Lite Beer Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Dive shops gather to solve police bribery problemAnthika Muangrod PHUKET: Over 100 people attended a discussion on how dive shops can curtail the threat of bribes to local police, an on-going problem in Phuket that has caught the attention of the Association of Thailand Underwater Sports (ATUS) Led by ATUS President Mr Ronnachai Jindapon, Saturday evening's (March 22) meeting brought together several diving businesses on the island while some shared their stories of police corruption despite proper paperwork."We know that the problem is happening but it seems that only a few people reported itto us. I want [businesses] to inform the ATUS so that we can know what's happening and help them solve the problem."We have been cooperating with the Phuket Provincial Vice Commissioner. He acknowledged what happened, but still, we need evidence to prove that the story they tell is true."A victim of police bribery told The Phuket News: “We specialise in technical diving and we have a business, a TAT license, we have TAT registration, work permit, everything is in order. But still the police came to our shop and asked us to go to the police station at the back of Chalong police station. They said pay B20,000 and you’re free to go. And we paid because we’re just afraid.”There are many more frustrated victims who raised their hands at the meeting and told their stories.ATUS encourage dive companies and individuals who were harassed to write down their problems with the corruption. The associations said these documents will be brought to the vice commissioner to consider and help solve the police problem.Mr Ronnachai revealed that a police taskforce has been setup and will visit the victims to point out which officers went to their shops and asked for big money. But the companies have to be strong enough to make thing right., he said, and not be afraid to point out who are those police."If we can make one cop afraid of this, the rest of them will also be afraid to rip us off. I contacted the vice commissioner of Phuket and he wants to know if you all could recognize the officer's [who asked for bribes] faces and point them out."He also added that the diving companies have to make sure that they are doing everything legally because the ATUS does not know who specifically has a work permit. Since these permits are the responsibility of the business, the ATUS will not help if police catch people working without one."It’s now become a problem whether it is correct or not for foreigners to be diving as it’s not stated in the working permit. We will contact the governor to discuss making the working permit completely clear for everybody."Mr Pongsawan Sathatam, ATUS' legal counsel, revealed that there is going to be a discussion between the association and the Labour Office to clarify in the work permits if divers can work legally outside the office.“Usually Labor Office will not state too many words in work permit. I think police can understand this if they want, but I think in many cases, they just want some advantage from these people.Mr Ronnachai suggested that the diving companies register to become members of ATUS so that it will be easier for the association to look after them. In many cases, businesses don’t want to pay to be a member but when they have problem, they still ask for the association's help.The ATUS will also reach out to the governor, Phuket Department of Employent and local police on what steps to take to solve the problem, in addition to clarifying the work permit, Mr Pongsawan added.Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/dive-shops-gather-to-solve-police-bribery-problem-45311.php -- Phuket News 2014-03-23 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrycallahan Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 I can think of a sure way to find out who's corrupt, but it doesn't involve newspaper articles until they've been caught. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clockman Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Dangerous action! T.I.T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivinginKata Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Gutsy action. Hope there is no backlash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espinoza Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 What the f... has the governor in Phuket to do with the work permits ? Don`t Thailand have laws ? It`s time to bring harsh laws to work to tackle police-corruption. Maybe the Chinese model could be implemented in the Phuket region as a test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post falkan Posted March 23, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted March 23, 2014 video video video..=) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaiChai Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Thai police motto should be: Empowered to extort! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somtamnication Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Wish the Koreans would do this. They pay upwards of 80k per month. 5 "cops" arrive in a minivan, all representing a different agency, stop by all the tour companies and get money. This is truly a cancer in Thailand. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenl Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Wish the Koreans would do this. They pay upwards of 80k per month. 5 "cops" arrive in a minivan, all representing a different agency, stop by all the tour companies and get money. This is truly a cancer in Thailand. Well, the main problem is quite a few of those shops are operating illegally without business license, tourism license, workpermits, etc. IMO they should simply close those shops in stead of accepting payments though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
virtualtraveller Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Anywhere there is good money being made off flush tourists the police are going to want some of it. If there's any rules involved they were use them to extort. For bars it's late night opening, booze licences and girls, for divers its work permits and TAT licences. If the guys are willing to pay 20,000 to avoid the hassle they can probably afford it, thus starts the slippery slope. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eezergood Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 (edited) Yet another, unfortunate, act in rable rousing and posturing..... The status quo will be back before you know it Edited March 24, 2014 by eezergood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Borzandy Posted March 24, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted March 24, 2014 Thailand the hub of police bribery problem 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldsailor35 Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Anyone summoned to police HQ should find a way to carry a concealed video camera. This is what i would be doing. Otherwise it will just be his word against yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NamKangMan Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Thailand the hub of police bribery problem "Thailand the hub of police bribery problem"........ and Phuket the hub of the hub. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post NamKangMan Posted March 24, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted March 24, 2014 "Over 100 people attended a discussion on how dive shops can curtail the threat of bribes to local police" - perhaps "over 100 people" is enough for a blockade. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godden Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 pissing against the wind, i think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realenglish1 Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 This is a real easy solution Set up a Task force with a telephone number maned by an officer the Governor can trust. Then when someone is hauled into the police station they call and this guy comes down and resolves this problem. Presto No money and the threat of prosecution if this behavior continues. Maybe you can find holes in it but they if you don't do something direct it will continue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evadgib Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 (edited) video video video..=) THB 20k will buy CCTV in offices, 2 way dashcams in company vehicles & cameras for boats. Perpetrators can expect an inactive post without collecting GBP 200:) Edited March 24, 2014 by evadgib Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eezergood Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Joe nothing here buddy??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Halion Posted March 24, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted March 24, 2014 Nothing new or even enlightening in this story. Owing to the cancerous corruption that is seeded and accepted in the very culture of this society it is to be expected that an uneducated, undisciplined and unsupervised force given a badge and a gun will milk it for all it is worth. To the Thai mentality such thing are simply denied and as such that makes them untrue. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Chupup Posted March 24, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted March 24, 2014 This is a real easy solution Set up a Task force with a telephone number maned by an officer the Governor can trust. Then when someone is hauled into the police station they call and this guy comes down and resolves this problem. Presto No money and the threat of prosecution if this behavior continues. Maybe you can find holes in it but they if you don't do something direct it will continue A telephone number manned by an officer the govenor canTRUST, yea right 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pops Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Beautiful, to divert the attention from the problem of corrupt crooked cops to work permits. Work permit in order or not in order is another issue. The dive shops come to ATUS to point out, that they have to pay money "under table" to corrupt cops, to either operate or operate illegally. That's the issue, not the f…ing work permits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benmart Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 A sting operation with marked bills, undercover agents, video and lots of publicity showing the cops caught would do wonders. Followup the trials and sentencing with lots of TV and media coverage. Get the rotten cops out, show the others the consequence of dishonesty and let the public know whats happening. It just may spread. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenl Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 (edited) Beautiful, to divert the attention from the problem of corrupt crooked cops to work permits. Work permit in order or not in order is another issue. The dive shops come to ATUS to point out, that they have to pay money "under table" to corrupt cops, to either operate or operate illegally. That's the issue, not the f…ing work permits. Pay money to operate illegally, not to operate. Yes, there has been a problem lately with 'police' fining people for working at the wrong place. The biggest problem though is people working without workpermits, people having set up companies with fake nominees, not employing the number of Thais required for the workpermit, not having the money invested as required, employing activities not allowed, etc. The industry should look at itself first before pointing at injustices committed by others. Edited March 24, 2014 by stevenl 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulic Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 100 people complaining about extortion is not proof of extortion. Maybe there is maybe not. We will open up an investigation waste time delay until things quiet down a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon43 Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 ...maned by an officer the Governor can trust... I can see one or two problems with your wonderful plan..... Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emster23 Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 "This is a real easy solution Set up a Task force with a telephone number maned by an officer the Governor can trust." Forgot to add element of "honest". You can trust Thai police to shake you down as much as they can. Maybe gov could "trust" officer to bring back a cut of the take? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tchooptip Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Thailand the hub of police bribery problem Most thanks for this invaluable information, it will certainly help many of us in the future, thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ppmacready Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 A sting operation with marked bills, undercover agents, video and lots of publicity showing the cops caught would do wonders. Followup the trials and sentencing with lots of TV and media coverage. Get the rotten cops out, show the others the consequence of dishonesty and let the public know whats happening. It just may spread. I can see the headlines now. Anarchy in Phuket due to no police left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sailblue Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 What a joke, Help us catch the bad cop, you have to point at him, the guy over there with the gun giving me the " YOU ARE DEAD LOOK" This is there way to end complaints, just pay up cause I get a share as well. Like the bars, why do they not all go to someone as a group, they want to stay in business, and stay open late. As the guy said the work permits are vague, that is the way they want them so it become a discretion scenario. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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