Disturbing Details In Thai Blaze Inquiry

[Lami]

From a follow-up article on the Santika fire Saturday, 4 April 2009 by BBC

Chuwit Kamolvisit is one of Bangkok's most colourful characters - a perennial candidate for mayor and a man who has made a fortune out of the city's notorious night-life.

He is also one of the few people willing to speak openly about official corruption, of which he has had plenty of personal experience.

"The police in Thailand are businessmen, not policemen," he said.

"They don't work for society, they work for their own pocket.

"When you have a residential permit you build it, and you change the purpose, alright? Nobody cares. Nobody worries, because you go the police and you pay the police."

Mr Chuwit explained that the bureaucracy involved in running a nightclub legally was so convoluted and expensive it was much easier just to pay bribes and operate illegally.

There is no evidence to show that bribes were paid by the Santika's owners, nor is there any evidence to suggest that Colonel Prayont Lasua has used his position as a senior officer to halt police action against the club.

But the failure by the police and the city authorities to act against a club that was so obviously illegal is hard to explain.

Repeated requests by the BBC for interviews with the police and the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA) have been turned down.

And now that second investigation has been stopped.

In February it was handed over entirely to the police, the very agency implicated in the safety lapses, and whose earlier efforts have been widely ridiculed.

'Informal style'

Minister of Justice Pirapan Salirathavibhaga said it was normal practice in any crime for the police to handle it, even if they are implicated.

They have to be willing to expose any of their own officers connected to the crime, he said.

But officials inside the ministry have told the BBC that privately Mr Pirapan is furious that the police have regained control of the investigation and that he wants it handed back to the DSI, Thailand's equivalent of the FBI, which comes directly under his authority.

At the time of writing, that has still not happened.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7981841.stm

[davejonesbkk]

I didn't find any of the details in this report surprising at all, did anyone else? This article has obviously been written for a UK/international audience because anyone who's lived here for more than 6 months knows that this is the norm....

[Lost in LOS]

safety measures here a horrific. any busy bars or clubs I go to I also keep a clear path to the exit door and never sit in the back. I would rather being the one helping people out the door then looking for help from the back

[Lami]

Just an update on the non-progress of this case.

Good to see the BBC persisting, I think.

It doesn't hurt to keep the relevant names in the public eye and mind.

(That's not the complete article, by the way. You need to go to the link for that.)

[Travel2003]

This country, together with most other countries does not care what the BBC print.

The public here lost interest in this horrible case as soon as there were no more juicy details to show on television.

Some info regarding corruption and how the various departments handled the case surfaced, but people just said "yeah yeah, whats new"?

[Sabum]

Makes me sick, I want to throw up. Case handed back to the police..... <deleted>.

[bendejo]

There is no evidence to show that bribes were paid by the Santika's owners

There were expecting to find, maybe, a receipt?

This may be a coincidence, but within days of the fire the hotel I stay at in Bangkok (long-term resident) installed a bunch of illuminated signs on every floor pointing to the fire exits, and more lights around the fire exit doors. If nothing else it may just mean a little less in police payoffs. Altruism? Wrong country.

[Maizefarmer]

Its interesting to note that prior to Prayonts’ inclusion on the company papers as a shareholder there were some 40 odd complaints lodged about this club – primarily revolving around the usage of the building as a club, versus the initial planning consent (which was for residential occupancy only).

Then all of a sudden when Prayonts’ name appeared on the company doc’s as a shareholder, the complaints dried up.

… I think its blatantly obvious to all but the dimmest that what was going on here (and this example is by no means the exception – go check any other company doc’s of any other Bkk club/place of entertainment): the inclusion of middle ranking coppers on company doc’s is used as a form of protection.

I think it goes without doubt that Prayont has received a regular slice of the cake - as bendejo says above: its not as if they were expecting to find a receipt, or that Prayont would put the funds in his bank account (you only have to look at the guys' lifestyle, car and house to quickly see that its all way beyond the means of his salary)

What I find good about this whole matter (as ghastly as it was) is that the trend nowadays more and more towards the media not been scared to tackle this and other similar issues, head on - and none to soon: coppers should not be permitted to hold shareholdings and/or any other position in registered companies, where participation could lead to a conflict in obligations.

Edited April 5, 2009 by Maizefarmer

[Changian]

I'm waiting for Thaivisa's media partner 'The Nation' to step in and conduct an in depth investigation to expose the wrongdoings . . . . .

[Scott]

I guess nothing ever changes. It's been like that since I've been here and that's around 20 years.

[steffi]

Why doesn't Head's piece reference the unnamed sharedholder? Was that claim refuted by anybody?

I find it interesting that he says there's no evidence of bribery?

Of course Thailand if they want to do could shame every police officer who is "usually rich" but they choose not to for obvious reasons.

Until someone actually makes an effort to address corruption as a social cultural norm nothing will change.

From a follow-up article on the Santika fire Saturday, 4 April 2009 by BBC

Chuwit Kamolvisit is one of Bangkok's most colourful characters - a perennial candidate for mayor and a man who has made a fortune out of the city's notorious night-life.

He is also one of the few people willing to speak openly about official corruption, of which he has had plenty of personal experience.

"The police in Thailand are businessmen, not policemen," he said.

"They don't work for society, they work for their own pocket.

"When you have a residential permit you build it, and you change the purpose, alright? Nobody cares. Nobody worries, because you go the police and you pay the police."

Mr Chuwit explained that the bureaucracy involved in running a nightclub legally was so convoluted and expensive it was much easier just to pay bribes and operate illegally.

There is no evidence to show that bribes were paid by the Santika's owners, nor is there any evidence to suggest that Colonel Prayont Lasua has used his position as a senior officer to halt police action against the club.

But the failure by the police and the city authorities to act against a club that was so obviously illegal is hard to explain.

Repeated requests by the BBC for interviews with the police and the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA) have been turned down.

And now that second investigation has been stopped.

In February it was handed over entirely to the police, the very agency implicated in the safety lapses, and whose earlier efforts have been widely ridiculed.

'Informal style'

Minister of Justice Pirapan Salirathavibhaga said it was normal practice in any crime for the police to handle it, even if they are implicated.

They have to be willing to expose any of their own officers connected to the crime, he said.

But officials inside the ministry have told the BBC that privately Mr Pirapan is furious that the police have regained control of the investigation and that he wants it handed back to the DSI, Thailand's equivalent of the FBI, which comes directly under his authority.

At the time of writing, that has still not happened.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7981841.stm

Edited April 5, 2009 by steffi

[TEFLMike]

The BBC is a joke in the UK, let alone, Worldwide

[GuestHouse]

The BBC is a joke in the UK, let alone, Worldwide

Well we've had your intelligent, well considered and acutely insightful views on the BBC - would you care to pick holes in the article to help the rest of us who are unable to come to such swift analysis understand in what respects it and the organization that put it together are a joke?

[steffi]

The article never mentions that he unnamed gentlemen was a share holder in the company.

I find that omission curious.

The BBC is a joke in the UK, let alone, Worldwide

Well we've had your intelligent, well considered and acutely insightful views on the BBC - would you care to pick holes in the article to help the rest of us who are unable to come to such swift analysis understand in what respects it and the organization that put it together are a joke?