Policeman Cheats Bt1.2 Million In Traffic Fine Rewards

[Dap]

Well as a retired cop like sunray, I wouldn't be a cop in this country if they gave it to me.

Fine disbursement I will use California as an example since I have some experience there.

Parking fines and city code violations pretty much stay with the city.

But other traffic violations were spread out between the City involved, the County and then the State.

Did any of this money go towards Police Salaries sure they did , as well as the courts Ect.

But to individual officers no. There was always a Sgt around that knew exactly how many citations within a given beat there should be. Yes we were expected to perform. So if you had a day when you were not busy with something else, should be some citations at the end of the shift shouldn't there.

My only experience where officers were expected to perform to a quota system were officer assigned specifically to traffic enforcment. But, those qoutas were based on traffic studies, not a figure pulled out of the sky. Normally only as to violations that had cuased accidents on the beat assignment.

Now me I like that system I think it is a pretty fair deal.

Now lets think about something else. In that system you not only got a fine. But your insuraqnce company and the Department of Motor Vehicles. So to many citations and bye bye drivers license. Insurance rates were based on you driving record, therefore you could get penalized twice. So if I have to pay because I did something wrong well so be it. Up to the government to decide how the system operates, not me.

I have only paid tea money once that was in Bangkok, I didn't run a red light I slaughtered it. So as the cop walked up my only question how much?. I was wrong end of story. since he didn't write a ticket I assume it was Tea money. I deserved to be given a fine and that was it. But my insurance company never got involved and I didn't get penalized twice.

Having lived here for six years I have been stopped many times in the check points. I wear a helmet, my bike is legal and I have a drivers license. Never asked for Tea money. Mine is a big bike so 70K for the book, do I feel sorry for the guy that occaissonally pay 200 baht to a cop for his bike registration, not hardly. He picked that course and is probably financially well ahead of me

Cops stealing from cops, there problem not mine.

Be careful what you wish for. Me I'm way ahead of the game in this system

It's Thailand guys their rules not ours.

It still amaze me after six years that the cops here in Udon can still fine people for not wearing helmet, but they do, six days a week.

And fining people for not wearing helmets still ends up saving lives. Your post is "Spot-on".

[ThaiFelix]

I was once told in Indonesia that the cops are paid low because the men are basically lazy. If they got a decent salary they would probably just get drunk with their mates and/or sleep their shift. The low pay means they have to go out and work so they could extract tea money to survive. Theoretically you have to break a law to get busted so the end result is the same... the cop works, laws get upheld, and he gets a decent pay. From what I have seen, this system seems to fit most of south-east Asia

[Dap]

How long can he and his family live on the 1.2mio Bath?That was not very clever he will loose his job and further tea money sources.

Would the best solution not be to pay a reasonable salary with a good remuneration etc and if any police officer was corrupt then they would lose everything and serve a term in prison. Driving a car and a motorbike I am constantly reminded that I am a mobile ATM machine but they are the politess robbers I have found always saluting and thanking me for handing them some Baht.

In five years of driving I have only come across one policeman who did his job properly and handed me a ticket for the passenger not wearing a seat belt. He was not interested in "tea money" He had my respect as he was doing his JOB.

During the 15 years that I have lived here, and having travelled the country extensively, I have never been extorted (sp). If I break the traffic laws (as I have many times) I would expect to pay the price. I have always been treated with the respect due any human being by the BIB. Of course, I know that there will always be the exception to the rule and I am well overdue. That said, in my neck o' the woods, I respect anyone who works for a living to support themselves and/or their family. I believe the situation requires a commensurate pay for the job, something not in existance here in the LOS at this time.

[fred2007]

Police officer allegedly cheats peers out of Bt1.2 million in traffic fine rewards

CHIANG MAI: -- Some 50 traffic policemen of the Chiang Mai head office Friday field complaint against their peer, alleging him with cheating them out of Bt1.2 million in traffic fine rewards.

The policemen filed complaint against Police Senior Sergeant Major Thanawat Sinpieng, 47, at the Muang district police station.

They said Thanawat was assigned to withdraw the money of traffic fine rewards for December from the Krung Thai Bank's San Pa Khoy branch in the Muang district on December 29 but he disappeared.

The money was for sharing among 150 traffic policemen, they said.

They said Thanawat was earlier assigned to withdraw the money several times with no problem.

He has disappeared with his family.

-- The Nation 2009-01-09

Look for him at the Casino s.

They do have a casino in CM?

[ray23]

Why so many people reading this. This topic always gets people going

Sin sod no matter how many times it's discussed gets lots of traffic as well.

I think this one is good place to vent.

[vahack]

i LIKE the fact that i can get out of a speeding ticket by paying a couple hundred baht to a dirty cop on the spot.

u ever been pulled over in the US? it'll cost you $100 minimum for the ticket (and a trip to court) plus points on your insurance - which keeps costing you well after you pay the fine.

in regards to this guy, what the f^@k can u do with 1.2m baht? can't buy a house (not one i'd live in). can't buy a car. and as a fugitive u cant work in Thai govt anymore. you'd have to flee the country and get set up elsewhere, which would cost most if not all of that.

he should have held out for more lol

other possibility is he was into some guys for big money. had to pay the debt.

whatever it was, they'll find him soon. for some reason Thai people suck at hiding. Driver of the truck full of Burmese dead people - found. Fisherman who hacked up the Swedish chick - found. Countless husbands and wives who kill their spouses - all found.

[Dap]

Why so many people reading this. This topic always gets people going

Sin sod no matter how many times it's discussed gets lots of traffic as well.

I think this one is good place to vent.

I agree, a good place to vent.

[brahmburgers]

The thieving cop will be found. He'll sobbingly say he's so so sorry, but that he soooooo needed the money (for kids, grandparents, etc). He'll have to scrape together to try to pay back the money. The cops will grudgingly forgive him. He'll be demoted, maybe suspended, but not fired (no gov't workers get fired in Thailand. Worst is to get sent to Ministry of Inactive Posts).

Policeman robs fellow policemen.....that says it all about sorry ass state of affairs in Thai law enforcement.

As a former victim of police blackmail I have no simpathy for either of these morons.

There are thieves in all professions / in all walks of life.

[DC1066]

Probably not true, but why let the facts......

I was told that in Phuket the police have a maximum commission they can earn in a month from motoring fines - which is why you're much more likely to get stopped at the start of the month than at the end of the month.

[bruceboy]

Some amazing stories. TIT!

[munirkn]

Wrong time decision. Very little money.

This is the reason that army depends upon police dept for stratigic displacement of weapons because policemen don't have unity so no sharing of critical information and shipment reach safely to destination.

[JetsetBkk]

How long can he and his family live on the 1.2mio Bath?That was not very clever he will loose his job and further tea money sources.

And his pension!

Maybe he owed someone some money and it was a choice - steal the monthly takings and run, or a bullet.

[inquisitive]

Whenever this sort of thing comes up I always seem to see some of the same reactions. 1) It is not the policeman’s fault. He had to do it because of the low pay. Give him a decent wage and he will suddenly turn honest. 2) The recent plan to share the fines between the police officers that extort (I mean collect) the money from the drivers - innocent or otherwise - is an attempt by the government to cut down on corruption.

Of course neither of these two arguments is valid. What do you think? Do you think the policeman started out his job and then there was a pay cut and suddenly he can’t make ends meet? The police officer KNEW the salary before he signed on. If it wasn’t enough, then he never should have taken his oath and donned his badge.

The fact is that these crooked cops all knew even before they signed up what the pay was and they planned right from the start to cheat, steal, and extort to make the job financially worthwhile. Do you think for a second that giving them a pay raise would change their personality? Well, let’s just ask ourselves whether we think what they would do if their illegal activities really began to pay off big time. Do you think they would stop, saying they now had enough, or do you think they would say “Hot dam_n! I gotta do more of this! A few more months like this and I can buy a Mercedes!”

When the robber points a gun at a bank teller and hands the teller an empty sack, doe he say “only put a thousand dollars in the sack and leave the rest in your drawer. I only want to steal as much as I need and no more”?

Get serious. The crooked cops are guys that decided it would be better for them to steal while wearing a badge than without one. It has nothing to do with their salary.

And as to the government trying to cut down on the current practice of extorting money from innocent drivers by giving them the driver the choice of paying a bribe to the officer or spending a half day at the station house and then having to pay twice as much, well that is just a fairy tale as well. What really happened is that the police department wanted part of the action. As it is, when the officer holds up a driver and pockets the money, the department gets none of it. When the department sanctions the hold-up, however, and the traffic cop agrees to only keep half in exchange from immunity from any charges of wrongdoing, then the department at least gets half of the take.

Is there any provision to make sure that only drivers actually guilty of an offense are forced to pay? Nope. The only difference from before this enlightened ruling is that the guy extorting the money must keep a record so that his department gets in on the action. It is still the same “you can pay me now, or you can pay much more at the station after wasting half your day.” There is no more justice and no less corruption. The only difference is that more people share in the proceeds of the swindle.

[Dap]

Whenever this sort of thing comes up I always seem to see some of the same reactions. 1) It is not the policeman's fault. He had to do it because of the low pay. Give him a decent wage and he will suddenly turn honest. 2) The recent plan to share the fines between the police officers that extort (I mean collect) the money from the drivers - innocent or otherwise - is an attempt by the government to cut down on corruption.

Of course neither of these two arguments is valid. What do you think? Do you think the policeman started out his job and then there was a pay cut and suddenly he can't make ends meet? The police officer KNEW the salary before he signed on. If it wasn't enough, then he never should have taken his oath and donned his badge.

The fact is that these crooked cops all knew even before they signed up what the pay was and they planned right from the start to cheat, steal, and extort to make the job financially worthwhile. Do you think for a second that giving them a pay raise would change their personality? Well, let's just ask ourselves whether we think what they would do if their illegal activities really began to pay off big time. Do you think they would stop, saying they now had enough, or do you think they would say "Hot dam_n! I gotta do more of this! A few more months like this and I can buy a Mercedes!"

When the robber points a gun at a bank teller and hands the teller an empty sack, doe he say "only put a thousand dollars in the sack and leave the rest in your drawer. I only want to steal as much as I need and no more"?

Get serious. The crooked cops are guys that decided it would be better for them to steal while wearing a badge than without one. It has nothing to do with their salary.

And as to the government trying to cut down on the current practice of extorting money from innocent drivers by giving them the driver the choice of paying a bribe to the officer or spending a half day at the station house and then having to pay twice as much, well that is just a fairy tale as well. What really happened is that the police department wanted part of the action. As it is, when the officer holds up a driver and pockets the money, the department gets none of it. When the department sanctions the hold-up, however, and the traffic cop agrees to only keep half in exchange from immunity from any charges of wrongdoing, then the department at least gets half of the take.

Is there any provision to make sure that only drivers actually guilty of an offense are forced to pay? Nope. The only difference from before this enlightened ruling is that the guy extorting the money must keep a record so that his department gets in on the action. It is still the same "you can pay me now, or you can pay much more at the station after wasting half your day." There is no more justice and no less corruption. The only difference is that more people share in the proceeds of the swindle.

And life goes on. Figure out a way to change it to your liking or accept it as it is.

[wrecker]

A typical case of SOM NAM NAA, I am very sorry for all those upstanding policemen cheating out of the money that was most probably cheated from citizens anyhow. a beautiful irony....

[JetsetBkk]

Whenever this sort of thing comes up .....blah, blah, blah

We take it that you have had some dealings with the Bib then?

(And please stop p1551ng about with the fonts. Ta, muchly. )

[zl1vette]

They do the same thing in virtually every city in America, except they TRY to disguise it a little better. Those who "excel" in their job performance (write lots of tickets) get "promoted" (more money in their pockets) whereas those that do not "enforce the law" properly get passed over. Despite the claim (lie) that there is no quota system for ticket writing, for some strange reason my radar detector gets a lot more hits near the end of every month.

I used to bartend in a small town a few years back, and the owner of the bar where I worked was on "good terms" with the cops. They would hold their annual Christmas party (a private event) at our place, and got huge "discounts" on the food, alcohol (and these suckers could drink!), and use of the facility. On a given night, especially weekends, they would be camped out just down the road from a couple of other local watering holes, looking to pull over drunk drivers. The most that we usually got was a drive-through of the parking lot a time or two. The bars that had a reputation as "hot spots" for police on patrol of course saw their business take a hit, as the drunks will always just migrate to some place where it is "quieter".

[squarefred]

Dont give more than 20 ~ 100 THB... after that I dont think any people here can be trusted when it is question of money !

You mean Thailand? That's offensive in the extreme. You're insulting a lot of people with that. Not all people here are crooks. If you hang around Nana Plaza, Khao San Road, Soi Cowboy and other such seedy areas then that's all you'll meet, but it doesn't mean decent Thai people don't exist. I know plenty. One's even a policeman.

[Sisaketmike]

Police officer allegedly cheats peers out of Bt1.2 million in traffic fine rewards

CHIANG MAI: -- Some 50 traffic policemen of the Chiang Mai head office Friday field complaint against their peer, alleging him with cheating them out of Bt1.2 million in traffic fine rewards.

The policemen filed complaint against Police Senior Sergeant Major Thanawat Sinpieng, 47, at the Muang district police station.

They said Thanawat was assigned to withdraw the money of traffic fine rewards for December from the Krung Thai Bank's San Pa Khoy branch in the Muang district on December 29 but he disappeared.

The money was for sharing among 150 traffic policemen, they said.

They said Thanawat was earlier assigned to withdraw the money several times with no problem.

He has disappeared with his family.

-- The Nation 2009-01-09

To whom it may concern,

I herewith apply for Mr. Thannawats position as a cop, to carry. Isn't that funny? Cash and carry. I guess he is with Mr. Thakschimus now........and having some fun about a funny country. Lol.

[Bagwan]

LOL!!! Well they will just have to launch an investigation!

Good idea. First thing is to set up a committe.

[BKK03]

Does it take a police to catch a police?

"It takes a crook to catch a crook."

[Pib]

I believe they're entitled to pocket 50% of the "on the spot fines". Anything paid at the station goes into the "joint account". That's why the police will charge you less at the roadside (usually half) because it goes into their own pocket!

So far I've only contributed one 500 baht donation while getting pulled over at Victory Moument in Bangkok (supposedly I was in a bus only lane). But since no ticket was issued due to the donation, I guess there was a 100% entitlement.

[swillowbee]

Dont give more than 20 ~ 100 THB... after that I dont think any people here can be trusted when it is question of money !"

You mean Thailand? That's offensive in the extreme. You're insulting a lot of people with that. Not all people here are crooks. If you hang around Nana Plaza, Khao San Road, Soi Cowboy and other such seedy areas then that's all you'll meet, but it doesn't mean decent Thai people don't exist. I know plenty. One's even a policeman."

______________________________________________

So, Squarefred. Yes, sure offensive to some (Thais are unlikely readers of this forum, so don't be too overly-concerned). They would probably, I suspect, be the first to concede the extent of the problem here.

After 10 years in Thailand, I too, as you, have met some Thais who have integrity. Delightful people, to be sure, but they are counted in a shrinking minority. As a rule, I trust no Thais outside a very, very small circle.

There exists no government official, politician, or bureaucrat I believe would not take a bribe . . . and willingly. I've also dealt extensively over the years with the cream of Thai high society, business titans and senior police and army generals . . . impressive family names. The preponderance would (and have) bald-faced and blatantly cheated me on any business opportunity they can.

Thailand is not unique. Other cultures are losing their values, too. It's just so much more widespread and obvious here.

[thrilled]

How long can he and his family live on the 1.2mio Bath?That was not very clever he will loose his job and further tea money sources.

In Thailand I really believe murder can be paid off

[ramidin]

It's sad when the police can't even trust the police.

[SamuiJens]

Now I feel its better to give the 200 baht to the officer directly. It saves a tree since there is no paper used writing a ticket and only one crooked cop gets the money. Not one bad cop and an entire family that takes it and goes on the run.

MY QUESTION...Will the police go after him for breaking the law...or go after him for their share of the money?

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL THE PEOPLE I MET AT THE THAIVISA NEW YEARS PARTY AT LARRYS DIVE SHOP!!!

Oh, was it at Larry's Dive Shop? I thought it was at Larrys Dive. No wonder there were no farangs there!!!

Edited January 9, 2009 by SamuiJens

[junkofdavid2]

question is where to go... and with family????

I believe he was planning to retire in Monaco or the Bahamas or something... until he discovered that it ain't 1:1 for his Baht to a dollar; and that it's 2009.

[torrenova]

The coppers pay to join up. Families raise the cash or more likely, some relative already in the BiB fronts it. Like the mafia, they keep some and push the rest upstairs.

There was a story about a fat Bangkok traffic cop who worked the smoggy, smelly streets of Bangkok on traffic duty. Because he didn't lose weight, he was moved to a nice, clean, air conditioned office job. It was a demotion !

No bribes to collect in the office !

[warmwater7]

Police officer allegedly cheats peers out of Bt1.2 million in traffic fine rewards

CHIANG MAI: -- Some 50 traffic policemen of the Chiang Mai head office Friday field complaint against their peer, alleging him with cheating them out of Bt1.2 million in traffic fine rewards.

The policemen filed complaint against Police Senior Sergeant Major Thanawat Sinpieng, 47, at the Muang district police station.

They said Thanawat was assigned to withdraw the money of traffic fine rewards for December from the Krung Thai Bank's San Pa Khoy branch in the Muang district on December 29 but he disappeared.

The money was for sharing among 150 traffic policemen, they said.

They said Thanawat was earlier assigned to withdraw the money several times with no problem.

He has disappeared with his family.

-- The Nation 2009-01-09

SO COOL............

[oevna]

If traffic fine rewards are an official form of compensation for police officers, then why isn't it just included in their paychecks? No part of their official compensation should be handled by some random peer who's turn it is to go withdraw the money from the bank. That is just asking for trouble.

Off topic:

It's funny how many times the following two phrases have been posted in this thread:

• "It takes a crook to catch a crook." (or some variation of it)
  
• "Som nam naa"
  

In fact, I think the latter is quickly becoming the most overused expression around here. I believe it is the "perfect storm" of the ThaiVisa web forums.