Tessakit and the massage ladies: Pattaya mayor orders transfers amid "back-handers" investigation

[webfact]

Tessakit and the massage ladies: Pattaya mayor orders transfers amid "back-handers" investigation

 

 

Pattaya's new mayor Sonthaya Khunpluem has ordered the transfer of a group of tessakit (municipal officers) at the center of an alleged kick-back scandal with massage vendors on Jomtien Beach. 

 

The story broke last week after a group of masseuses offering traditional massage in the Pink Zone of the beach said they had refused to pay a request for 20,000 baht for a "New Year party". Another group reportedly paid up a further 20,000 baht. 

 

The payment to the tessakit used to be 5,000 baht and they turned down an offer of 10,000 from the ladies, it was reported. 

 

Suggestions were made that the money was nothing but a back-hander. 

 

 

Deputy mayor Ronakit Ekkasin told The Pattaya News that the mayor - appointed by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha under Article 44 powers - had transferred the group under suspicion to City Hall clerical duties. 

 

A full investigation without fear or favor is being carried out. If the tessakit are found guilty of taking money they will face both disciplinary and criminal charges. 

 

Ronakit spoke of great damage to the image of Pattaya saying the resort is tainted by such unseemly allegations. 

 

He said City Hall were not taking the matter lightly and while justice would be given to both sides if the officers are found guilty they will be prosecuted. 

 

Thaivisa notes that Mayor Sonthaya has some big connections. He is the de facto leader of the Chonburi based Phalang Chon political party and was appointed to mayor in September to pave the way for improved Eastern Economic Corridor endeavors. 

 

He served as a minister for tourism and sports under Thaksin Shinawatra and is said to be a political adviser to the current PM. 

 

Source: The Pattaya News

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-02-05

[bluesofa]

21 minutes ago, webfact said:

Tessakit and the massage ladies: Pattaya mayor orders transfers amid "back-handers" investigation

Why does this expression spring to mind: Pot calling the kettle black?

[colinneil]

Something puzzling me, the massage ladies refused.... A request to pay 20.000 baht, yet they got arrested.

Not a demand for 20.000 but a request, now if that is not a direct attempt to get a backhander, then what is?

[mok199]

 A ray of hope !

Edited February 5, 2019 by mok199

[Lucius verus]

Tessakit are fake cops who wear similar uniforms to police thus confusing inexperienced tourists. They prey on Chinese& Koreans who are frightened of authority.

They should of been abolished years ago afterharrassing and extorting money from tourists along Sukhumvit rd BKK.Everyone is sick of gov officials and politicans who have big influence or know dark influential people.

Thailand has become a country of Man-children with guns.Sad.

[worgeordie]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

great damage to the image of Pattaya

Don't you just get sick of hearing that,plus they say it

with a straight face.

regards worgeordie

[bluesofa]

1 hour ago, Lucius verus said:

Tessakit are fake cops who wear similar uniforms to police thus confusing inexperienced tourists. They prey on Chinese& Koreans who are frightened of authority.

They should of been abolished years ago afterharrassing and extorting money from tourists along Sukhumvit rd BKK.Everyone is sick of gov officials and politicans who have big influence or know dark influential people.

Thailand has become a country of Man-children with guns.Sad.

Fake cops.

I was approached by one on a motorbike at the Sukhumvit/Bangna Trat junction late afternoon a few years ago, as I was walking down the pavement.

 

He drove up to me and said "I am police." He then started to tell me how dangerous the area was. I started to laugh at him, telling him in Thai that (then) I'd lived in Thailand for nearly twenty years and had never been scared of walking about.

That seemed to irk him, so I asked to see his police ID, as he wasn't wearing any uniform at all.

He ignored my request, so I walked to back of his bike to see if there was the chance it was a police registration.

No number plate whatsoever. I started to ask him why he didn't have a number plate either, and that it was illegal - just to piss him off.

He got back on his bike saying ferangs were stupid and drove off.

How he thought he was going intimidate a ferang I don't know - perhaps Thais believe that sort of stuff?

[klauskunkel]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Ronakit spoke of great damage to the image of Pattaya saying the resort is tainted by such unseemly allegations. 

Aw come on, don't be so negative. It'll buff out...

[1duckyboy]

4 hours ago, colinneil said:

Something puzzling me, the massage ladies refused.... A request to pay 20.000 baht, yet they got arrested.

Not a demand for 20.000 but a request, now if that is not a direct attempt to get a backhander, then what is?

I read elsewhere that after refusing to pay they were denied permits to work a zone of the beach they had been working for ages. They were arrested for working without a proper permit. Extortion.

[Lupatria]

4 hours ago, bluesofa said:

Why does this expression spring to mind: Pot calling the kettle black?

[IAMHERE]

Massage ladies on the beach; how damn poor do you have to be before you're not intimidated and shaken down ? 

[timendres]

13 minutes ago, IAMHERE said:

Massage ladies on the beach; how damn poor do you have to be before you're not intimidated and shaken down ? 

It is just a chain. It stops where there is no more money.

Somebody would shake down a cockroach, if it had a baht on it's back.

[natway09]

Ask the local Comissioner of Police.

He will know all about it

[Benmart]

Jail and publicly shamed if found guilty.

[Redline]

If the tessakit are found guilty of taking money they will face both disciplinary and criminal charges. 

 

If this happens, I will be astonished 

[Benmart]

It appears the image of Pattaya and Thailand has been damaged once again, without foreign intervention.

[Benmart]

14 hours ago, 1duckyboy said:

I read elsewhere that after refusing to pay they were denied permits to work a zone of the beach they had been working for ages. They were arrested for working without a proper permit. Extortion.

A cottage industry without consequence it seems.

[hotchilli]

21 hours ago, mok199 said:

 A ray of hope !

Tip of the iceberg is what comes to my mind !

[mikebell]

21 hours ago, webfact said:

Ronakit spoke of great damage to the image of Pattaya saying the resort is tainted by such unseemly allegations. 

Well said, sir.  Will there now be an investigation into the 'fronthanders' the police abstract from EVERY business in town? Or an investigation into why Pattaya taximeters don't use their meters?

[birddogger]

If they don't wear a gun the uniform is meaningless.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Monkeyrobot]

On 2/5/2019 at 11:02 AM, Lucius verus said:

Tessakit are fake cops who wear similar uniforms to police thus confusing inexperienced tourists. They prey on Chinese& Koreans who are frightened of authority.

They should of been abolished years ago afterharrassing and extorting money from tourists along Sukhumvit rd BKK.Everyone is sick of gov officials and politicans who have big influence or know dark influential people.

Thailand has become a country of Man-children with guns.Sad.

The ones in BKK only pick you up if you litter or throw a cigarette butt on the pavement there are signs there in English saying it’s a 2000B fine, they are from the BMA Bangkok Municipal Authorities, don’t litter and they leave you alone. If you speak to them and ask directions they are quite helpful.