Anti-Corruption body to probe Phuket dive industry extortion

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Anti-Corruption body to probe Phuket dive industry extortion
Alasdair Forbes

PHUKET: -- Pressure is mounting on greedy police officers who have been allegedly targeting Phuket's dive industry for extortion, with the announcement that a senior anti-corruption official will arrive on the island tomorrow to hear complaints from the victims.

Tomorrow (March 27), between 9am and 10am Col Pravej Moonpramuk, secretary of the National Anti-Corruption Commission will arrive from Bangkok to listen to complaints at the office of the Association of Thai Underwater Sports (ATUS), near the airport. All aggrieved dive operators and staff are invited.

On Saturday many dive companies aired their grievances at a meeting convened by ATUS. ATUS President Ronnachai Jindapon assured them that action was being taken, with a deputy commander of Police Region 8, Pol Maj Gen Maj Gen Ronnapong Saikaew, already aware of the problem.

Dive companies reportt that rogue police have been finding fault with the work permits of dive company staff and managers and then demanding up to B30,000 to let them off the hook, with an additional B3,00 a month to keep the policfe off their backs.

Earlier stories here and here.

The Phuket News has had reports that similar extortion is being practised in Kaho Lak on dive companies there.

One Khao Lak dive operator wrote to the paper, "Same s*** started already in Khao Lak. They come to the office. say something about illegal work that's not included in the work permit (eg, manager may not work as a dive instructor), collect money, secret, no receipt and all in an envelope."

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/anti-corruption-body-to-probe-phuket-dive-industry-extortion-45374.php


-- Phuket News 2014-03-27