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

[dallen52]

When you are talking about a pay for positions police force...

What else is to be expected?

 

Orders are despatched from the top saying "go out and make me some money".

I'm sure many can attest to these tactics. 

[JimmyJ]

3 hours ago, Mickeymaus said:

 To make matters worse the police even blamed the victim in the media that she was drunken and whatever. 

Some aseannow posters as well did the standard victim blaming, imagining fanciful scenarios without a wisp of evidence.

 

 

[smew]

little more than an out of control mafia in uniform.

 

[Purdey]

This type of extortion happens a lot, but I am surprised at the amount. If you are in a car with your wife and friends and get stopped, they only extort from the driver, not everyone in the car.

Also, I understand that being drunk as a passenger is not against the law. 

[Speedhump]

3 hours ago, bobandyson said:

From little acorns big oak trees grow.

From little shakedowns mighty Rolexes grow. 

[johnny49r]

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. 

Nobody in the RTP ever loses their job when caught with their pants around their ankles, they are simply 'transferred' to an undisclosed location where they can continue their crimes uninterrupted. Life as usual in LOS.

[Nip]

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. 

Greed has no boundaries. 

[smew]

shame ... and sad as it is only getting worse reflection of thai economy

   

[Bangkok Barry]

9 minutes ago, Purdey said:

Also, I understand that being drunk as a passenger is not against the law.

The law in Thailand is whatever the man in the tight brown uniform says it is. Try disputing it and see how far you get (not you personally).

[mommysboy]

Ok, the law relating to vaping is the biggest dumbest aXX there ever was imo, but the real problem is sheer greed. If the sum involved had been 1000 baht- there wouldn't have been such an outcry, possibly none whatsoever.  The law is the law, but punishments have to be proportionate to the severity of the crime.

 

I for one would rather pay 1000 baht than go through the courts, but that is now the only route.  Prepare for some big headlines in the future.  Make sure it's not you making them.

 

[Stevemercer]

It's a pretty black and white issue and the solution is obvious (if the government is serious about stopping corruption).

 

The Thai press continues to demand action to curb endemic police corruption. The solution is obvious. Endemic and systematic corruption always starts at the top. The top cops are the ones who set the tone and example for the entire police force. They are either on the take or incapable of addressing corruption.

 

Either way, they are responsible, they are to blame and the finger should be pointed at them. Dismiss them and replace with honest cops (if such a thing exists in Thailand). If the government won't do this then they must be part of the problem.

[Mr Meeseeks]

3 hours ago, Heng said:

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

They've tried to kill him a few times.

 

Remember the grenade being chucked into the reception of his hotel on Soi 24 many years ago as a warning.

[Udom]

2 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

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. 

You’re dead right but, unfortunately, it’s never gonna happen…

[Mr Meeseeks]

18 minutes ago, JimmyJ said:

Some aseannow posters as well did the standard victim blaming, imagining fanciful scenarios without a wisp of evidence.

 

 

Those posters are poor trolls and best put on ignore for the sake of sanity.

[ChrisKC]

I am very sorry to hear this story! For myself, I have no personal experience of corruption by the RTP to my disadvantage in 20 years living in Thailand.

 

The RTP are our Defenders

They are our Protectors

They are our Enforcers of the Constitution

The are our Enforcers of the law

 

Aren't they?

 

A high level of disappointment from me to the RTP

[bangon04]

3 hours ago, Mickeymaus said:

 For sure all the people guilty in this case will be transferred to a different post......... 

 

Thong Lor police probably looking for "experts" in the field of tourist harassment.........

[soalbundy]

2 hours ago, 2baht said:

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

Not really, nobody ever believed that would happen. The low police pay reflects the fact that police corruption is expected and condoned, it saves the state a lot of money, intelligent policemen with decent training and good pay would be expensive and a danger to the corrupt practices of the high-so's.

[bangon04]

18 minutes ago, Stevemercer said:

It's a pretty black and white issue and the solution is obvious (if the government is serious about stopping corruption).

 

The Thai press continues to demand action to curb endemic police corruption. The solution is obvious. Endemic and systematic corruption always starts at the top. The top cops are the ones who set the tone and example for the entire police force. They are either on the take or incapable of addressing corruption.

 

Either way, they are responsible, they are to blame and the finger should be pointed at them. Dismiss them and replace with honest cops (if such a thing exists in Thailand). If the government won't do this then they must be part of the problem.

The Hong Kong Police dealt with the problem in the late 1970s with major reforms and restructuring and a higher wage. Public confidence was restored for many.

Of course it started to go downhill again after 1997........

[pp00]

4 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 was an every day action and they thought it was safe as always since nothing ever happened to them...

[Snig27]

The thing is, that as awful and wrong as this is, the cops must look at the corruption all the way up and think that if it's okay for a senior member of the government to have 22 Rolex watches obviously gained from corrupt practices (and get away with it), then what is wrong with us doing much the same. This is just a symptom of a far bigger malaise that infects the country to the core and has done forever. 

In the end, unless there is some sort of revolution, nothing will change and this will fade. I bet somewhere the cops extorted money from someone else last night. Of course they did...

[tomazbodner]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

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.

To ensure nothing bad happens to Mr. Sky, a conference all testimony should definitely be possible to arrange...

[Jonathan Swift]

4 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

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

Red Skelton is in people’s closets?

[koele2]

How exactly will they stop this?  It’s in their blood.  It’s part of the culture.  It’s like trying to take rice out of their diet, no one will know how to live.  Every single higher up has done this or seen this happen, they know how it works, it’s a requirement to get the job in the first place.  Everyone has to get their hands dirty to gain trust and get promoted.  What normal countries require you to pay millions of baht to get the top police job in provinces?  This is next level corruption, where will they even start?

[Thingamabob]

No surprise whatsoever. There was no way the Taiwanese had anything to gain by making this up. Be interesting to see what happens next....

[nigelforbes]

5 minutes ago, Snig27 said:

The thing is, that as awful and wrong as this is, the cops must look at the corruption all the way up and think that if it's okay for a senior member of the government to have 22 Rolex watches obviously gained from corrupt practices (and get away with it), then what is wrong with us doing much the same. This is just a symptom of a far bigger malaise that infects the country to the core and has done forever. 

In the end, unless there is some sort of revolution, nothing will change and this will fade. I bet somewhere the cops extorted money from someone else last night. Of course they did...

If corruption and the ability to extort and take backhanders is eliminated from the system entirely, salaries across the board will all have to rise substantially to make the wage match the job. If that happens, taxes will have to rise to pay for the increased overhead and the budget will be in deficit,  which means the Baht will lose value. That's a win win for tourists but a lose lose for expats and locals since imports will cost more and prices, particularly oil, will inflate even further.

 

Be careful what you wish for.

[anchadian]

(1/2) Taiwanese actress Charlene An posted on Instagram Tues thanking the BBC, Taiwanese media & some Thais after Thai police capitulated & admitted seven of their officers were involved in extorting her on Jan 4 in Bangkok. #Thailand #Taiwan

 

(2/2) "Grateful for the many Thai friendships made. U have taught me that many friendship knows no language barriers," An wrote in English & Chinese. "#Thailand, your culture, people, food, will always be special to me. I look forward to a better experience in my future visits."

 

https://twitter.com/KhaosodEnglish/status/1620300999792676870

[Jonathan Swift]

1 hour ago, mberbae said:

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

You can bet they have stories to tell as well.

Stay tuned

[Snig27]

37 minutes ago, Stevemercer said:

Dismiss them and replace with honest cops (if such a thing exists in Thailand).

Or do what other countries have done, bring in someone external - from another police force - and give them the authority to do what is needed. The courts similarly. And then do what Indonesia did, and create a powerful and clean anti-corruption body (to replace the NACC, which is, incredibly, headed by a policeman) to ruthlessly prosecute. Once you have the police and courts cleansed (it will take a while, you go after the rest). It will take decades but it could be done if the ruling elite had the will. They don't sadly.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

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

All three should step down for failing their country.

It has been long know most of the RTP are a law unto themselves.

Now publicly shamed for extortion the heads must roll, and I mean the 3-heads..

[Jonathan Swift]

“While e-cigarettesare illegal in Thailand extortion is not.” From the article. ?