Transfer of ‘Uncle Pom’ neither a punishment nor a suspension, insists rescue foundation

By The Nation

 

Photo Courtesy of Facebook user Nakarin Juanchaiyaphum

 

The transfer of rescue worker Noppadol “Uncle Pom” Sithongkham – recently celebrated in Thai social media as a “do-gooder” who sat for hours in the company of a drowned man while police were determining which station’s jurisdiction covered the case – was neither a punishment nor a suspension, Ruam Katanyu Foundation manager Somsak Palawat said on Monday.
 

The transfer of Noppadol to aid work at the foundation’s head office in Samut Prakan has been widely criticised on the Internet as “an unfair punishment of a man who just tried to do good”, after an unidentified man’s body was pulled from the Chao Phraya River at 2am on February 23.

 

However, Somsak said the transfer was not a punishment, but a move taken to make way for the fact-finding committee’s investigation following the incident. 

 

If the panel later deemed Noppadol had not committed any breach of regulations, he would be reinstated to his old duties, he added.

 

The transfer of Noppadol – reportedly to determine whether the incident had stemmed from a miscommunication between police and rescue workers – followed another man’s Facebook post on February 23, which showed several photos of him sitting with the body on the pier to the side of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand’s Bang Kruay power plant from 2am until around 6am.

 

The post was accompanied by a caption claiming that police did not have the time to turn up at the scene in order to notify rescuers of the case’s jurisdiction. 

 

The drowned man had been seen jumping from Rama VII Bridge – which straddles the Chao Phraya between Bangkok and Nonthaburi – at 12.30am and, after the post had been widely shared, many people questioned whether the jurisdictional delay from 2am, when the body was pulled ashore, until 6am had been because police from nearby stations were dodging the issue and passing the buck to one another. 

 

Rescue workers are not allowed to remove the body of a deceased person until police arrive to inspect it. 

 

Nonthaburi’s Bang Kruay precinct superintendent Pol Colonel Danthai Plangdee later dismissed speculation about buck-passing, saying that, after the Bangkok police had later pointed out it was within Bang Klay’s jurisdiction, he immediately dispatched a police officer to inspect the body.

 

Meanwhile, Noppadol, who has performed his duties in rescuing the injured or collecting the bodies of the deceased for the Ruam Katanyu Foundation for around 17 years, is now finding that his actions on February 23 have led to him now serving merit-makers who visit the foundation’s shrine.

 

Insisting that he does not feel under stress in the face of a fact-finding probe, Noppadol said on Monday he had no intention of harming anyone’s reputation and was ready to explain the facts to investigators.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30365167

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-03-05

47 minutes ago, webfact said:

Noppadol said on Monday he had no intention of harming anyone’s reputation

good deeds plus honesty lead to criminal defamation here via the childish loss-of-face

A post in violation of the following has been removed:

 

8.) You will not post disruptive or inflammatory messages, vulgarities, obscenities or profanities.

The reason police did not go to the scene was because they were all sleeping, so there was no one available to ring the bell.????

40 minutes ago, colinneil said:

The reason police did not go to the scene was because they were all sleeping, so there was no one available to ring the bell.????

I thought they might be in the counting house,tallying up the days takings.

regards worgeordie

 

Hope he exposes more dirt, good on him

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The post was accompanied by a caption claiming that police did not have the time to turn up at the scene in order to notify rescuers of the case’s jurisdiction. 

I had always assumed the police didn't work at night?

(not that you can easily tell, when observing their daytime activities)

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Noppadol said on Monday he had no intention of harming anyone’s reputation and was ready to explain the facts to investigators.

Unfortunately here in Thailand the truth is not always welcomed.... truth hurts !!!

If you can't come to the aid of a dead person, you might think twice about aiding an injured person.

7 hours ago, Srikcir said:

If you can't come to the aid of a dead person, you might think twice about aiding an injured person.

Beyond  some rubber  necking  thats  quite the usual  situation. 

If asking the  reasons  given  quite often include complication as  in this instance  plus many many more!