Major Crackdown On Corruption

[ScubaBuddha]

If you drive a lot around Thailand you will see this sticker or a mud flap on many of the big trucks. It's a silent cry for help. Serpico the NYC police officer that would not be corrupted and would not take bribes. Maybe some day a honest police officer will rise in the Thai ranks but I am not holding my breath.

Oh and Serpico is an wicked movie.

Serpico, great man, great story, great movie. My idol.

This story should really be:

Officers from the Crime Suppression Division yesterday began a crackdown on police corruption by arresting any officer in sight, they then arrested themselves.

[junglist]

Yo nailed the problem on the head. It is in the Thai social fabric. You will find the same exact problems all over Asia. Any country strongly rooted in Caste System is doomed to suffer from its backlash. Not until Thailand improves all of education system and brings down some big players with strict punishment nothing will change.

[Gary A]

The power is in the numbers. There are so many involved in the corruption that it is nearly impossible to stop. The good ole boys network is that you don't tell on me and I won't tell on you. Whatever happened to the unusual wealth law? The money trail leads to too may people and cannot be enforced.

[catmac]

Watch this name:

Phongphat Chayaphan

If he is involved in the police crackdown it is serious. I have known this man for over 8 years now. One of the few serious police officers in Thailand. When he was a Captain he went and arrested a corrupt general even though everyone told him not to. This man has huge balls and hates corruption.

This was a serious raid.

Good - then i hope we will see many more raids from this guy and his team

When he was the head of Crime Suppression and even before that his name showed up in the paper a number of times in relation to these kind of raids that he lead.

I certainly hope that he will make a small dent in the wall of corruption that is the Thai state!

However, as a leading light in the CSD, what action did he take against that CSD colonel who, in return for a nice share of the profits, covered up the illegality of the Santika nightclub and (as if by magic) ended all the police raids that tried to enforce the rules on that seedy dive?

[andyww]

Yo nailed the problem on the head. It is in the Thai social fabric. You will find the same exact problems all over Asia. Any country strongly rooted in Caste System is doomed to suffer from its backlash. Not until Thailand improves all of education system and brings down some big players with strict punishment nothing will change.

This is almost a quote from one of Thaksins speeches when he was in power, and look what happened to him... Nothing will change.

[Bagwan]

Serpico, great man, great story, great movie. My idol.

This story should really be:

Officers from the Crime Suppression Division yesterday began a crackdown on police corruption by arresting any officer in sight, they then arrested themselves.

On a charge of impersonating a police officer?

[salty]

Thailand the hub of corruption.

[Orac]

However, as a leading light in the CSD, what action did he take against that CSD colonel who, in return for a nice share of the profits, covered up the illegality of the Santika nightclub and (as if by magic) ended all the police raids that tried to enforce the rules on that seedy dive?

As per surangw's earlier post, this is only a Major crackdown. Maybe if they were to have a General crackdown this Colonel might fall into the net ??

[cmiuc]

I know many of you laugh at the joke of this, but I for one think it is a very serious problem.

Its through and through this whole government system... all the way down to the local government schools which is affecting the whole education system in Thailand, as a result, the future will never be corrected unless these matters are put into perspective.

in perspective means, corruption will never cease in any country, in any government, in any kind of business... but here it is 'way out of hand' and needs to be brought to a balance so that this country can once again thrive in economy and business... and education.

So I hope CSD does do their job with tenacity and I applaud their hard work now and the road ahead...

[Miami Bob]

If you drive a lot around Thailand you will see this sticker or a mud flap on many of the big trucks. It’s a silent cry for help. Serpico the NYC police officer that would not be corrupted and would not take bribes. Maybe some day a honest police officer will rise in the Thai ranks but I am not holding my breath.

So that's who that picture is I keep seeing on the mud flaps! ...very interesting, Thanks!

When I first read this story I thought I had clicked on the New York times by mistake!

[Credo]

Although most countries and their police departments suffer from some corruption, it seems that the less developed a country is the greater the corruption. I wonder if corruption is caused by poor development or a result of it?

Thailand has progressed in so many areas that I thing we should be seeing a decrease in the endemic level of corruption.

[fiercesnake]

"Two people answered the door but did not let the officers in until an hour later, when the team leader contacted the provincial police chief and learned that Ruamnakhon was inside.

Ruamnakhon eventually agreed to cooperate on condition that the CSD team only conduct the search in the presence of local police officers. A number of documents were seized, and several others were photographed."

Seriously, what a joke! The cops wait for an hour while upstairs the shredder goes into overdrive and then the alleged bad guy says he'll cooperate on HIS terms so they can only take the documents he supplies them and for sure only lets them take pictures of the ones he knows are OK to show them. OMG TIT!

Don't know too many other police forces that ask permission, is it OK if we come in and raid your house please, with a smile! Sure we'll give you some time to hide anything that may be incriminating. Policeman turned tycoon ! Oh gosh this is a funny place to be!

Ahh but this is it the crackdown to end all crackdowns-well at least until tomorrow! Don't you just love Thailand?!

[featography]

"Two people answered the door but did not let the officers in until an hour later, when the team leader contacted the provincial police chief and learned that Ruamnakhon was inside.

Ruamnakhon eventually agreed to cooperate on condition that the CSD team only conduct the search in the presence of local police officers. A number of documents were seized, and several others were photographed."

Seriously, what a joke! The cops wait for an hour while upstairs the shredder goes into overdrive and then the alleged bad guy says he'll cooperate on HIS terms so they can only take the documents he supplies them and for sure only lets them take pictures of the ones he knows are OK to show them. OMG TIT!

Don't know too many other police forces that ask permission, is it OK if we come in and raid your house please, with a smile! Sure we'll give you some time to hide anything that may be incriminating. Policeman turned tycoon ! Oh gosh this is a funny place to be!

Ahh but this is it the crackdown to end all crackdowns-well at least until tomorrow! Don't you just love Thailand?!

Yes, most of these crackdowns are real crackups!

[poldebol]

If you drive a lot around Thailand you will see this sticker or a mud flap on many of the big trucks. It's a silent cry for help. Serpico the NYC police officer that would not be corrupted and would not take bribes. Maybe some day a honest police officer will rise in the Thai ranks but I am not holding my breath.

Oh and Serpico is an wicked movie.

The picture is of Al Pacino, the main actor in the movie. I doubt that many truck drivers know the story of Frank Serpico (please read the article about the real Frank Serpico on Wikipedia). The few ones I have asked do not know, or they think it is Rambo...

[Jarearn]

If you drive a lot around Thailand you will see this sticker or a mud flap on many of the big trucks. It’s a silent cry for help. Serpico the NYC police officer that would not be corrupted and would not take bribes. Maybe some day a honest police officer will rise in the Thai ranks but I am not holding my breath.

Oh and Serpico is an wicked movie.

Thanks I was wondering who that face was and what it implied.

Dylan

[mythBuster]

This not getting tough on corruption it is getting back or getting even on someone or a group of people who have pissed off the system.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

When will they come to my neighbor house? I heard he has bought his nice house and other nice thing with his tea money . Or maybe he is not Mr. T friend so he is safe

An inappropriate comment. This has nothing to do with the deposed Prime Minister. This is about current and ongoing events of which the former PM has no involvement. Don't twist stories to suit your personal agenda. Much of the corruption that occurs in Thailand is due to it being endemic and a part of the social fabric.

Very nice of you to jump to Mr.T's defence but you must also acknowledge that Takki is probably one of the best examples of this type of corruption in the police force, as he went from being a lowly police officer making 8K baht a month, to one of the richest people in the world.

[caf]

When will they come to my neighbor house? I heard he has bought his nice house and other nice thing with his tea money . Or maybe he is not Mr. T friend so he is safe

An inappropriate comment. This has nothing to do with the deposed Prime Minister. This is about current and ongoing events of which the former PM has no involvement. Don't twist stories to suit your personal agenda. Much of the corruption that occurs in Thailand is due to it being endemic and a part of the social fabric.

Very nice of you to jump to Mr.T's defence but you must also acknowledge that Takki is probably one of the best examples of this type of corruption in the police force, as he went from being a lowly police officer making 8K baht a month, to one of the richest people in the world.

He was never on 8k a month. He graduated from police academy. and he is certainly not one of the richest men on the world or Thailand for that matter. But name me one Thai that is not corrupt. It is endemic in this country and others too.

[thaifrelst]

Corruption in police procurement procedures? Cannot be! Which country has that?! How dare they? ROFLMAO

When violation of the law become culture there is no point in putting most of the people in prison. There will be no one left for common tasks.

But what the government could do """ IF""" they want to reduce or get rid of it, - is to confiscate all values coming from corruption.

That will be a more functional punishment then some words in a paper that no one reads.

[fire and ice]

Don't worry, I have faith int he system here, the corrupt people in this will face the ultimate severe punishment and be transferred to inactive posts.

But this will be after having to write out 100 times" "I am a naughty boy or being corrupt" on the blackboard*.

* said blackboard purchased in Govt tender for only 80,000 baht, along with 6 sticks of chalk for a further 13,000 baht. (Actually part of a larger purchase of 170,000 similar blackboards & related chalk supplies - computers are cheaper but who can use those things?).