Picture: Thai Rath

 

Police in Ang Thong, central Thailand, announced the arrest of five men after an incident on the Pho Thong - Ang Thong Road yesterday morning.

 

Five men in a pick-up and on a motorcycle had pulled over police lance corporals Theeradol and Narakorn of the Rammasak police.

 

The corporals were told that they were being investigated by the men who said they were cops.

 

Oh, so are we, said the corporals who appeared to be on private business in a private car. 

 

This led to excuses and suspicious behaviour as the five men left.

 

The corporals suspicions were raised enough that they checked through police colleagues on the claims by the men who had stopped them.

 

Two of the men arrested - aged from 26 to 48 and all with short hair - were found to have put fake names onto police ID to pretend they were police, reported Thai Rath. 

 

Their own Thai ID did not match the names on the police ID.

 

They have been charged and the other three are under investigation. 

 

Police ID and equipment can be readily bought in Thailand at shops that sell such merchandise.

 

But of course it is illegal to pretend to be an officer of the law, notes ASEAN NOW.

 

And particularly foolish to attempt a shakedown of other cops!

 

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Good, we cant have normal civilian impersonate and shake down other civilians, that job is only to be done by trained cops....

"Mummy, I want to be a policeman when I grow up"...  "Shut up son, your too stupid to be a policeman"   "But mum,  can I buy  some police   things at the local shop and pretend then ?"

5 minutes ago, HAPPYNUFF said:

"Mummy, I want to be a policeman when I grow up"...  "Shut up son, your too stupid to be a policeman"   "But mum,  can I buy  some police   things at the local shop and pretend then ?"

 

... ahh, that's 'impersonating' then, alright.

 

But, but ... come to think of it, can't see much of a difference to a 'real' () copper then ... ok, get it, probably that's why they're so hard to make out, the fake ones I mean, 555 ...

 

Thats why male Government officers have to have that ridiculous hair cut.! 

55 minutes ago, webfact said:

Police ID and equipment can be readily bought in Thailand at shops that sell such merchandise

 But journalists can’t legally buy or wear  Kevlar vests for protection in high risk locations.  T.I.T.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Their own Thai ID did not match the names on the police ID.

Are you kidding me???

5 of the dumbest men in Thailand.

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

5 of the dumbest men in Thailand.

Narrowing the field down to only 5 million wasn't easy I'm sure. Going from there to 5 must be a lifetime endeavor.

Good luck, but I have to say others have tried and failed.

 

Can we all agree to just settle on the current administration in office? That would probably be a universally acceptable compromise.

 

That said, everybody needs a hobby I suppose.????

10 hours ago, tracker1 said:

Thats why male Government officers have to have that ridiculous hair cut.! 

To make it easy for villains to recognize cops !!

 

Apart from money why would any sane individual want to impersonate a Thai policeman ????

1 hour ago, sammieuk1 said:

Apart from money why would any sane individual want to impersonate a Thai policeman ????

Lots of foreigners volunteer to do it for nothing.

 

Beautiful.  I love situations like this.

1 hour ago, sammieuk1 said:

Apart from money why would any sane individual want to impersonate a Thai policeman ????

Probably because they are allowed to use whistles and tell others what to do.

 

 

I suspect this is more common that we realise.... 

 

I’ve been at a pub when a guy pulled the ‘I’m a Thai Policeman stunt’.....    it backfired, one of my mates drinking with us at the time was a Thai Policeman !!

 

Quite some time ago now (over 15 years or so)  while in a Taxi at about 4am I was pulled over by BiB (riding pillion on a motorcycle) in a small dark sub-soi...  I opened my window 1”.....  They asked for my passport, I said no, they asked for ID, I said no - they hesitated, seemed to loose interest and ride off and that was that... But I always wondered if they were genuine police or just chancers... 

 

 

Its not difficult for chancers to get kitted out either... 

 

There are a load of ‘Uniform shops’ near Sanam Luang...  they are not supposed to sell any uniform items to anyone who does not have ‘official ID’ (i.e. Police or Military ID).

 

I attended a Fancy Dress Party....   Kitted out with a uniform purchased at one of these ‘uniform shops’....   

My Thai mates at the party (many of whom are police, Military) thought it hilarious, but couldn’t believe that these shops sold me what amounted to a full on uniform...  (I’d even promoted myself to positions higher than them !!!)... 

 

Moral of that story - IF anyone stops you on the street and its all a little bit sus... go to the nearest Police Station - genuine BiB should have no issue with that. 

 

 

On 1/27/2022 at 8:26 AM, RandiRona said:

Good, we cant have normal civilian impersonate and shake down other civilians, that job is only to be done by trained cops....

Trained cops?? In Thailand?? Certainly not on the roads.

13 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

I suspect this is more common that we realise.... 

 

I’ve been at a pub when a guy pulled the ‘I’m a Thai Policeman stunt’.....    it backfired, one of my mates drinking with us at the time was a Thai Policeman !!

 

Quite some time ago now (over 15 years or so)  while in a Taxi at about 4am I was pulled over by BiB (riding pillion on a motorcycle) in a small dark sub-soi...  I opened my window 1”.....  They asked for my passport, I said no, they asked for ID, I said no - they hesitated, seemed to loose interest and ride off and that was that... But I always wondered if they were genuine police or just chancers... 

 

 

I have asked this question before and never had a straight answer, can a Thai policeman who is not an IO ask to see your passport? I did read somewhere that only a high ranking officer, not sure which rank there are that many, can actually ask to see your passport.