Bangkok Motorcycle Taxis Seek Help Over Gangsters

[webfact]

Motorcycle taxis seek help over gangsters

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Motorcycle taxi association president Chalerm Changthongmadan yesterday led 20 members to file a complaint with the Metropolitan Police Bureau over gangsters extorting fees from them.

Deputy city police chief Pol Maj-General Wichai Sangprapai has vowed to crack down on the gangsters and punish police officials involved.

A driver near Bangkok University's Kluay Nam Thai campus said his stand was legal but a man identified only as Tum collected a Bt100 fee from each rider to "pass onto his boss" on a daily basis, and threatened to harm those who told police.

Another motorcycle taxi driver near Dhurakij Pundit University complained that an illegal group of drivers made taxi jackets, used their route and stole passengers as well as threatened legal taxi drivers.

Wichai said he would report to the city police chief and invite all district offices to hear the motorcycle taxi drivers' woes. He said he would severely punish policemen involved in extortion.

-- The Nation 2012-05-11

[mca]

Deputy city police chief Pol Maj-General Wichai Sangprapai has vowed to crack down on the gangsters and punish police officials involved.

He then promptly arrested himself.

[noitom]

The story about the hijacked orange jackets by the mob and then resold to motorcycle operators or "leased" was in this newspaper over two years ago. The newspaper never followed up the. Why would they follow up now?

[JayBangkok]

Deputy city police chief Pol Maj-General Wichai Sangprapai has vowed to crack down on the gangsters and punish police officials involved.

He then promptly arrested himself.

and 57,975 policemen were moved to inactive posts

[EyesWideOpen]

This is an odd story. As other posters wryly note, to the best of my knowledge all the taxi groups are either run by or extorted by the police on a regular basis. For them to complain to the police would be perhaps be some form of Thai irony ???

[sjjmmi]

Deputy city police chief Pol Maj-General Wichai Sangprapai has vowed to crack down on the gangsters and punish police officials involved.

He then promptly arrested himself.

[scorecard]

This is an odd story. As other posters wryly note, to the best of my knowledge all the taxi groups are either run by or extorted by the police on a regular basis. For them to complain to the police would be perhaps be some form of Thai irony ???

It's an old story but just recently chalerm assigned on of his son's to look at this matter. Obviously nothing has happened.

[Pib]

This is an odd story. As other posters wryly note, to the best of my knowledge all the taxi groups are either run by or extorted by the police on a regular basis. For them to complain to the police would be perhaps be some form of Thai irony ???

It's an old story but just recently chalerm assigned on of his son's to look at this matter. Obviously nothing has happened.

But the son fixed the problem....has the problem come back already!?

That's Thailand for you, solve the poor people problem and it just comes back, solve the drug problem and it just comes back, solve the van speeding problem and it just comes back, solve the inflation problem and it just comes back, etc. But hey, solving these problems sure provides some good press for a week or so for the Hi-So's.

[Jawnie]

I'll put in my same ol' two cents on this one: until there are credible, sustained undercover sting operations regarding these crimes, they will continue. This is the only real solution and it's simple as pie...... Any talk by the government (on any level) regarding other methods to deal with it are pure BS

[MikeOxtinks]

This is an odd story. As other posters wryly note, to the best of my knowledge all the taxi groups are either run by or extorted by the police on a regular basis. For them to complain to the police would be perhaps be some form of Thai irony ???

I think they are simply carrying out standard working procedures as required in any modern business.

They are simply reporting their grievances to their boss!

[GeorgeO]

This is an odd story. As other posters wryly note, to the best of my knowledge all the taxi groups are either run by or extorted by the police on a regular basis. For them to complain to the police would be perhaps be some form of Thai irony ???

The greatest irony for me is the fact that Thai motorcycle taxi drivers are complaining about gangsters. From countless reports of group violence, along with my observations and experience, these guys are gangsters themselves...!!

[attrayant]

I'm constantly amazed at how passive some folks are here*. Dozens (hundreds?) of motorbike drivers versus a handful of thugs? How is that a problem?

*and by here I mean over there, in the taxi stand. Not here in the forums.

Edited May 11, 2012 by attrayant

[tragickingdom]

Gangsters are: Thai Police, Thai Army and the Thai elite fighting over the money of motorcycle boys. Demanding huge amounts for their numbered shirt and if they do not have a shirt they get mistreated in jail or beaten up. The Thai elite is a real shining example of everything what is rotten.

[chrisinth]

I'm constantly amazed at how passive some folks are here*. Dozens (hundreds?) of motorbike drivers versus a handful of thugs? How is that a problem?

*and by here I mean over there, in the taxi stand. Not here in the forums.

Fighting a handful of thugs shouldn't be that much of a problem.

Fighting the system however is a problem

[farang000999]

how much do they make?

[Skywalker69]

Deputy city police chief Pol Maj-General Wichai Sangprapai has vowed to crack down on the gangsters and punish police officials involved.

He then promptly arrested himself.

[KireB]

The greatest irony for me is the fact that Thai motorcycle taxi drivers are complaining about gangsters. From countless reports of group violence, along with my observations and experience, these guys are gangsters themselves...!!

My experience with them is that there are indeed a couple bad apples among them, but the majority are hard working and friendly guys.

[bendejo]

I'm constantly amazed at how passive some folks are here*. Dozens (hundreds?) of motorbike drivers versus a handful of thugs? How is that a problem?

*and by here I mean over there, in the taxi stand. Not here in the forums.

More than just a handful (how many members of the RTPF are there?), and they are officially appointed as the law enforcement body. Standing up to them makes YOU the criminal.

[Bagwan]

Deputy city police chief Pol Maj-General Wichai Sangprapai has vowed to crack down on the gangsters and punish police officials involved.

He then promptly arrested himself.

On the grounds that he was impersonating a policeman?

[inquisitive]

Gangsters are: Thai Police, Thai Army and the Thai elite fighting over the money of motorcycle boys. Demanding huge amounts for their numbered shirt and if they do not have a shirt they get mistreated in jail or beaten up. The Thai elite is a real shining example of everything what is rotten.

The worst part of the problem, though, is the part left usnsaid but universally understood: Whoever has the power at the moment always morphs into "the elite." That makes this a never-ending problem. It is not impossible to change it, but the chances are extremely small because the system by its very nature tends to weed out anyone who has the capacity to bring any real change.

To make my point more clear, let's take a look at a similar situation: the plight of the used car salesman who really wants to be honest. If all his competition set back the odometers on their cars, how much chance to you think the honest guy has of selling his cars with the true mileage displayed? In theory it's possible to be an honest used car salesman, but in practice such a business would have to be only a hobby, since it would be impossible to actually make money at it.