Armed naval officers 'moonlighted as guards at protest': Thai police

[webfact]

Naval officers 'moonlighted as guards at protest'
The Nation


A police officer shows a pistol

BANGKOK: -- Three armed naval officers have allegedly been found working unlawfully as guards for hardline anti-government movement Students and People Network for Thailand's Reform (STR), police said yesterday.

A high-ranking commander, Admiral Pichan Dhiranetra, said the three officers were naval anti-narcotics agents who may have operated at protest sites without permission. An internal investigation into their acts is underway, he said.

The three officers were identified as Navy Lieutenant Phairat Phlai-ngarm and petty officers-first class Phairin Phothi and Banlang Khanthaphol, under the Royal Thai Fleet.

Navy spokesman Rear Admiral Karn Dee-ubol said later that the agents were working on a case to track drug dealers from Chon Buri who blended in at protest sites, and that they would be penalised through both disciplinary and military criminal actions if found guilty.

The three officers were carrying VIP cards issued by the STR, along with handguns fitted with silencers, said a senior policeman, Pol Colonel Krailert Buakaew. The handguns, munitions and silencers were issued lawfully to them by the Navy, he added.

The agents' current assignments, however, are in the far South and eastern provinces. "The Navy order and authority given to them seems lawful, but they are carrying out duties seemingly unlawfully," said Krailert.

The three Navy officers were initially in police custody, and are now in Navy custody pending further investigation. The Navy spokesman said Navy commander Admiral Narong Pipatanasai had been informed of the issue and had already issued an order to begin a probe into it.

Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul, the director of the government's Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order, said later that the three officers were special-operations personnel moonlighting as guards for the protest movement. He said military units with officers engaged in such moonlighting would now be required to report their work to the CAPO.

He called on a protest leader whose supporters were blocking the Department of Consular Affairs at the Government Complex to make way for people wanting to apply for or renew passports.

Meanwhile, the Bangkok home of a People's Democratic Reform Committee leader, Issara Somchai, came under a bomb attack early Wednesday morning. The homemade explosives caused damage to his house, located off Chaeng Wattana Road in Lak Si district, as well as a car and a motorcycle, but caused no casualties.

Police said the bomb was made of a tap-water pipe containing nails intended as shrapnel. Quoting witnesses, police said attackers arrived at the home in a sedan at around 2am and drove around a few times before throwing the bomb. Issara was not home at the time and a housemaid sustained no injuries but suffered from mild shock.

Policemen and anti-government protesters have set up four road checkpoints to guard against possible attacks, in the wake of continued attacks at night on rally sites.

The four checkpoints have been set up at a PTT petrol station on Phaholyothin Road; near the Din Daeng T-intersection; at a road section between Si Ayutthaya intersection and Victory Monument; and at a road section from Tuek Chai intersection to the monument. Each is manned by 30-50 policemen and active from 1am to 5am every day. The chiefs of operations for both sides are Pol Colonel Choosak Techarakphong and former Democrat candidate Chaiwuth Phongphaew, from Songkhla.


-- The Nation 2014-01-17

[Prbkk]

Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy will comment later..

[JoeThePoster]

The agents' current assignments, however, are in the far South and eastern provinces.

Moonlighting in central Bangkok and then taking their private ultrasonic jets back to the South or East every morning.

[ManopY]

As the Police do not protect them, they have to found other solutions!!!

[NongKhaiKid]

Have Gun Will Travel.

By the way do we get a travel allowance ?

[GeorgeO]

As the Police do not protect them, they have to found other solutions!!!

Yes, I note that the bomb attack gets a cursory mention, and despite the fact that they know the 'sedan' drove around "a few times", they have not suggested that they know who the suspects might be or that they are actively pursuing their arrest...!!

[GentlemanJim]

Very sensible that before they have discovered if these guys are guilty of anything rather than being on an anti-narcotics mission that they disclosed the identity of three under cover agents

[worgeordie]

Guns with silencers!,is that standard Navy issue,maybe just

bored of sitting on an aircraft carrier that never leaves port,

and were out looking for a bit of excitement.

regards Worgeordie

[mamypoko]

Go Navy!

[NongKhaiKid]

Guns with silencers!,is that standard Navy issue,maybe just

bored of sitting on an aircraft carrier that never leaves port,

and were out looking for a bit of excitement.

regards Worgeordie

Armed I can understand but silencers ?

How about being so far out of their supposed area of operations ?

Will we ever hear any more about this ?

[sam sen]

they have to do something while waiting for the submarines to arrive...

[Tywais]

I didn't realize Thailand had their own Navy Seals.

[kurtgruen]

Go Navy!

Navy, Navy, Navy!

[DocN]

Brilliant caption under the pic!

[poisonus]

I didn't realize Thailand had their own Navy Seals.

Seals?... The ones with the white goggle straps look more like ninja turtles...

Anyway, I think special ops have silencers as default on their side arms, same with the SAS in the UK. It;'s all about discretion.

I don't think the police should have revealed their identities, and I think CAPO and the fuzz should think twice about trying to use this as propaganda and pissing off the navy... The navy is charged with fighting drug smuggling by boat and they do follow the trail to the source and the destination as a part of their investigations, and most of the time that does not involve the police.

Up where I live, the police control the drug scene, everyone knows it. They also control all the gambling, and they don't like outsiders upsetting their business.

[kurtgruen]

Guns with silencers!,is that standard Navy issue,maybe just

bored of sitting on an aircraft carrier that never leaves port,

and were out looking for a bit of excitement.

regards Worgeordie

Armed I can understand but silencers ?

How about being so far out of their supposed area of operations ?

Will we ever hear any more about this ?

I can understand the silencers, too. When you see some idiot ready to shoot at protesters, of launch a grenade, you can pop them, without making too much noise and upsetting everyone. Shoot him in the shoulder and then get the information, of who paid him to attack the protesters or protest guards.

Silencer, would be preferable, if you are in a large, peaceful crowd, shooting at somebody outside. Why create panic, when you can do it quietly?

As far as area of operations goes, we all know, that the bigger part of the military, sympathizes with the people behind the protests. I find it quite normal, for military personal to quietly help protect the protest sites.

I would guess, that most of the Airforce and Navy, would be on Suthep's side of the protest if the s*%t hits the fan.

[kurtgruen]

I didn't realize Thailand had their own Navy Seals.

Seals?... The ones with the white goggle straps look more like ninja turtles...

Anyway, I think special ops have silencers as default on their side arms, same with the SAS in the UK. It;'s all about discretion.

I don't think the police should have revealed their identities, and I think CAPO and the fuzz should think twice about trying to use this as propaganda and pissing off the navy... The navy is charged with fighting drug smuggling by boat and they do follow the trail to the source and the destination as a part of their investigations, and most of the time that does not involve the police.

Up where I live, the police control the drug scene, everyone knows it. They also control all the gambling, and they don't like outsiders upsetting their business.

I wish I could add more the last part of your message, but I am posting under my real name I live in the North, too and hear you loud and clear.

[NongKhaiKid]

Guns with silencers!,is that standard Navy issue,maybe just

bored of sitting on an aircraft carrier that never leaves port,

and were out looking for a bit of excitement.

regards Worgeordie

Armed I can understand but silencers ?

How about being so far out of their supposed area of operations ?

Will we ever hear any more about this ?

I can understand the silencers, too. When you see some idiot ready to shoot at protesters, of launch a grenade, you can pop them, without making too much noise and upsetting everyone. Shoot him in the shoulder and then get the information, of who paid him to attack the protesters or protest guards.

Silencer, would be preferable, if you are in a large, peaceful crowd, shooting at somebody outside. Why create panic, when you can do it quietly?

As far as area of operations goes, we all know, that the bigger part of the military, sympathizes with the people behind the protests. I find it quite normal, for military personal to quietly help protect the protest sites.

I would guess, that most of the Airforce and Navy, would be on Suthep's side of the protest if the s*%t hits the fan.

i agree about stealth so as not to stir up th crowd but these three were supposedly on drug suppression business not monitoring the protests and theyn were well out of the area they were supposed to be operating in.

[Halion]

Sidearms with silencers are surely not a standard issue unless heir mission was covert and why would a Naval officer be involved in drug suppression on Thai soil.. This whole story stinks. Naval vehicle with false plates, silenced weapons, moonlighting as security guards,VIP passes rather suggests a touch of the Ian Flemming's..

Ask anyone who has been in military service as to the contingency for the issue of silenced weapons coupled with the contradicting stories that they were on a drug mission initially and then changed to moonlighting as protest security guards. Another salient point is that they have now been released from police custody and returned to the Navy who would have no jurisdiction in the mater had they been moonlighting and not on "official business" with their "hush puppies".

[Cnxforever]

"An internal investigation into their acts is underway, he said."

........meaning give us time to make up a better story.....three little soldiers moonlighting as guards and an Admiral gets involved? hahaha

These units have done the "dirty work" for their "bosses" since ages - problem is they are not very good at it!

"Admiral Narong Pipatanasai had been informed of the issue and had already issued an order to begin a probe into it."

And that will be the last we hear of it!

Business as usual - we are above the law.

[fab4]

Guns with silencers!,is that standard Navy issue,maybe just

bored of sitting on an aircraft carrier that never leaves port,

and were out looking for a bit of excitement.

regards Worgeordie

Armed I can understand but silencers ?

How about being so far out of their supposed area of operations ?

Will we ever hear any more about this ?

Not really knowing much about silencers, apart from Hollywood myth, I did some digging and found out that whilst good suppressors will make shots hard to make out amongst normal background noise even bad ones will make it difficult to know where the shots are coming from. http://www.shootingillustrated.com/index.php/24620/suppressor-basics/

Handy, I suppose, if you wanted to stir up a bit of fear and sympathy for the protesters without anyone knowing the source....................

[GeorgeO]

Sidearms with silencers are surely not a standard issue unless heir mission was covert and why would a Naval officer be involved in drug suppression on Thai soil.. This whole story stinks. Naval vehicle with false plates, silenced weapons, moonlighting as security guards,VIP passes rather suggests a touch of the Ian Flemming's..

Ask anyone who has been in military service as to the contingency for the issue of silenced weapons coupled with the contradicting stories that they were on a drug mission initially and then changed to moonlighting as protest security guards. Another salient point is that they have now been released from police custody and returned to the Navy who would have no jurisdiction in the mater had they been moonlighting and not on "official business" with their "hush puppies".

Sorry, but I must correct you on your final point. It is indeed the norm for any serviceman to be returned to his place of duty to be dealt with accordingly, as disciplinary action comes under the jurisdiction of the serviceman's commanding officer.

This is the same in the UK, US and elsewhere, and this is exactly why we have the court martial system available for use in such cases.

[love1012]

At least anti-Government protestors use Thai navy for protection. Thaksin red shirt thugs get protection from Hun Sens black shirt - so thaksin bring in Cambodians to kill Thais!! Hands up if you love the Thai people!!

[falangadang]

Navy Seals,.. Undercover black ops??

Great job guys the whole 3 of you getting caught by the keystone cops!!!

[thesetat2013]

So sweet of them to give the locations of the security checkpoints. I am sure the crazies looking to bomb or shoot someone can't read and will be heading that way

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Baerboxer]

I didn't realize Thailand had their own Navy Seals.

Seals?... The ones with the white goggle straps look more like ninja turtles...

Anyway, I think special ops have silencers as default on their side arms, same with the SAS in the UK. It;'s all about discretion.

I don't think the police should have revealed their identities, and I think CAPO and the fuzz should think twice about trying to use this as propaganda and pissing off the navy... The navy is charged with fighting drug smuggling by boat and they do follow the trail to the source and the destination as a part of their investigations, and most of the time that does not involve the police.

Up where I live, the police control the drug scene, everyone knows it. They also control all the gambling, and they don't like outsiders upsetting their business.

Wow - another ex SAS special forces officer sharing his secret knowledge with us. Silencers issued as default with side arms, discretion, all very secret squirrel indeed.

Thailand should up its own "Foreign Legion" - plenty of recruits seemingly here already!

[tx22cb]

A case for NCIS - Bangkok

[chrisinth]

Quote

Quote

I didn't realize Thailand had their own Navy Seals.

Seals?... The ones with the white goggle straps look more like ninja turtles...

Anyway, I think special ops have silencers as default on their side arms, same with the SAS in the UK. It;'s all about discretion.

I don't think the police should have revealed their identities, and I think CAPO and the fuzz should think twice about trying to use this as propaganda and pissing off the navy... The navy is charged with fighting drug smuggling by boat and they do follow the trail to the source and the destination as a part of their investigations, and most of the time that does not involve the police.

Up where I live, the police control the drug scene, everyone knows it. They also control all the gambling, and they don't like outsiders upsetting their business.

"Anyway, I think special ops have silencers as default on their side arms, same with the SAS in the UK."

Really?....................

[geriatrickid]

Navy drug operations on land typically target navy personnel who are in the business. As a matter of practice, the navy does not take on general drug interdiction or enforcement activity outside of its jurisdiction as it would be stepping on the army's turf.

[chrisinth]

"The handguns, munitions and silencers were issued lawfully to them by the Navy, he added"

That is the scariest statement in the entire OP. These three were obviously not ordinary enlisted personnel, and one would hope, being tooled up the way they were, not on official duties. The very fact that suppressors were being used (unless the policeman in the photo has just fitted one) leaves a lot to the imagination. A suppressor does not enhance the performance or handling of a weapon, only makes it a bit quieter.