Pattaya police explain alleged bribery in child prostitution case

[webfact]

 

Pattaya police issued a statement today in an attempt to clarify a German media report, claiming that a German tourist, who was arrested for buying sexual services from an underage girl in Pattaya bar in September last year, was released after allegedly paying a million baht bribe to police before leaving Thailand.

 

In response to the accusation made in the DW documentary, Pattaya police said in its statement that that, on September 10th last year, police and local administration officials raided the Cobra beer bar in Bang Lamung district, after it was alleged that sexual services by underage girls were being offered to customers.

 

The bar’s owner, a Thai woman identified as Ornthana Yothee, 42, and her British partner, were arrested and charged with providing the services of prostitutes.

 

The police expanded their investigation and claim that a German customer used to buy sexual services from an underage employee of the bar. They arrested him on September 24th in a hotel in Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri.

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2023-12-04

 

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[Crossy]

I'm sure it's all a misunderstanding of course

 

[Swiss1960]

Police caught with pants down.. 

Deutsche Welle (DW) channel will be banned from all network providers 

[soalbundy]

He's done a runner your honour, nothing we could do to stop him as unfortunately no computer notification was sent to the immigration computers at the airport, it's a mystery.

[Henk Langeweg]

Passport?

[ikke1959]

No prostitution in Pattaya we have read many times.. No underage girl available either and no corruption... So what is this article about?? Arrest the policeman, get a good registration of passports, so immigration can see that the man was charged are just a few things they can do and a good registration of all sexworkers and the police who do checks.. But that are all dreams

[nausea]

A million baht sounds about right.

[NextG]

That took some time to filter through. In fact, this was reported on Al Jazeera some time ago(101 East if I remember correctly) with some disgusting member trying to deflect because it was on Arab media. Of course ignoring that the reporters are westerners and Al Jazeera were just one of the first to agree to air it. 

[NextG]

I remembered correctly. Released via Al Jazeera on the 17th of August

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/program/101-east/2023/8/17/inside-thailands-child-sex-tourism-trade

[stoner]

what a completely misleading article and headline. 

 

and i quote ......

 

The statement from the police did not specifically address the one million baht which is alleged to have been paid

 

what a bunch of cowards. 

[Emdog]

5 minutes ago, NextG said:

I remembered correctly. Released via Al Jazeera on the 17th of August

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/program/101-east/2023/8/17/inside-thailands-child-sex-tourism-trade

drat... vid not available. But good try.

Police didn't explain much other than the bribe was only half a million. Standard procedure worldwide is to keep the suspects passport so can't do a runner.... or is it just my cynical mind that thinks "that's what the courts & cops want to happen"?

[Tropicalevo]

2 minutes ago, Emdog said:

drat... vid not available. But good try.

Thailand has banned the video, but with a VPN........

[smedly]

Two days later, the German suspect was taken to the Pattaya court, to have his detention extended for further questioning. The suspect then sought bail and the application was granted by the court on the condition that he must report to the court on November 14th, or his 500,000 baht surety would be confiscated.

On November 7th, the German suspect flew out of Thailand.

 

 

try doing that with an unpaid hospital bill, the police trying to defend this is hilarious and also tragic, money talks here, money number one

[Tom H]

German se xpats in Pattaya dont like this movie….

[harrycallahan]

Germans care? A German judge just let 8 rapists walk after the prolonged gang rape of an intoxicated 15 year old in a Hamburg park. They received the diversity discount. A ninth rapist got 2 years 9 months. 

[BestB]

Do not understand why police are confused and do not know which agency to blame.

 

Firstly, when he was arrested passport was taken from him by investigating officer. That officer was supposed to hold onto passport till the final judgement in court 

 

moment he went to court and bail was granted, immigration was notified same day.

 

his visa status should have had “red notice “ on the computer. 
 

clearly investigating officer gave the passport back , suspect number 1 and same officer coordinated with someone in immigration to remove red notice.

 

where to start ? With detaining and questioning investigating officer. 

[Nickcage49]

That doesn't "explain it" and the link to Thai PBS is bad. I don't see anyone denying it.

[Nickcage49]

Here's the real link to the story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/pattaya-police-explain-alleged-bribery-in-child-prostitution-case/

 

And we all know that if someone has posted bond, there's no way they would get out of the country legally.

 

I guess it's possible the guy took a van across the border and left from another country, but it's highly doubtful. If I'm not mistaken there are exit stations at the border too and his passport would have been checked.

[Will B Good]

Pattaya police issued a statement today in an attempt to clarify a German media report, claiming that a German tourist, who was arrested for buying sexual services from an underage girl in Pattaya bar in September last year, was released after allegedly paying a million baht bribe to police before leaving Thailand......

 

................the RTP said it was actually two million.

[Ironmike]

The police corruption in Thailand is amazing I'm still trying to figure out how a Russian woman in the middle of the night drunk can run down and kill 2 young people riding home on their motor cycle it's all over cctv and now nothing has been done about that either but I bet the boys in Chalong police station pocketed a coupler million for her to walk free and they were probably at the airport waving her goodbye mine while the families of the two dead kids are still waiting for answers explain please officers. 

[BE88]

16 minutes ago, BestB said:

Do not understand why police are confused and do not know which agency to blame.

 

Firstly, when he was arrested passport was taken from him by investigating officer. That officer was supposed to hold onto passport till the final judgement in court 

 

moment he went to court and bail was granted, immigration was notified same day.

 

his visa status should have had “red notice “ on the computer. 
 

clearly investigating officer gave the passport back , suspect number 1 and same officer coordinated with someone in immigration to remove red notice.

 

where to start ? With detaining and questioning investigating officer. 

 

And now the main problem is that this dangerous individual, not having the red notice on the immigration police's computer, can easily return to Thailand

 

[JustinCredible]

If the PM accepts that nonsense from the police as an explanation, then we are all doomed.

[ChipButty]

7 minutes ago, Ironmike said:

The police corruption in Thailand is amazing I'm still trying to figure out how a Russian woman in the middle of the night drunk can run down and kill 2 young people riding home on their motor cycle it's all over cctv and now nothing has been done about that either but I bet the boys in Chalong police station pocketed a coupler million for her to walk free and they were probably at the airport waving her goodbye mine while the families of the two dead kids are still waiting for answers explain please officers. 

None of us know what happened to the Russian woman we dont even know if she was drunk for sure, 

[terryofcrete]

Surely he can be arrested in Germany and tried .... ? Seems to be happening in some countries 

[malthebluff]

They only need to change one rule in Thailand and that's you dont pay the police anything, they give you a ticket and you pay it at 7/11 or some other company office like they do in other countries this way the police wont be so tempted and police salaries could be raised with the money collected. After all with the so called no prostitutes in pattaya that the police have always claimed, police income would be so low

[tandor]

2 hours ago, Henk Langeweg said:

Passport?

he passed several it seems, unchallenged

[smew]

travel document are confiscated when suspect is on bail  

[Seppius]

So what happened to the British bar owner and his wife?

[proton]

1 hour ago, Seppius said:

So what happened to the British bar owner and his wife?

I was under the impression they were the managers and the bar was owned by the UK owner of another group? All the fuss seems to be on the German getting away with underaged sex, but not on the providers of it

[Bangkok Barry]

What is the fuss about? No-one doubts for a moment that Thai police, once described by the UN as a criminal organisation, are corrupt. It isn't a secret. And to prove it, this alleged child rapist was allowed out on bail despite the seriousness of the charge, his passport returned and immigration, who no doubt received their cut if they they even were informed, allowed him to flee the country. The are either corrupt or utterly inept. Or both. And now the police say they would try to uncover what went wrong (how the cat was let out of the bag). Will there be a follow-up by the media after six committees have looked into it for a year?