop it.

 

Guess you don't know what an inactive post is, or you would not have written such rot.

[Felt 35]

Just a new round with bets

[PhuketAmerican]

I hope they didnt transfer my wife's friend who always helps me out when I need something done at immigration.

[DrDave]

On 11/16/2017 at 6:55 AM, pearciderman said:

 

Guess you don't know what an inactive post is, or you would not have written such rot.

Perhaps you could explain why being transferred to an inactive is an appropriate punishment for corruption and the abuse of power (aside from being removed from the gravy train until being returned to an active post).

[Psimbo]

3 hours ago, DrDave said:

Perhaps you could explain why being transferred to an inactive is an appropriate punishment for corruption and the abuse of power (aside from being removed from the gravy train until being returned to an active post).

"A rhetorical question is a question that you ask without expecting an answer. The question might be one that does not have an answer. It might also be one that has an obvious answer but you have asked the question to make a point, to persuade or for literary effect." 

[xylophone]

3 hours ago, DrDave said:

Perhaps you could explain why being transferred to an inactive is an appropriate punishment for corruption and the abuse of power (aside from being removed from the gravy train until being returned to an active post).

"until being returned to an active post"

Usually somewhere else so that they can carry on with theft and abuse of power to unlawfully enrich themselves and others. Can't break the corruption brotherhood chain M.O. or speak about it because it feeds just about everyone in/with power.