Bangkok To Punish Rogue City Law Enforcement Officers

[webfact]

BMA to punish rogue city law enforcement officers

BANGKOK (NNT) -- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is getting more serious with the problem of illegal street vendors, threatening to take serious actions against state officers facilitating the transgressors.

Deputy Bangkok Governor Theerachon Manomaiphiboon said it had been two weeks since the BMA had officially declared more than 100 stalls on the pedestrian pavements in front of Chatuchak Weekend Market illegal and forced them to relocate. But the street vendors have refused to leave and used his name to continue selling at the same locations. The deputy governor said the Chatuchak district’s city law enforcement section must dismantle the stalls immediately and if they did not abide by the order, the BMA would use administrative and legal measures against them.

The rogue officers might be transferred and investigated. They might even face criminal charges, the Deputy Governor said.

The BMA has been reported of illegal street vendors in other districts, including Wang Thonglang, Bang Rak and Pathumwan.

The Deputy Governor said there would be probes against all relevant BMA officers, adding that the BMA could not allow anyone to use public pavements for personal benefits and the areas in front of Chatuchak was not temporary permitted areas for street vendors.

On 30 September, the deputy governor will inspect the whole city as part of the BMA’s project to eradicate illegal ad banners, fine people who litter, and remove illegal stalls on pavements.

BMA Permanent Secretary Charoenrat Chutikarn said he was looking into the problem of illegal street vendors in front of the weekend market as instructed by the Deputy Governor. He vowed the BMA officers who abused their power would be punished.

-- NNT 2010-09-27

[animatic]

Just rotating new face into the old chain of cash disbursements,

with a token nod to morals and law enforcement as the new lists come into force,

and new faces take over pre-warmed seats,

[mausplan]

Or , for the really really evil ones , they might be transferred to the dreaded "inactive post"

[neverdie]

Sounds like another CRACKDOWN

[mrtoad]

Hope they introduce stoning for those cads.

[Cuchulainn]

There's gonna be a raid soon.

When?

30th of September, but ssssh, keep it a secret!

Clowns

[contemplating]

Im sure there are a few more of the "inactive post" available. I would like to get one for myself!

[craigt3365]

"He vowed the BMA officers who abused their power would be punished.

"

Wonder how many staff would be left after the cull??? :cheesy:

[givenall]

Or , for the really really evil ones , they might be transferred to the dreaded "inactive post"

Is it April already?

[surangw]

sounds like the money was not reaching high enough on the parasite tree

[basjke]

As punishment they probably will have to wear the Hello Kitty bracelet for a few days,similar to the story of the police officers a few years back.

[Pib]

The BMA is assuming law enforcement officials are suppose to enforce all laws; selective enforcement might be a better assumption.

[nowork114]

The Ministry of Inactive Posts is expecting few new employees ...

[rubl]

On 30 September, the deputy governor will inspect the whole city as part of the BMA's project to eradicate illegal ad banners, fine people who litter, and remove illegal stalls on pavements.

Did anyone tell the Deputy Governor that Bangkok is a bloody big city? Methinks he has to drive fast in a motorcade if he wants to 'cover' all. In which case the minor details are left to the poor underlings who will probably be obliged to go on foot for months

(edit: correct typo)

Edited September 27, 2010 by rubl

[anotheruser]

It never ends. LOL How can anybody take any of this crap seriously? The fact that they can day after day pull of this sort of nonsense off and not be confronted by the population, shows what I can only describe as mental deficiencies in almost every segment of modern Thai society.

I might have been a bit harsh in that assessment. The only other thing I can think of is that the entire population doesn't seem to mind being lied to all of the time. Barring that they may have been lied to so many times they no longer have the capability to discern what the truth is.

I digress mai pen rai na krub. Ugh I hate that phrase. LOL

[bangon04]

Or , for the really really evil ones , they might be transferred to the dreaded "inactive post"

...like for example, crowd control for street demonstrations, or protecting city property, or tracking down well known but influential criminals...

[Dap]

Im sure there are a few more of the "inactive post" available. I would like to get one for myself!

"Inactive posts" and ... "advisory positions", both enviable retirement

[tomyummer]

...to take serious actions against state officers facilitating the transgressors.

Boy, that's a long winded way to say 'accepting bribes'.

Edited September 27, 2010 by tomyummer

[moe666]

Sounds like another CRACKDOWN

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO no not anothe CRACKDOWN

[moe666]

More flimflam from the Ministery of flimflam

Edited September 27, 2010 by moe666

[TAWP]

Chances are he is being serious and tired of his order not being followed. As often seem to be the case, the handling of a new directive is 'lost' somewhere mid-down in the tree of bureaucrats...or more likely in this case, completely ignored by those that are infact renting out the slots that cannot be rented out.

But we all agree that something needs to be done. Perhaps bring in officers from another region to temporarily dismantle all the stall and arrest the vendors...just to shake things up.

[GeorgeO]

Chances are he is being serious and tired of his order not being followed. As often seem to be the case, the handling of a new directive is 'lost' somewhere mid-down in the tree of bureaucrats...or more likely in this case, completely ignored by those that are infact renting out the slots that cannot be rented out.

But we all agree that something needs to be done. Perhaps bring in officers from another region to temporarily dismantle all the stall and arrest the vendors...just to shake things up.

TAWP,

How refreshing ... a total of 21 posts on this topic, and yours is the first to actually consider that there may be some merit in the Deputy Governor's (DG) intentions. All of the other posts appear to have no other aim than to add another click to their post total.

It is patently obvious that something needs to be done to make Bangkok's pavements even remotely passable. If the DG can have any impact at all, this may lead to further investigations into other areas; On Nut Road, for example. I'm pretty sure no-one could have possibly agreed to allow vendors to legally set up on both sides of the southbound pavement, such that there is about a two-foot gap for pedestrians to fight their way through.

I believe the time is right to start such campaigns. Tourists will only put up with fighting their way down congested pavements as long as it has novelty appeal. After a while, they will also decide that there are better places to go.

[bushwacker]

A very interesting mind set here in thailand. They all think the sidewalk is for vendor stalls and food carts. When i go for my nightly walk, more often than not, i must walk on the road and battle the cars, trucks and bikes because the sidewalks are totally congested with vendors. Crazy. And then there is the shop owner that expands his shop right to the street and blocks any thru traffic. Crazy!!!

[newermonkey]

Ha... on the face of it, this looks like the city is trying to do good.... but actually its probably come to this because the kick backs dint go high enough up the ladder.

"Am I cynical? yes of course this is a cynical place".

[Robroy]

"The rogue officers might be transferred and investigated. They might even face criminal charges, the Deputy Governor said."

I think 'rogue officers' is a misnomer. 'Rogue' means 'no longer belonging...not controllable or answerable; deviating, renegade'.

Thus a true rogue in Thai law enforcement would surely be honest and uncorrupt.

[scorecard]

"The rogue officers might be transferred and investigated. They might even face criminal charges, the Deputy Governor said."

I think 'rogue officers' is a misnomer. 'Rogue' means 'no longer belonging...not controllable or answerable; deviating, renegade'.

Thus a true rogue in Thai law enforcement would surely be honest and uncorrupt.

Is this the same BMA guy who just recently brushed aside all the criticism of the 'cigarette police'?

[tonybuak]

Just rotating new face into the old chain of cash disbursements,

with a token nod to morals and law enforcement as the new lists come into force,

and new faces take over pre-warmed seats,

It would be funny if you could give these beurocrats ever thing they ever wanted ,legaly and financialy , All markets and streets void of individuality, only the ones who can afford to pay the price can sell the over priced goods, As the plastic surgeons walk up and down the stalls collecting there weekly payments, And the beurocrats with tightend ballon skin and belly buttons under there arm pits, Now turn on each other with hat pins.

[asiawatcher]

Sounds like another CRACKDOWN

And the pavements are full of cracks but seriously, more hype - do you think the BiB will clear the pavements if ever and why was Sukhumvit not mentioned? You cannot even walk down either side for vendors blocking pedestrian traffic and the occasional idiot on a motorbike.

[hoaker]

Street vendors here don't understand the concept of public pavement or illegal vendoring. Their excuse would be I am poor and need this illegal spot to sell my counterfeit stuff without any licensing to avoid paying any taxes. That alone is plenty of infringements on torts and statutes, if any enforced. Good Luck BMA.....

[Mitker]

The rogue officers might be transferred and investigated

This only sentence is an insult to intelligence.