Police commander orders urgent investigation into tourist police clip of luggage assistance

[webfact]

Picture: Thai Rath

 

On April 23, 2023, Pol. Gen. Damrongsak Kittiprapas ordered an urgent investigation into a video clip showing tourist police in Thailand assisting tourists with their luggage, reported Thai Rath.

 

The investigation aims to examine all aspects of the incident to ensure that the tourist police are providing services within their authority and in a manner that is appropriate and not discriminatory.

 

The police commander's concern arose after a video surfaced showing tourist police welcoming and helping tourists with their luggage, including a well-known lawyer.

 

The investigation seeks to determine whether the officers were operating within their authority and whether the provision of such services was appropriate.

 

It also aims to assess whether the use of privileges has negatively affected the image of the organization.

 

The commander ordered the Tourist Police Headquarters to review the facts of the incident and report the results as soon as possible.

 

The goal is to establish guidelines for the operational practice of the Tourist Police in performing their duties, including providing assistance to tourists in a clear and non-discriminatory manner.

 

However, the investigation and establishment of guidelines should help address these issues and ensure that the Tourist Police operate within their authority and provide assistance to the public and tourists appropriately.

 

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[ezzra]

9 minutes ago, webfact said:

The police commander's concern arose after a video surfaced showing tourist police welcoming and helping tourists with their luggage, including a well-known lawyer.

 

Confusing, so this 'well known lawyer', was he a tourist? how can he be if he's a local? i and what is wrong with helping people with their luggage if they're tourists? 

[RichardColeman]

Considering that these policemen stand around doing nothing a lot of the time, I really do not see it as an issue.

[sammieuk1]

A well known lawyer to the police is very handy as you should know Lt. Pol. Gen ????

[Emster23]

Could be the old "slippery slope" danger if cops start doing useful behaviors. No telling what that might lead to!

[mikebell]

As Richard says above, the police must be bored out of their skulls from doing nothing all day, all year.  Helping people is such a novelty for them.

[dinsdale]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The police commander's concern arose after a video surfaced showing tourist police welcoming and helping tourists with their luggage, including a well-known lawyer.

As long as no favour is shown and no back handers given I can't see a problem. Good on them. Helpful coppers at the airport can only be a good image. Out of the airport though get ready with the tea money.

[ChipButty]

Maybe I have lived here to long, if that happened to me I would really be suspious what's going on here, Or a first time tourist would be thinking that's really nice of them, Not knowing what coming next 

[webfact]

Thailand’s Tourist Police under fire for carrying famous lawyer’s luggage (video)
by leah

 

Photo via ThaiRath

Thailand‘s police chief Pol. Gen. Damrongsak Kittipraphat ordered an urgent investigation into a video of Tourist Police officers assisting with the luggage of a famous lawyer at Suvarnabhumi Airport after the clip sparked concerns that the act was inappropriate and outside of the officers’ specified duties.

Chief Damrongsak held a conference yesterday at the Royal Thai Police (RTP) Headquarters to announce the launch of the investigation as well as to order the force to work according to the same Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), which should be clear and non-discriminatory, reports ThaiRath.

 

In the 20-second-long clip, two police officers in brown uniforms push luggage belonging to the family of Lawyer Tam, a well-known figure in Thailand, and help to lift it onto the luggage belt at the check-in counter.

 

The clip surfaced because famous political whistleblower Chuwit Kamolwisit posted it on Facebook yesterday, calling out the police…

 

“I am a walking citizen. If I travel anywhere, I go to the counter and load my luggage myself according to the regulations. No one to welcome me, no police to carry my bags.

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thailands-tourist-police-under-fire-for-carrying-famous-lawyers-luggage-video

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-04-24

 

- 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.

 

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[scorecard]

Many people travel all over the world every day with a lot of luggage, often in excess of their actual check-in babbage allowance.

 

They know it's going to be a bit of a task to get all their luggage to a taxi or friends' car etc.

 

I've done it, I get 2 luggage trollies, load them up and alterately push one trolley a few metres then the other trolley the same, etc.

 

Hundreds of times at many airports seen loads of other people doing the same or similar. It's life! 

[klauskunkel]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The goal is to establish guidelines for the operational practice of the Tourist Police.

 

to order the force to work according to the same Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

It's 2023, and the police chief is admitting that the police force does not have guidelines and standard procedures to operate?

He needs to be certain all plastic bags are the same size at the stations...

[chickenslegs]

Commander (to his men): "I don't want to see any of you lifting people's suitcases like that."

 

Men looking looking at the floor and mumbling apologies.

 

Commander: "To prevent back injuries, always bend your knees and lift with your legs."

[Phuket Pete]

Of all my grave concerns about the RTP, helping people with their luggage is not one of them !

[cnx101]

Every report is a fun report today, 

[soalbundy]

4 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Maybe I have lived here to long, if that happened to me I would really be suspious what's going on here, Or a first time tourist would be thinking that's really nice of them, Not knowing what coming next 

Did any luggage go missing? otherwise not a problem.

[Burma Bill]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

showing tourist police in Thailand assisting tourists with their luggage,

So what? As a Tourist Police Volunteer, I used to help foreigners/tourists off flights carry their luggage to the Taxi Booking desk at Khon Kaen Airport. My Thai colleagues did the same for Thai folk. All part of our service - and free I might add!!

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

It also aims to assess whether the use of privileges has negatively affected the image of the organization.

Has it ever?

[Banana7]

Let's not be fooled by this seemingly innocent incident.

 

The Police are there to protect the bags and their contents and to reduce the possibility that other authorities do not intervene or potentially want to examine the contents of the luggage.  The lawyer's bags may have contained content which is questionable or illegal.

 

Lots of times lawyers transport large sums of cash and valuables between countries for clients. Authorities who have the right to examine the bags, may want to avoid confrontation with a lawyer and other Police.

 

There have been other reports of Police assisting travelers with their bags to evade searches by customs and other authorities.

 

Clearly, the Chief suspects something improper occurred.

 

 

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, Phuket Pete said:

Of all my grave concerns about the RTP, helping people with their luggage is not one of them !

Point taken.

But should they perhaps be using their on duty time to focus on the other more important duties?

[richard_smith237]

I wonder if this is one of those ‘moonlighting Police fast track services’ which has been reported on in the past....  

 

i.e. the Police provide a fast track through traffic to the airport. 

I don’t think regular Policemen (in this case Tourist Police) have Airport-clearance, thus, they may not have been able to fast track this lady through the Airport.

 

OR... I suspect this lady is friends of or married to someone well connected to send their ‘juniors’ off to the airport with this lady (lawyer).

[richard_smith237]

24 minutes ago, Banana7 said:

Let's not be fooled by this seemingly innocent incident.

 

The Police are there to protect the bags and their contents and to reduce the possibility that other authorities do not intervene or potentially want to examine the contents of the luggage.  The lawyer's bags may have contained content which is questionable or illegal.

 

Lots of times lawyers transport large sums of cash and valuables between countries for clients. Authorities who have the right to examine the bags, may want to avoid confrontation with a lawyer and other Police.

 

There have been other reports of Police assisting travelers with their bags to evade searches by customs and other authorities.

 

Clearly, the Chief suspects something improper occurred.

 

Valid points...     I know guys who have done exactly what you have described (travelling to other Asean countries). 

[crazykopite]

Was it a case of needing funds for the coffee and tea breaks !

[Banana7]

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Valid points...     I know guys who have done exactly what you have described (travelling to other Asean countries). 

I too know of people who have done exactly what I described.

 

A Policeman handling or escorting bags gives the visual impression that everything is legal and important. Why would a Policeman be involved in illegal activities? After all the Police are there to uphold the law, in most cases.

 

[Bim Smith]

Sounds like the kind of thing my local police would do for me and I am neither well known nor important. They helped me search for a missing street dog I feed one night. I really don't see a problem 

[RocketDog]

8 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Considering that these policemen stand around doing nothing a lot of the time, I really do not see it as an issue.

Precisely why it is an issue.

[SGD]

Who answered the question "did you pack your bag yourself ?"

 

The BiB ?

[cncltd1973]

that's nice, of all the things to investigate the police for...

[John Drake]

2 hours ago, soalbundy said:

Did any luggage go missing? otherwise not a problem.

Probably safe unless Sam Brinton was passing through Thailand.

[Puccini]

The entire scene looks staged for a video clip to be posted on multimedia.

 

Several uniformed persons — the article mentions tourist police — are lined up and at a signal from one of them they set in motion to roll several suitcases to the check-in counter. It seems that the lady carrying a teddy bear and wearing a hoodie is the departing passenger, sent off by a man with a hug and a wave.

 

(I wish I knew how to download the clip from the Facebook post so that I could post it here)

[sambum]

"On April 23, 2023, Pol. Gen. Damrongsak Kittiprapas ordered an urgent investigation into a video clip showing tourist police in Thailand assisting tourists with their luggage,......."

 

Along with the latest blitz on overstayers, the RTP certainly know their priorities! Not a bad guy in sight!