Police And Civilians, An Odd-Couple Marriage

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STREET WISE

Police and civilians, an odd-couple marriage

By Achara Deboonme

As the annual love celebration is here, it is worth considering a question: why civilians give high respects to the military but cannot spare some love for the police?

I'm not nuts to ask this question. But it really surprised me if a person who took a full-of-smiles photo with a tank on streets has ever thought that for once they could give police that same kind of admiration.

Indeed, it is understandable. The thorny relationship of police and civilians is comparable to an unhappy couple. They spend time under the same roof, but never find peace of mind when the other one is around. However, when they want to share the inner secrets, it's their mates they yearn for the most.

Indeed. Any unlucky civilians encountering a burglary would feel the same. They desperately want the police to trace the burglars and lost property. In an unsafe neighbourhood, they want patrol police and protection.

But in normal circumstances, they want some space, for peace of mind. They're not comfortable when going to a pub and seeing a bunch of uniformed police officers at the next table. Even though they may come to get some food after work, we can't help thinking that they must have something more than that to do at the pub.

Drivers in particular are annoyed when approaching a barricade. Whatever the police are after, they have to go through a long traffic line. Some could even face silly questions. That was the experience of my colleague who was called to pull over on Srinakarin Road last week.

The questions were: 1. Whose car is this? (Umm, the police must be notified of a stolen car, but the licence plate was the one notified?) 2. Where are you heading? (It was 10pm. There were two places to go at that hour - home or a hangout.) 3. (After inspection of the car), Do you know it's illegal to have fog lights installed? (Wow, my colleague thought about suing the car company for doing so.) After this question, he asked for a driving licence. He said he would give her a ticket.

She protested. While he held the driving licence, he said he did not want to discuss further as she did not know the law. As she told him to write the ticket and return the driving licence, he repeated what he said. She protested again. To my colleague's surprise, he returned her the licence and told her to go away. As she sped away, she looked back wondering if he really wanted to give her a ticket or he just wanted to terrify her for "something". A car trailing behind also turned on its fog lights but was not called to stop.

She also asked her police friend and he confirmed if this installation was illegal, the car company should have been charged from the beginning.

In a marriage, a happy couple needs to share something in common and have some common ground of understanding.

If the police want to improve their relationship with civilians, it should make clear a common ground of understanding. Regarding traffic rules, there are so many and some keep changing. How many know the speed limit in city areas?

A marriage can be peaceful if the couple can fulfil some of the other's expectations in a give and take manner. For my colleague, it is not yet the right time to tell traffic police "Happy Valentine's Day".

-- The Nation 2011-02-14

[Madivad]

The colleague's story is exactly one of the reasons whymthere is no happy marriage between police and civilians. he was obviously waiting for the woman to offer a way out of the ticket, and once he saw she wasn't going to cough up, she was allowed to go.

Police in any society are invaluable, including in Thailand. What needs to happen is clean the police up, strip out the corruption, then pay them more for doing the job they do. But as long as there is corruption, there will never be a happy relationship. It's like a married man who cheats, and his wife knows it.

BTW, in a previous life I was a police officer in my home country. Naturally I have a huge amount of respect for them, and it's been the case every time I have been stopped here and I talk my way out of these bogus tickets (most recent in Udon just two-three weeks ago). My wife, on the other hand, isn't so lucky. She's got them for having a dirty bike <deleted> (before my time).

[hungryhippo]

I'm not nuts to ask this question. But it really surprised me if a person who took a full-of-smiles photo with a tank on streets has ever thought that for once they could give police that same kind of admiration.

Has the person who wrote this ever lived in Thailand? The answer is simple. I've never had to pay bribe money to the army.

What needs to happen is clean the police up, strip out the corruption, then pay them more for doing the job they do.

This wouldn't work because Thai people's attitudes are different from western ones. I had a discussion with my Thai friends on this subject the conclusion was that even if they got more money they'd still not change. They'd just see it as extra money.

[featography]

The colleague's story is exactly one of the reasons whymthere is no happy marriage between police and civilians. he was obviously waiting for the woman to offer a way out of the ticket, and once he saw she wasn't going to cough up, she was allowed to go.

Police in any society are invaluable, including in Thailand. What needs to happen is clean the police up, strip out the corruption, then pay them more for doing the job they do. But as long as there is corruption, there will never be a happy relationship. It's like a married man who cheats, and his wife knows it.

BTW, in a previous life I was a police officer in my home country. Naturally I have a huge amount of respect for them, and it's been the case every time I have been stopped here and I talk my way out of these bogus tickets (most recent in Udon just two-three weeks ago). My wife, on the other hand, isn't so lucky. She's got them for having a dirty bike <deleted> (before my time).

As the annual love celebration is here, it is worth considering a question: why civilians give high respects to the military but cannot spare some love for the police?

A passing thought;

How many military personnel hang on the streets, pulling motorists over for tea money?

Oh, too slow, someone beat me to it.

Edited February 14, 2011 by featography

[Madivad]

Has the person who wrote this ever lived in Thailand? The answer is simple. I've never had to pay bribe money to the army.

I forgot that part of the comparison. Maybe there's something in that. The army could start raiding houses, and charge/bribe/fine people in order that they (the army) move on.. Hehehe. Ok, I jest, and I don't want to give them any ideas!

This wouldn't work because Thai people's attitudes are different from western ones. I had a discussion with my Thai friends on this subject the conclusion was that even if they got more money they'd still not change. They'd just see it as extra money.

and I do agree with that attitude, that's why they have to clean up first... I see the real problem with the corruption is that it is so ingrained. Look at all the bars that would be forced to close at the real closing times. The go go bars, nightclubs etc. And corruption isn't limited to just Phuket, Bangkok and Pattaya... An impossibility really. Not within a few years at least. So, the husband just keeps cheating, and the wife just puts up with it... Until the collective wives get together and say enough is enough!

[inmysights]

The colleague's story is exactly one of the reasons whymthere is no happy marriage between police and civilians. he was obviously waiting for the woman to offer a way out of the ticket, and once he saw she wasn't going to cough up, she was allowed to go.

Police in any society are invaluable, including in Thailand. What needs to happen is clean the police up, strip out the corruption, then pay them more for doing the job they do. But as long as there is corruption, there will never be a happy relationship. It's like a married man who cheats, and his wife knows it.

BTW, in a previous life I was a police officer in my home country. Naturally I have a huge amount of respect for them, and it's been the case every time I have been stopped here and I talk my way out of these bogus tickets (most recent in Udon just two-three weeks ago). My wife, on the other hand, isn't so lucky. She's got them for having a dirty bike <deleted> (before my time).

If you don't pay them, they don't do anything.

[inmysights]

I'm not nuts to ask this question. But it really surprised me if a person who took a full-of-smiles photo with a tank on streets has ever thought that for once they could give police that same kind of admiration.

Has the person who wrote this ever lived in Thailand? The answer is simple. I've never had to pay bribe money to the army.

What needs to happen is clean the police up, strip out the corruption, then pay them more for doing the job they do.

This wouldn't work because Thai people's attitudes are different from western ones. I had a discussion with my Thai friends on this subject the conclusion was that even if they got more money they'd still not change. They'd just see it as extra money.

Yes I'm getting tired of seeing the same posts over and over again. 'Pay them more'. TOO BLOODY LATE. They Would just see it as more money. Natch.

[inmysights]

Has the person who wrote this ever lived in Thailand? The answer is simple. I've never had to pay bribe money to the army.

I forgot that part of the comparison. Maybe there's something in that. The army could start raiding houses, and charge/bribe/fine people in order that they (the army) move on.. Hehehe. Ok, I jest, and I don't want to give them any ideas!

This wouldn't work because Thai people's attitudes are different from western ones. I had a discussion with my Thai friends on this subject the conclusion was that even if they got more money they'd still not change. They'd just see it as extra money.

and I do agree with that attitude, that's why they have to clean up first... I see the real problem with the corruption is that it is so ingrained. Look at all the bars that would be forced to close at the real closing times. The go go bars, nightclubs etc. And corruption isn't limited to just Phuket, Bangkok and Pattaya... An impossibility really. Not within a few years at least. So, the husband just keeps cheating, and the wife just puts up with it... Until the collective wives get together and say enough is enough!

And who's going to do that then? The government? LOL.

I remember Taksin saying if they didn't clean up their act he'd sack the lot of them. Ironic really.

But one particular South American country did exactly that, well all those over the age of, I think. 35, the older ones being too deeply entrenched. There were new recruits paid more with bonuses etc.

Never going to happen here. Corruption from TOP down forever.

Edited February 14, 2011 by inmysights

[richieudon]

I got stopped by Police in a small town near Udon.

I had a brand new car with the red number plate.

This was a BIG problem.

After haggling for 20 minutes I got him down to kao pad gai and M150.. about 60 baht.

I thought it was pretty hilarious. Let's be honest, the Royal Thai Police are nothing but a joke.

What happens if you get burgled? I don't really know because fortunately it's not happened to me before but I can imagine being charged money for them to investigate.

I've never seen any around at night in my town except maybe in a bar drinking at the farang owners expense (gun in holster).

Whilst I was away working my wife had a red box installed where the police have to come and take a look around at night and sign the book in the box for 300 baht a month.

In any given month they may come 4-5 times, usually in the day when we're there. But the NEVER forget to turn up on the 1st of every month for payment.

I told my wife to tell them to shove their red box but she thinks the box alone is a deterrent for burglars.......

I used to get stopped at road blocks by the army when living down south near the Burmese border, always polite, check my license, off you go...

I haven't got much time for the Police and if one tries to befriend me, which they do sometimes in small towns, I make my excuses politely and leave.

They seem slimy to me. There's been many stories of them getting away with murder also.... literally....!

[richieudon]

Sorry I just stole this post from another section of ThaiVisa....

Hi folks, this isn't the most serious crime in the world but I was attacked by a local Thai out of the blue last night - and neither the local police nor tourist police appear at all concerned.

I was walking home at about 10pm when a man appeared out of nowhere, punched me several times around the head and fled. There was no conversation. I am 55 years old and not keen to get into fights. I was concussed for ages and didn't know where I was or where I lived.

One of the who witnesses helped me paid for a taxi to take me to the local police station and wrote on a piece of paper exactly who this man was - he works as an official motorcycle taxi rider, and gave me his orange bib number. Someone said "must be easy to find him with that information".

Thong Lo police couldn't give a hoot but finally agreed to send someone to the scene and told me to go back. However, their cop at the scene also didn't give a monkeys and wouldn't follow it up.

Someone said "you must get hospital certificate, then the police will take action", so one of the assailant's colleagues rode me to hospital where X-rays showed nothing broken, just serious bruising.

Now, the morning after I am still quite shaken up, have a heck of a shiner above one eye and pretty sore.

I called the tourist police - they said "nothing to do with us", speak to the local police.

I said I'd already been to the local police, not interested.

They said "anything else we can help you with?"

This is crazy. I don't know what I'd done to upset this guy but this was entirely unprovoked. In any other country there'd be no hesitation among the cops in getting him to court.

Any ideas? I'm thinking about asking my local Embassy, Aussie, for a suggestion. Is this a waste of time.

[Madivad]

Sorry I just stole this post from another section of ThaiVisa....

{snip}

can you include a link? I'm sure thatany people here (self included) would like to follow this up

[richieudon]

Sorry I just stole this post from another section of ThaiVisa....

{snip}

can you include a link? I'm sure thatany people here (self included) would like to follow this up