Thailand's police caught with their pants down in extortion case of Taiwanese actress and friends - Chuwit revelations latest

[webfact]

Daily News Thai Caption: Talking to the witness who handed over the money

 

The case of the extortion of a Taiwanese actress and her friends in a late night shakedown outside the Chinese Embassy in Huay Khwang on January 4th took several new twists yesterday.

 

Increasingly it appears that the met police - specifically officers from the Huay Khwang force - have been caught with their pants down. It is no longer an "alleged extortion", according to sources.

 

Attempts to wriggle their way out of the damaging case for the RTP and Thai tourism are now in tatters. And things look set to only get worse for the so called BiB.

 

Officers at the checkpoint tried to claim visas were not in order. This was a nonsense - Taiwanese and Singaporean nationals get VoA. 

 

Then they extorted money over possession of a vaping device. While e-cigarettes are illegal in Thailand extortion is not. Besides, a ticket should have been issued.

 

The RTP yesterday made a half-hearted attempt at apology saying that a report should have been made about the device. It rang hollow and convinced no one. 

 

Yesterday the local police chief Pol Col Yingyos Suwanno was ordered transferred as investigations continue into the conduct of men under his control. 

 

Claims have been made that the Grab taxi driver was coerced into lying about the tourists being drunk to make the police look better. Print media has suggested that several officers have admitted their guilt as the RTP promise "a full and transparent investigation". This rhetoric usually means anything but. 

 

The case has reached the chief of the met police, RTP and even Thai prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha who demanded action.

 

His attempts to end corruption and rein in the RTP in his near nine year tenure after seizing power have failed utterly. They are a law unto themselves but in this case the noose is tightening, suggests ASEAN NOW. 

 

Now a key witness - and the person who handed over 27,000 baht in the 1 am debacle could be coming to Thailand to give evidence, even though they are scared. 

 

Daily News reported the latest from Chuwit Kamonwisit who has been privy to information in the case.

 

The former massage boss and MP, TV presenter and felon now turned whisteblower-in-chief in Thailand was courted by police over the "grey Chinese scandal".

 

Now he looks more of a thorn in the side of the RTP who critics say are little more than an out of control mafia in uniform.

 

Chuwit was on his Facebook page making an 11.33 minute call with a Singaporean national called "Mr Sky" who was a companion of Charlene An on the night in question and paid 27,000 baht for the party of 4 to be let go. 

 

Mr Sky said there were four officers present and one in particular was making threats and getting very angry but two others chipped in.

 

They claimed the party's visas were not in order. 

 

But when they said they would go back to their hotel to get passports the police stopped them. When one in the party tried to phone their wife the police stopped them as well as demanded they not film what happened. 

 

Then came the extortion based on the possession of the vaping device. Mr Sky had pointed out that the devices are on sale everywhere in Thailand. 

 

While the import of e-cigarettes and vaping fluid and their sale is subject to crackdowns and heavy fines the police in Thailand largely ignore individual vapers. Especially tourists.

 

Chuwit apologised on behalf of Thailand for what happened. 

 

He urged that Mr Sky come to Thailand to give evidence offering to pay for everything including the 27,000 baht.

Mr Sky said he needed time to think about that citing danger to himself.

 

Chuwit said not to worry, his help was needed in a case that has thoroughly damaged the country and its tourism. 

 

Chuwit said this case was a "lesson for Thailand" and that the met chief, RTP chief and Thai PM should reimburse Mr Sky personally for the extortion. 

 

The case rumbles on with very little else in the Thai news, notes ASEAN NOW. If this Singaporean man comes to Thailand it will undoubtedly be taken to another level, if that is possible. 

 

Stay tuned for the latest updates. 

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2023-01-31

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information.

 

Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

[ThailandRyan]

Chuwit should run for PM.  People will run scared and hide, Skeltons will be found in many closets......

[Smokey and the Bandit]

"But when they said they would go back to their hotel to get passports the police stopped them. When one in the party tried to phone their wife the police stopped them as well as demanded they not film what happened."

 

Now why wouldn't the cops like to be filmed i wonder?

So now it all comes out in the open, the Taiwanese lady was right! The police lied and extorted money!

Question now is will the dirty cops be prosecuted and will the young lady get her money back?

[Heng]

It's surprising Chuwit is still around, considering the local cost of life here.   But yeah, well done brother.

[Mickeymaus]

Without Chuwit this case would have been just another case of a helpless victim. To make matters worse the police even blamed the victim in the media that she was drunken and whatever. In other news it is written already that police officers admitted that they lied. What a story. For sure all the people guilty in this case will be transferred to a different post......... 

 

[marcusb]

What I find funny is the split. 

27,000 divided by 5-7 cops, plus a big tip for taxi driver.  They temporarily messed up their lives and careers for what,  4000 baht each?  What a joke. 

[4MyEgo]

22 minutes ago, webfact said:

He urged that Mr Sky come to Thailand to give evidence offering to pay for everything including the 27,000 baht.

Mr Sky said he needed time to think about that citing danger to himself.

Why not do it on Skype or some other app, no danger to himself.

[Mickeymaus]

Just now, marcusb said:

What I find funny is the split. 

27,000 divided by 5-7 cops, plus a big tip for taxi driver.  They temporarily messed up their lives and careers for what,  4000 baht each?  What a joke. 

It depends how often you do something like this.

[bobandyson]

5 minutes ago, Mickeymaus said:

It depends how often you do something like this.

From little acorns big oak trees grow.

[FriendlyFarang]

9 minutes ago, marcusb said:

What I find funny is the split. 

27,000 divided by 5-7 cops, plus a big tip for taxi driver.  They temporarily messed up their lives and careers for what,  4000 baht each?  What a joke. 

They probably did it hundreds of times already and never had a problem. Their problem was that this time they “caught” a celebrity and it came back to them.

[internationalism]

16 minutes ago, marcusb said:

What I find funny is the split. 

27,000 divided by 5-7 cops, plus a big tip for taxi driver.  They temporarily messed up their lives and careers for what,  4000 baht each?  What a joke. 

at the very same time a group of 5 korean female tourists were stopped at that checkpoint, also lileky for some extortion.. 

Through all night they might have 10 such cases - so 270 000 by 8 almost 35k.

And that might be going every single night

[mikeymike100]

18 minutes ago, marcusb said:

What I find funny is the split. 

27,000 divided by 5-7 cops, plus a big tip for taxi driver.  They temporarily messed up their lives and careers for what,  4000 baht each?  What a joke. 

Right, but what will happen is the dirty cops will get transferred for a few weeks and then get their old jobs back? As you say, it is a joke!

[mikeymike100]

19 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Why not do it on Skype or some other app, no danger to himself.

Yes if he went personally to Thailand he might get Epsteined?????

[Dmaxdan]

19 minutes ago, marcusb said:

What I find funny is the split. 

27,000 divided by 5-7 cops, plus a big tip for taxi driver.  They temporarily messed up their lives and careers for what,  4000 baht each?  What a joke. 

Focusing on the bigger picture clearly isn't their number one priority. And of course they have probably done this many times before and never been caught.

[ikke1959]

e cigarettes should be allowed, and alcohol sales ban lifted during daytime too... Attrack tourists instead of scaring them off with fines and corruption....

[John Drake]

24 minutes ago, marcusb said:

What I find funny is the split. 

27,000 divided by 5-7 cops, plus a big tip for taxi driver.  They temporarily messed up their lives and careers for what,  4000 baht each?  What a joke. 

They would be better off financially working the crosswalks and pulling in actual violators of the law. Could pull a driver over every ten seconds for running through crosswalks.

[WHansen]

Silence from yesterdays posters claiming Charlene was lying

[Mickeymaus]

What we have learned from the recent case of a young Chinese lady. It is better to travel using a VIP service. Then things like this will not happen. 

[bamnutsak]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Now he looks more of a thorn in the side of the RTP who critics say are little more than an out of control mafia in uniform.

Ouch.

 

I'd say that they are an "in-control" mafia in uniform, a well-oiled, corrupt machine, fine-tuned over 100 years of "service". Other than the odd murder, mass shooting, extortion, drug dealing, letting 20 Chinese gangsters walk for 20M baht, they hum right along, collecting "revenue", become unusually wealthy and purchasing "elephant tickets".

 

 

[2baht]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Chuwit said this case was a "lesson for Thailand"

Oh! The face (or loss of)! Loong Tu's war on corruption is in tatters!

[Eric Loh]

This extortion news have gone regional and hurt Thailand tourism image. Still a chance for the authority to turn this around and use this news to their betterment. The corrupt cops must be severely dealt with the full extent of the law. No sacking or transfer but indict them and jail them. Imprisonment for extortion is between 5 to 10 years and fine. Make an example of these crooked cops as a deterrent to other cops and some closure to this bad image. Well at least until the next corruption very soon. 

[Peabody]

We should have a thread that just follows cases such as this, with updates as they happen. 

[fusion58]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Yesterday the local police chief Pol Col Yingyos Suwanno was ordered transferred as investigations continue into the conduct of men under his control. 

Reminds me of the way the Catholic Church “transfers” priests who get caught molesting kids.

 

Same definition of accountability.

[metisdead]

Although the "Thailand's police caught with their pants down", a post with derogatory slurs toward the Thai police has been removed:

 
14. You will not post slurs, degrading or overly negative comments directed towards Thailand, Thai people, Thai culture, Thai institutions such as the military, judicial or law enforcement system or specific locations within Thailand.

[Joseph98765]

3 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

Why not do it on Skype or some other app, no danger to himself.

I thought the same... and transfer his money. no need to come...a video call in a court with a Judge and problem solved.

[HaoleBoy]

"Chuwit said this case was a "lesson for Thailand" and that the met chief, RTP chief and Thai PM should reimburse Mr Sky personally for the extortion. "

 

Would love to see RTP chief and Uncle Too on their knees giving a proper wai to the Taiwan actress!

[spidermike007]

Yes, they have been caught red handed, with their pants around their ankles, and they are were wearing any underwear. But, does it matter? It is always gratifying to see lowlife creeps outed. But, they are protected at the highest level, with near total immunity, so can anything ever change or improve? The rot comes from the top. Their masters in the army are morally bankrupt. It is all one big protection racket.

[Guderian]

Not really surprising, the RTP has been past its best-before date for longer than I can remember. But when the politicians calling the shots are even more corrupt than the cops, how do you fix things?

[recom273]

3 hours ago, marcusb said:

What I find funny is the split. 

27,000 divided by 5-7 cops, plus a big tip for taxi driver.  They temporarily messed up their lives and careers for what,  4000 baht each?  What a joke. 

It's the collective 27000B's of the whole organization - add that to the xxx number of 500B's the small time fines across the country that night then add = every other scam, extortion and racket that the RTP have the fingers in, it all adds up to a nice number, and who gets the biggest share? the people at the top of the tree. They must burst into hysterics every time they get in to their car to drive home after a hard days work.

[mberbae]

No one is looking into the other 5 Koreans that were at the station ?

You can bet they have stories to tell as well.