Pattaya Police Chief Urgently Transferred Over “Missed” Gambling Case

[Rimmer]

Pattaya Police Chief urgently transferred over “missed” Gambling case

PATTAYA:--The Pattaya Police Chief, Police Colonel Suwan, has been urgently re-assigned to a non-active position in accordance with orders from the National Police Chief, Police General Adul.

The Colonel was on his way to a conference in Chiang Mai in the North of Thailand on Tuesday when he was told to turn-back to Pattaya and attend a press conference.
Later on Tuesday, Police Major General Katcha, the Provincial Police Commander, confirmed he had received the order to remove the Colonel from the position as Chief of Pattaya Police and he has less than 24 hours to clear his desk and report to Royal Thai Police Headquarters by 9am on Wednesday.

It is thought the order was issued after a high profile gambling arrest took place on 2nd May in Central Pattaya where 17 slot machines were confiscated from a shop.

Full story:http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/86138/pattaya-police-chief-urgently-transferred-missed-gambling-case/

-- Pattaya One 2013-05-07

[alfalfa19]

This is kind of interesting, this guy is a big shot. I wonder what the offense was? Maybe the shop with the 17 machines was on a protected list?

[lemoncake]

Get ready for new raids as soon as new Chief is appointed. This positions do not come cheap

[tropo]

Good riddance.

[Spalpeen]

If you read the story carefully it seems that the big chief rode into town and busted the slot machine place without telling the local cops. The issue here seems to be that the local chief was strangely unaware of 17 slot machines operating on 2nd rd., not far from his office.

[jbrain]

Some gambling den gets raided and the police chief get's fired.

Very interesting I should say.

[tropo]

If you read the story carefully it seems that the big chief rode into town and busted the slot machine place without telling the local cops. The issue here seems to be that the local chief was strangely unaware of 17 slot machines operating on 2nd rd., not far from his office.

Is it really strange? Wouldn't it be a near certainty that the machines were earning him some decent profit?

[Spalpeen]

If you read the story carefully it seems that the big chief rode into town and busted the slot machine place without telling the local cops. The issue here seems to be that the local chief was strangely unaware of 17 slot machines operating on 2nd rd., not far from his office.

Is it really strange? Wouldn't it be a near certainty that the machines were earning him some decent profit?

I was being ironic. That's exactly why he got fired. It may also be that the big chief found out that the little chief was getting a cut but not passing a share up the line.

[tropo]

If you read the story carefully it seems that the big chief rode into town and busted the slot machine place without telling the local cops. The issue here seems to be that the local chief was strangely unaware of 17 slot machines operating on 2nd rd., not far from his office.

Is it really strange? Wouldn't it be a near certainty that the machines were earning him some decent profit?

I was being ironic. That's exactly why he got fired. It may also be that the big chief found out that the little chief was getting a cut but not passing a share up the line.

That's exactly what I was thinking.

If only they could tell us the truth. Who's controlling the media?

[SurfRider]

.

"If only they could tell us the truth. Who's controlling the media?"

The Pattaya media is running scared of the corruption that is rampant in Pattaya. In March of 2012 a well known local American businessman was arrested for extortion.

The only Pattaya media outlet that dared to publish the story, The Pattaya-One newspaper and website, was "ordered" to remove the arrest story at 10:00pm on the night following the arrest.

There was much speculation on ThaiVisa.com about who got through to Pattaya-One and muzzled them -- The publisher posted this explanation on ThaiVisa:

"It was quite amusing really.

As soon as I published the story on Pattaya One, the phone calls began......I told them all that the story would not be pulled so they moved on to my Thai partner. A "top of the tree" Thai called him and we made the decision to pull the story.

At the end of the day, protecting my businesses is far more important than a single news story"
.

[tropo]

.

"If only they could tell us the truth. Who's controlling the media?"

The Pattaya media is running scared of the corruption that is rampant in Pattaya. In March of 2012 a well known local American businessman was arrested for extortion.

The only Pattaya media outlet that dared to publish the story, The Pattaya-One newspaper and website, was "ordered" to remove the arrest story at 10:00pm on the night following the arrest.

There was much speculation on ThaiVisa.com about who got through to Pattaya-One and muzzled them -- The publisher posted this explanation on ThaiVisa:

"It was quite amusing really.

As soon as I published the story on Pattaya One, the phone calls began......I told them all that the story would not be pulled so they moved on to my Thai partner. A "top of the tree" Thai called him and we made the decision to pull the story.

At the end of the day, protecting my businesses is far more important than a single news story"

.

Thanks. That sums it up well. We don't get to "see" much of what is going on.

[LeCharivari]

If you read the story carefully it seems that the big chief rode into town and busted the slot machine place without telling the local cops. The issue here seems to be that the local chief was strangely unaware of 17 slot machines operating on 2nd rd., not far from his office.

Not quite.

The "big chief" was the Nai Amphoe, who works for the Provincial Governor/Ministry of the Interior. The "local chief" was the Pattaya Police Chief, who works for the Provincial Police Commander. The "shares" not only need to be passed "up the line", but sideways and then up the other lines as well and someone must have forgotten to do so.

As I recall he only took over in December, supposedly to "clean up" from his predecessor's lack of action over certain gambling locales, who himself only took over in April last year. ..... plus ca change ....

[smedly]

I think the truth of this story will be understood if the establishment re-opens for business, I believe it's on soi 7 where Denis the Menace used to be

[doggie888888]

Good riddance.

Why? Was he a bad guy?

[Spalpeen]

If you read the story carefully it seems that the big chief rode into town and busted the slot machine place without telling the local cops. The issue here seems to be that the local chief was strangely unaware of 17 slot machines operating on 2nd rd., not far from his office.

Not quite.

The "big chief" was the Nai Amphoe, who works for the Provincial Governor/Ministry of the Interior. The "local chief" was the Pattaya Police Chief, who works for the Provincial Police Commander. The "shares" not only need to be passed "up the line", but sideways and then up the other lines as well and someone must have forgotten to do so.

As I recall he only took over in December, supposedly to "clean up" from his predecessor's lack of action over certain gambling locales, who himself only took over in April last year. ..... plus ca change ....

Maybe when they told him to 'clean up' he took it the wrong way.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The problem with these kinds of news reports about police in Thailand is...

You can never know if they get in trouble for enforcing the law, or NOT enforcing the law.

Since in this case the local guy didn't make the arrest...

Perhaps he was axed because he let someone else show gambling is still rampant there.

Perhaps he really was axed for not enforcing the law.

Perhaps he was axed for failing to protect someone else's protected gambling establishment.

[petercool]

There is always some background to these things. The Colonel had been rewarded by his post for helping Red Shirts in Bangkok at some earlier point and politics at that level are brutal. That another faction was not happy he was there was to be expected so who knows whether the excuse of the gambling raid's ramifications are just that - an excuse to move him or to have another there in his place.

He did seem to a responsible and likeable man but us foreigners are never privy to the real issues and agendas.

[EyesWideOpen]

Funny stuff...I was just noticing yesterday a lot of police checkpoints stopping people and stripping them of money. Guess I know the reason, the new sheriff in town has to pay back the millions of baht he paid for his position.

[tropo]

Good riddance.

Why? Was he a bad guy?

Perhaps you appreciate in-your-face police corruption. I don't.

[Tolley]

The whole system is rotten to the core.

An arrest here or there or demotion etc doesnt change the endemic nature of corruption in Thailand.

Until the judiciary, police, army, political and educational insitutions are reformed then nothing is going to change.

[Potosi]

Rotten to the core. The Pattayaone article states,

"It is thought the order was issued after a high profile gambling arrest took place on 2nd May in Central Pattaya where 17 slot machines were confiscated from a shop. The seizure was made by the Chief of Banglamung District, who has the power to conduct such operations. At the time journalists reported that the District Chief conducts such operations without the knowledge of local Police..."

I googled. Journalists reported nothing at all on a high-profile gambling arrest and 17 slot machines confiscated in Pattaya on 02.05.2013.

A little trip down memory lane? Less than a year ago... http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2012/06/26/corrupt-pattaya-cop-transferred/

[Potosi]

Jeez, it's becoming ever more absurd when you start digging. The link of my las post says that "June 23, 2012, Pol. Lt. Gen. Panya Mamen, commissioner section 2 will transfer Pol. Col. Thammanoon Munkong to another police station." Yet in November 2012, Thammanoon Munkong is still, or again superintendent of Pattaya police station. http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2012/11/16/nigerian-ya-ice-dealer-busted-on-beach-road/

Edited May 8, 2013 by Potosi

[Potosi]

Predecessor of the honourable Thammanoon Munkong was a guy named Pol.Col.Nuntavuth Suwanlaorng, in office between October 2010 to early 2012, can't find any report on when and why he was replaced.

2nd from right

[doggie888888]

Good riddance.

Why? Was he a bad guy?

Perhaps you appreciate in-your-face police corruption. I don't.

Of course not, but if I am not mistaken he's fairly new so any newbie will take some time to fix a thoroughly broken system and weed out the bad apples?? So, I an not sure if he was as bad as his predecessors or merely a relatively good cop stepping on big toes whilst doing his job?

[Tatsujin]

When are they going to stop with this cr@p . . . "moved to an inactive post" . . . just sack them and get it over and done with.

[tropo]

When are they going to stop with this cr@p . . . "moved to an inactive post" . . . just sack them and get it over and done with.

Sack them, charge them and send them to prison would be better.

In our dreams.

[bigwilly]

I just saw an ad on the internet, some guy in Central Pattaya wants to trade 17 used slot machines for 17 Jet ski's, cash adjustment eitherway.

BW

Edited May 8, 2013 by bigwilly

[timewilltell]

Just ridiculous. Isn;t corruption great!

[Potosi]

Found the one I was looking for, the venerable Pol.Col.Nopadon Wongnorm, fifth to last superintendent of Pattaya Police station, until February 2010. Alledgedly paid 10 million Baht to get the appointment, "a position that, thanks to institutional corruption can repay such an alleged investment 20 times over"(in the 2 years he was appointed for). The gentleman on the left.

http://missingbylines.com/politics-scandal-fuel-purge-of-pattaya-police-ranks/

He is also the one who worked with Robert Mcinnes to build a SWAT team of foreign mercenaries, seen cruising trough Pattaya in their huge Hammers, bristling with firearms.

http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2010/02/21/news-update-pattaya%E2%80%99s-robert-%E2%80%98sifu%E2%80%99-mcinnes-officially-arrested/

As you see, stranger things have happened already.

[LeCharivari]

....

He is also the one who worked with Robert Mcinnes to build a SWAT team of foreign mercenaries, seen cruising trough Pattaya in their huge Hammers, bristling with firearms.

http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2010/02/21/news-update-pattaya%E2%80%99s-robert-%E2%80%98sifu%E2%80%99-mcinnes-officially-arrested/

....

None of them were or ever had been "mercenaries"; that would imply that they had some genuine military experience and training. The only military or police experience any of those involved ever had, including McInnes, was Beach Road. I believe Col Noppadom still has the Hummer he was given, though.