Bangkok Metropolitan Police Deputy Chief Post Photos Of Drunk Drivers On Facebook

[FarangTalk]

How can we be sure that all these people with their photos on Facebook are guilty of the alleged crime of drinking while under the influence of alcohol?

In fact, they could just be photos of people taking the breathaliser test as required by the Police.

If they want to stigmatise drunk driving they need a national campaign in the media, similar to the one involving Liverpool and Manchester United we saw on the TV during Songkran. They need to make it socially unacceptable to drink and drive, not put pictures of individuals on Facebook or other websites.

Another ill-conceived and poorly thought out idea unfortunately.

you lose your license if you get arrested for Drunk Driving even before you are convicted and in many places get your car impounded ... this would seem illegal as your being punished

Where do you lose your license before you are convicted? Certainly not in the UK. You will only lose your license when you have a conviction.

If you blow over the limit then the attending officers are within their rights to prevent you from continuing to drive.

[DocN]

I am not sure how reporting the arrest of somebody in the media (Facebook) could be illegal. Also not sure why it matter that it is posted on Facebook as opposed to a Newspaper or Twitter or other form of mass communication. In some more modern countries you lose your license if you get arrested for Drunk Driving even before you are convicted and in many places get your car impounded ... this would seem illegal as your being punished without conviction but reporting on an arrest doesn't really seem illegal regardless of where the news is being published. The have TV shows such as cops showing people getting arrested and various internet sites showing mug shots of non-convicted people.

As for being an effective tool to discourage drunk driving, I'm guessing it must help but just not sure it is appropriate but I have never had a family member killed or crippled by a drunk driver and bet most who have would think this an appropriate deterrent.

Here is a little help, why I think it makes a hell of a difference;

one side: media, often pixelating faces, reporting on news.

the other side: a rouge deputy- chief, posting pictures on Facebook.

Get it?

[sirchai]

LOS. Land Of Surprises.-

[cup-O-coffee]

I am not sure how reporting the arrest of somebody in the media (Facebook) could be illegal. Also not sure why it matter that it is posted on Facebook as opposed to a Newspaper or Twitter or other form of mass communication. In some more modern countries you lose your license if you get arrested for Drunk Driving even before you are convicted and in many places get your car impounded ... this would seem illegal as your being punished without conviction but reporting on an arrest doesn't really seem illegal regardless of where the news is being published. The have TV shows such as cops showing people getting arrested and various internet sites showing mug shots of non-convicted people.

As for being an effective tool to discourage drunk driving, I'm guessing it must help but just not sure it is appropriate but I have never had a family member killed or crippled by a drunk driver and bet most who have would think this an appropriate deterrent.

It could be illegal because I know Thais. I know they do whatever they do, in general, without thinking about the consequences of their actions, and how those actions will affect the people and things around them. They do and think without no regard for anything else in the universe, and spend the rest of their time weaseling their way out of the messes they get themselves into. Good enough?

With that in mind, the article cites no jurisdiction that gives this so-called policeman the right to do this. Did he have the blessing of the prosecutor or any judge? Were these people in fact guilty, or even given the chance to have their crime tried under Thai law, or is this so-called officer putting the cart before the horse just to save his grimy face and the faces of his grimy little lackeys due to criticism? I wager it's the latter, and at people's expense.

The TV shows you mention are in countries where, for the most part, people have already been given a verdict, or the scene is showing the crime being interrupted by the police at that moment.

The rest is conjecture and has nothing to do with the reality of my first and second paragraph.

[laislica]

Trial by Facebook – Dangerous Trends

http://thatsnonsense.com/blog/trial-by-facebook-dangerous-trends/

[Chrisswe]

Good idea, don't forget Bus and Truck driver's !!

[Mudcrab]

Allegedly from Singapore though it looks like it was from a Br]azilian source. Punishment for drink driving supposedly....not sure....but would certainly stop you farting in church!!!!

Singapore.wmv

WARNING this is quite brutal

Edited April 24, 2013 by Mudcrab

[Mudcrab]

Bloody hell - every Songkran all we get is people bitching that there are drunk drivers, nobody does anything, double standards, blah blah blah.... - this guy has at the very least thought of trying something new and something that should, in a nation where face is important, help to dissuade people from drink driving, but that's STILL NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE BUNCH OF WHINGERS on here.

If this move stops even one or two potential accidents and accidents that could cost a life or serious injury, then it has done its job.

You are not going to get a single solution to this, yes educate by all means, but that's a very long term process, and we do need something to happen right now - yes, enforce the regulations - so now he is adding a little more disincentive to being caught - public loss of face.

Good - at least he is trying...more than can be said of many.

WHINGERS ! Think perhaps you should take a moment out to self reflect. This topic happens to be on Drunk Driving however, anyone with a modecum of knowledge is aware that the RTP is highly disfunctional and extremely corrupt.

This official is a Depty Chief, Major General and one would assume that a certain level of intellegence, intelect and common sense would be required for this post and the best he can come up with is taking pictures of those who have failed a breathalyzer test (know to be highly dubious) which is only indicative and not definitive. Alcohol levels can only be quantatively determined by urine or blood analysis.. The whole article is a crock of shit and meaningless at best and yet you feel that this action from such a senior officer is comendable. As I said earlier, you really need to self reflect

Garbage. Breath testing is accurate (with the right equipment). The road side breath test that you are talking about is a preliminary breath test which indicates whether there is sufficient evidence to carry out a further breath analysis by a quite sophisticated analyser. Not saying this is the case in Thailand as I have never been pulled up driving over the limit but it is certainly the case elsewhere.

[Mudcrab]

There is a disturbing side to this trial by Facebook.

What if the next step was to put up photos of an alleged paedophile or murderer. No judgement by a court at this stage. Just photo's of suspected paedophilesand murderers... maybe balding middle aged farangs with a beer gut....put a few pics, or multiple pics of people who "fits" the description on Facebook.........hmm are we still keen to see this go to the next stage? Lynch mobs...innocent people getting wasted?

That's why it is called the Rule of Law

Edited April 24, 2013 by Mudcrab

[Thai at Heart]

There are going to be boat loads of defamation cases about this.

[Nisa]

I am not sure how reporting the arrest of somebody in the media (Facebook) could be illegal. Also not sure why it matter that it is posted on Facebook as opposed to a Newspaper or Twitter or other form of mass communication. In some more modern countries you lose your license if you get arrested for Drunk Driving even before you are convicted and in many places get your car impounded ... this would seem illegal as your being punished without conviction but reporting on an arrest doesn't really seem illegal regardless of where the news is being published. The have TV shows such as cops showing people getting arrested and various internet sites showing mug shots of non-convicted people.

As for being an effective tool to discourage drunk driving, I'm guessing it must help but just not sure it is appropriate but I have never had a family member killed or crippled by a drunk driver and bet most who have would think this an appropriate deterrent.

Here is a little help, why I think it makes a hell of a difference;

one side: media, often pixelating faces, reporting on news.

the other side: a rouge deputy- chief, posting pictures on Facebook.

Get it?

I don't get your point at all since I am not aware of newspapers pixelating pictures of people arrested (except in rare circumstances such as being underage) and the information the newspapers get about the person arrested is generally from the police. Nor would I get too worried about somebody having a Facebook account who already has a hell of a lot of of power and legally carries a gun and can take away your freedoms --- especially when every posts on Facebook can be tracked.

Edited April 24, 2013 by Nisa

[Nisa]

How can we be sure that all these people with their photos on Facebook are guilty of the alleged crime of drinking while under the influence of alcohol?

Who is saying these people are convicted as opposed to being arrested?

Are you against the police releasing and the media reporting the names of anyone arrested until they are convicted? I am not saying I agree with posting photos of those arrested or who blow over the limit but most of the arguments I am seeing against it don't seem reasonable.

Where do you lose your license before you are convicted? Certainly not in the UK. You will only lose your license when you have a conviction.

Numerous places including areas of the US, Canada and Australia.

I don't like the idea of the Facebook thing but I just don't see anything illegal about it and it seems to just be a tool being used to try to deter people from drinking and driving. In a perfect world (suspected criminal rights wise) nobody would know the identity of anyone arrested before conviction nor would anyone be held in jail prior to conviction even if doing so was in the public interest because in doing so there is some indication the person committed the crime be it drunk driving. child molestation or terrorism.

Edited April 24, 2013 by Nisa

[DocN]

I am not sure how reporting the arrest of somebody in the media (Facebook) could be illegal. Also not sure why it matter that it is posted on Facebook as opposed to a Newspaper or Twitter or other form of mass communication. In some more modern countries you lose your license if you get arrested for Drunk Driving even before you are convicted and in many places get your car impounded ... this would seem illegal as your being punished without conviction but reporting on an arrest doesn't really seem illegal regardless of where the news is being published. The have TV shows such as cops showing people getting arrested and various internet sites showing mug shots of non-convicted people.

As for being an effective tool to discourage drunk driving, I'm guessing it must help but just not sure it is appropriate but I have never had a family member killed or crippled by a drunk driver and bet most who have would think this an appropriate deterrent.

Here is a little help, why I think it makes a hell of a difference;

one side: media, often pixelating faces, reporting on news.

the other side: a rouge deputy- chief, posting pictures on Facebook.

Get it?

I don't get your point at all since I am not aware of newspapers pixelating pictures of people arrested (except in rare circumstances such as being underage) and the information the newspapers get about the person arrested is generally from the police. Nor would I get too worried about somebody having a Facebook account who already has a hell of a lot of of power and legally carries a gun and can take away your freedoms --- especially when every posts on Facebook can be tracked.

Let me just put it simple, okay?!

You see no difference between a reporter of a newspaper, issuing a story about a crime/ alleged crime and a police- officer, who takes the law into his own hand and issuing pictures of alleged lawbreakers on his Facebook- page?

And it is okay for you, that the sentence (if any) of these alleged criminals says nothing about having their picture published by said officeron a social- network?!

That is totally fine with you?

Nisa...I could tell you what you are, but I like posting here too much!

[Nisa]

I am not sure how reporting the arrest of somebody in the media (Facebook) could be illegal. Also not sure why it matter that it is posted on Facebook as opposed to a Newspaper or Twitter or other form of mass communication. In some more modern countries you lose your license if you get arrested for Drunk Driving even before you are convicted and in many places get your car impounded ... this would seem illegal as your being punished without conviction but reporting on an arrest doesn't really seem illegal regardless of where the news is being published. The have TV shows such as cops showing people getting arrested and various internet sites showing mug shots of non-convicted people.

As for being an effective tool to discourage drunk driving, I'm guessing it must help but just not sure it is appropriate but I have never had a family member killed or crippled by a drunk driver and bet most who have would think this an appropriate deterrent.

Here is a little help, why I think it makes a hell of a difference;

one side: media, often pixelating faces, reporting on news.

the other side: a rouge deputy- chief, posting pictures on Facebook.

Get it?

I don't get your point at all since I am not aware of newspapers pixelating pictures of people arrested (except in rare circumstances such as being underage) and the information the newspapers get about the person arrested is generally from the police. Nor would I get too worried about somebody having a Facebook account who already has a hell of a lot of of power and legally carries a gun and can take away your freedoms --- especially when every posts on Facebook can be tracked.

Let me just put it simple, okay?!

You see no difference between a reporter of a newspaper, issuing a story about a crime/ alleged crime and a police- officer, who takes the law into his own hand and issuing pictures of alleged lawbreakers on his Facebook- page?

And it is okay for you, that the sentence (if any) of these alleged criminals says nothing about having their picture published by said officeron a social- network?!

That is totally fine with you?

Nisa...I could tell you what you are, but I like posting here too much!

If you thought more before reacting, took things less personal or used basic reading comprehension skills then you would know that I have made clear I am not in favor of this

The real point is that your arguments against this make no sense Again, reporting who has been arrested is not taking the law into one's own hands and unless people are idiots they already should know that being arrested falls under public information and isn't covered by some doctor patient (in this case) police confidentiality.

Your concern over a Major General using Facebook to post pictures of people who were not arrested for some personal vendetta also seems a bit off too since this is a very public forum that is tracked (even if posts are deleted) and doing such a thing would be easy for the victim to prove at the expense of the police. You are talking about a cop who can easily arrest you on trumped up charges and take away your freedom. If he wanted to put somebody's face on Facebook he didn't like and say they were arrested for drunk driving then he would simply have them arrested for drunk driving. I'd more concerned with whose pictures they are not posting that were arrested.

Absolutely nothing illegal about police issuing press releases that include the identities of people arrested regardless if they do it on their own website, facebook or through printed material to the press. If the police issue a press release tot he press saying somebody has been arrested who hasn't then that will run in the newspapers too because there is a certain level of trust that happens and to my knowledge there has never been any real concern for police publicly reporting people who have been arrested who have not in order to satisfy some personal grudge ... especially in a country where libel is crime.

It doesn't sit right with me that they are doing this but I don't see anything illegal about it and they are simply being creative in using available tools as their means to try to reduce drunk driving ... probably a thing you have accused them of not doing many times.

Edited April 24, 2013 by Nisa

[DocN]

I have nothing more to say!

You would apologize for every piece of crap in this country, as long as you are not personally affected.

There is nothing illegal about a policeman, publishing pictures of suspects on facebook!

Aha!

Just a bit of creative law- enforcement, isn't it!?

Thank you and goodnight!

Edited April 24, 2013 by DocN