Can You Believe This?!

[junkofdavid2]

Deputy national police chief Jongrak Chutanont on Tuesday defended police's decision to charge lead vocalist of the band Burn as a suspect causing inferno at Santika pub.

Pol Gen Jongrak's statement came after the Justice Ministry released surveillance camera footage that ruled out the charge against the vocalist Saravuth Ariya.

The footage showed the singer did not light fireworks and had in fact left the stage before the fire started.

It will be up to the court to decide whether to believe the witnesses or the footage, he said.

-Bangkok Post

So video footage clearly shows that an accused person did not the light fireworks as claimed by supposed witnesses who were heavily panicked and confused at the time, but he will still be charged and "it will be up to the courts to decide whether to believe the witnesses or the footage" ???

I hope Bangkok Post is wrong in reporting this...

Edited February 3, 2009 by junkofdavid2

[SmugFarangBore]

There's more...

Bangkok nightclub fire: Police 'tried to protect guilty colleagues'

A fresh investigation into the Bangkok nightclub fire that killed 66 people on New Years Eve has exposed serious flaws in the police inquiry, raising suspicions that officers framed an innocent man to protect guilty colleagues.

By Thomas Bell in Bangkok

Last Updated: 7:55AM GMT 03 Feb 2009

According to an inquiry by Thailand's justice ministry, the Santika nightclub, which was partly owned by a police colonel, may have been a front for drug trafficking and money laundering operations.

Although it was one of the city's most famous nightclubs clubs it was not licensed and had only one marked exit. The signatures of engineers on construction documents were forged.

When a firework lodged in the ceiling shortly after midnight on New Year's Eve many of the revellers had no escape as flames rapidly engulfed the building. Four Britons were injured in the disaster.

A police investigation last week pinned the blame on Saravuth Ariya, the lead singer on the unfortunately named rock band "Burn", which was playing on stage that night. They said the 28 year old used a cigarette lighter to launch the firework from the stage that started the fatal blaze.

But according to Pirapan Salirath, a minister in Thailand's justice ministry, CCTV footage shows Mr Saravuth had left the stage before the fire began, and that the fireworks were ignited by an electronic system, not a lighter.

According to the Bangkok Post newspaper, the justice ministry wants to know why there were few witness statements in the police reports even though several survivors were keen to testify.

Investigators say the Santika nightclub was part owned by a police colonel. The police regularly raided the establishment before the officer bought shares in 2006 but the raids allegedly stopped following his investment.

Justice department investigators also found forensic evidence in the club's office that they believe indicates heroine and cocaine dealing.

An unexplained £40 000 deposit in the clubs accounts raised suspicion of money laundering, justice department officials said.

The justice department now wants to take the enquiry away from the police and hand it to the Department of Special Investigations (DSI), Thailand's version of the FBI.

It is frequently alleged that the Thai police are involved in criminal enterprises ranging from prostitution and gaming to protection rackets and contract killings.

Source: Daily Telegraph

[sibeymai]

The DSI are long overdue to get control of this case. You can bet anything that comes through Thong Lo police is tainted. Abhisit is showing a lack of leadership in allowing this to go nowhere for a month already. Business as usual by the looks of it making Abhisit just another talking head.

[johnsurin]

Deputy national police chief Jongrak Chutanont on Tuesday defended police's decision to charge lead vocalist of the band Burn as a suspect causing inferno at Santika pub.

Pol Gen Jongrak's statement came after the Justice Ministry released surveillance camera footage that ruled out the charge against the vocalist Saravuth Ariya.

The footage showed the singer did not light fireworks and had in fact left the stage before the fire started.

It will be up to the court to decide whether to believe the witnesses or the footage, he said.

-Bangkok Post

So video footage clearly shows that an accused person did not the light fireworks as claimed by supposed witnesses who were heavily panicked and confused at the time, but he will still be charged and "it will be up to the courts to decide whether to believe the witnesses or the footage" ???

I hope Bangkok Post is wrong in reporting this...

Par for the course. As the saying goes.

John.....

[Sabum]

So..... guess everyone has finally accepted that the Thai police are a large organised crime syndicate right? No more ridiculous arguments defending them like in the pai murders right? Its finally blatantly obvious RIGHT?! God I hope so.

[SaamBaht]

It has long been obvious that Thailand's police are crooks. This is just another example in a long history of corruption and out right criminal behavior.

Who is policing the police in Thailand? When law enforcers are criminals, who can the public turn to for justice?

[Sabum]

You would think it was obvious, but last year there was a huge thread about the cop murdering 2 Canadians in Pai and plenty of ignorant uninformed posters defending the Thai police. Even seemed there were posters that knew the reality of the police situation here but still posted in favor of the police just because they didnt like the reporter reporting the information, would be funny if it wasn't so sad.

[dee123]

Yes agree with above comments....coruption rackets streching through police-military-business-media.BUT do remember that there are also millions of ordinary hard working decent Thais who are suffering too.

[skippybangkok]

Deputy national police chief Jongrak Chutanont on Tuesday defended police's decision to charge lead vocalist of the band Burn as a suspect causing inferno at Santika pub.

Pol Gen Jongrak's statement came after the Justice Ministry released surveillance camera footage that ruled out the charge against the vocalist Saravuth Ariya.

The footage showed the singer did not light fireworks and had in fact left the stage before the fire started.

It will be up to the court to decide whether to believe the witnesses or the footage, he said.

-Bangkok Post

So video footage clearly shows that an accused person did not the light fireworks as claimed by supposed witnesses who were heavily panicked and confused at the time, but he will still be charged and "it will be up to the courts to decide whether to believe the witnesses or the footage" ???

I hope Bangkok Post is wrong in reporting this...

Let me guess, the singer is the one who has the largest bank account.... "lets pin it on him".

[JimsKnight]

So..... guess everyone has finally accepted that the Thai police are a large organised crime syndicate right? No more ridiculous arguments defending them like in the pai murders right? Its finally blatantly obvious RIGHT?! God I hope so.

Blatantly obvious that THESE cops are dodgy yes.

[G54]

For once let the police colonel take the rap not some poor stooge who, it seems, had obviously left the stage.

Let the B*stards who allowed this to happen burn also, like the innocents did.

It is about time this new Prime Minister showed he has some <deleted> ( is a word - re another thread LOL) and drew the line here and gave some justice to the ordinary people of Thailand.

[dee123]

if you can say <deleted> well so can I ....<deleted> isn't it!!! .

[sriracha john]

Duplicate thread.

Previously posted on and discussed here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Thai-Rock-Si...-P-t238510.html

[geriatrickid]

You would think it was obvious, but last year there was a huge thread about the cop murdering 2 Canadians in Pai and plenty of ignorant uninformed posters defending the Thai police. Even seemed there were posters that knew the reality of the police situation here but still posted in favor of the police just because they didnt like the reporter reporting the information, would be funny if it wasn't so sad.

Disagree. This situation relates to allegations of large scale criminal activities by multiple high ranking "police "officers. The Pai situation occurred under entirely different circumstances. I do not think the policeman in that case was implicated in organized crime or seeking to frame someone. Perhaps the accused in the Pai case was an idiot, guilty or whatever, but the two cases are nowhere near comparable. The accused here was grabbed from nowhere and slammed with fake charges. The Pai victims may or may not have had some part in the incident. It can be argued either way. This guy had nothing to do with the fire. The other key difference here is that the MoJ has acted fast to intervene. It certainly did not do that with the Pai incident.

[HorseDoctor]

And from the BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7865349.stm

( Notice how they use The Nation's " Unamed person" to refer to the cop wiht shares that BPost reported.

I swear I want to start a " Thai News or Not " media watchdog site. )

An initial investigation into a fire at a Bangkok nightclub that killed 66 people has found serious failings by the police and city authorities.

The fire ripped through the club on New Year's Eve, and many people died because the building had only one exit.

Thai investigators said that the signatures of building inspectors had been forged repeatedly.

They also said the police ended raids on the club in 2005, after an unnamed person was made a shareholder.

While the police initially focused their attention on what caused the fire at the Santika Club, a parallel investigation ordered by the government has looked at a much bigger and more sensitive question - how was it that a building with no fire exits and no official permit to operate as an entertainment venue could stay open for four years?

This was not an obscure back-street club - the Santika was one of the most popular in Bangkok.

That second investigation has now released some preliminary findings; they report that the signatures of the building inspectors had been repeatedly forged, and that the club had avoided paying tax. More revealingly, they say police raids on the club - a common occurrence in Bangkok - mysteriously stopped in 2005, right after an unnamed person was made a shareholder.

Sources close to the investigation have told the BBC that person is a police colonel, and that many more police officers are implicated.

None of this will come as any surprise to those familiar with Bangkok's lively and lucrative nightlife.

Pay-offs to the police are a routine part of business, say nightclub owners - fire safety inspections are not.

But Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has signalled ( SIC , BBC! ) that he wants this to change by ordering the Department of Special Investigations - Thailand's FBI - to take over the inquest into the Santika fire.

That increases the chances that any police role in this tragedy will be exposed.

[t.s]

It has long been obvious that Thailand's police are crooks. This is just another example in a long history of corruption and out right criminal behavior.

Who is policing the police in Thailand? When law enforcers are criminals, who can the public turn to for justice?

bribes

[sriracha john]

Duplicate thread.

Previously posted on and discussed here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Thai-Rock-Si...-P-t238510.html

*BUMP*

we're now getting double posts of the same article getting posted in this thread and the original thread...

[ballpoint]

if you can say <deleted> well so can I ....<deleted> isn't it!!! .

Never mind the <deleted>, lets see some justice served.

[aussiejosh]

All I can say is thank god this is being gotten to the bottom of... Zantika was one of my favorite venues...

[dee123]

It looks like BBC's Jonathan Head is getting info from Nation reporters, who dare not print this in their own paper.Those of you who are not avid news followers,but just pick up a morning rag each day should consider looking online for your news.

Edited February 4, 2009 by dee123

[G54]

if you can say <deleted> well so can I ....<deleted> isn't it!!! .

Could be a load of old balls too (especially us old fart Farangs here LOL.

Saw the news today and the police say they are not embarrassed over this - the topic, that is, not their <deleted>

Seems the Police do not really care.

[neverdie]

Ohh what a tangled web one weaves when one first plans to deceive!

It sounds like there is plenty of smoke & mirrors stuff happening here (No pun intended).