73 taxi drivers arrested in Phuket anti-mafia drive

[Lite Beer]

73 taxi drivers arrested in Phuket anti-mafia drive
Anthika Muangrod


Crackdown leaders, from left: Royal Thai Army Maj Gen Peerapol Wiriyakul, Pol Lt Gen Panya Mamen and Gov Maitri Inthusut.

PHUKET: Seventy-three taxi drivers were arrested today (June 4) in a massive joint operation by police and armed forces in Phuket.

Charges against them included conspiracy to extort, criminal association, uttering threats and putting people in fear of danger to life, freedom, reputation and possession.

The Mayor of Karon, Tawee Thongcham, also surrendered to police to answer charges of collusion with the “mafia” taxi drivers.

The 73 were among 108 for whom arrest warrants were issued. The warrants were based on complaints that the taxi drivers had threatened businesses, extorted money from tour company drivers and threatened them with weapons such as pieces of wood or guns, blocked hotel entrances, and forced tourists to get out of minibuses that arrived to collect them for tours.

At Phuket Police HQ today Pol Lt Gen Panya Mamen, Commissioner of Police Region 8 in Surat Thani, together with his deputy, Pol Maj Gen Paween Pongsirin, Maj Gen Peerapol Wiriyakul from Royal Thai Army Region 4 in Nakhon Sri Thammarat and Governor Maitri Inthusut explained to journalists why the crackdown had been carried out.

Gen Panya explained, “Realising the problem about mafia taxi drivers disgracing the image of Phuket, I set up a team led by Gen Paween and Pol Maj Gen Weerasak Meenawanich from Region 8 to investigate and collect evidences.

“More than a thousand police officers, soldiers and local authority officials have been working on this.

“The plan was launched on January 30 this year; we have spent about three months now working on this problem.”

It was explained that, of the 287 taxi stands in Phuket, 70 were found to be involved in “mafia” behaviour.

“We have issued 111 arrest warrants to those people and now we have arrested 73 of them on 76 allegations,” Gen Panya said.

It was explained that the targeted taxi drivers would always claim that they were working legally, that they were they were just local people who were losing businesses to others, and claiming that they could act the way they did because they had permission from local authorities such as Tambon Administration Organisations and municipalities – and that this local authority support made it impossible for police to act effectively against them.

Whenever the “mafia” taxi drivers had a problem, they would always do three things: block roads, including hotel and police stations entrances; demand that the local police commander be transferred; and demand that they not be prosecuted for blocking roads.

“From now on, the police will not let this happen. No police officer will be transferred and anyone who blocks roads will be prosecuted,” he said.

Gov Maitri said, “The mafia taxi issue is an old one. Strong power must be applied to eradicate it. There must be a new administration to do this. There must be suppression, education and strengthening of local authorities to get rid of the problem.

“Our problem is the local authorities are not strong enough to enforce the law seriously.”

Gen Paween told reporters that the mafia taxi drivers occupy public salas as their “offices”, and use public power and water supplies paid for by local authorities. The majority have no licences to operate as taxi drivers, so the way they work is illegal.

“Mr Tawee was charged with supporting mafia taxi activities in the Karon area, abusing his position to allow these mafia men to use a public sala as a taxi station, and allowing them to use, free, electricity and water that are paid for from national coffers.”

Mr Tawee’s activities will also be reported to the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC).

Gen Paween highlighted the fear the taxi drivers have instilled over the years. “We could have arrested more people if businesses were not afraid to point out the wrongdoers. Of 150 businesses on our list, only 51 of them would talk about it.”

Gen Panya said that attitudes would have to change. “In future, local authorities who know what is going on but fail to correct the problem will be regarded as supporting it. We will accept no excuses. We have lost a lot billions of baht because of these people.”

Today’s drive covered mafia activities in Karon, Kamala, Cherng Talay and Tah Chat Chai.

In Karon, the police targeted taxi drivers at six stands, at Club Med, Avista Resort & Spa, Peach Hill Resort, Casa Del Sol Hotel, The Old Hotel, and Centara Grand Beach Resort.

In Kamala the focus was on Cape Sienna Hotel & Villas while in Cherng Talay, three taxi stands were targeted, at Double Tree by Hilton, Best Western Bangtao, and Arinara Bangtao Beach Resort.

At Tah Chat Chai, the target was the Holiday Inn Mai Khao.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/73-taxi-drivers-arrested-in-phuket-anti-mafia-drive-46662.php

-- Phuket News 2014-06-04

[snottgoblin]

Indeed this is good news. Any clampdown on that load of vermin is good for Phuket in the long run.

[terryp]

about time......years overdue and just the tip of a huge iceburg

[smedly]

We are eh ......redshirt - ahem cough, it would appear that the power base they had has gone down the s/tter

Now do the same in Patttaya

[sscsamui]

PLEASE send them to Samui... and clean up the Mafia taxi driver here. and all the Russian and British want to be mafia ....

[LeamchabangLarry]

It's about time someone had the sacks to take the trash out down there.

[muchogra]

Two thumbs up for the leaders, particularly the Royal Thai Army Maj Gen Peerapol Wiriyakul and the RTA who initiated the project.

At the forefront of what are most important for Thailand is to ensure those agencies, who are supposed to work for the people and the country at large, do their jobs properly and fairly.

[LloydD]

Wow, and they said it couldn't be done. I'm cautious about proclaiming this Coup as the end of all Thailand's problems, but they don't come much bigger than this. Is this really is the beginning of the end for corruption?

I wonder if in years to come we will look back on these few months as the turning point to a happier, safer, fairer country.

[NamKangMan]

I've always said it would take the Thai Army, and many members ridiculed me.

Just shows how rotten the police are here that it takes the Thai Army to do their job for them.

Edited June 4, 2014 by NamKangMan

[iSabai]

I've always said it would take the Thai Army, and many members ridiculed me.

Just shows how rotten the police are here that it takes the Thai Army to do their job for them.

No, it was the former national government that didn't have the will to get it done, the local governor and police who didn't have the resources to get it done, and a military coup that apparently sees the need to get it done to finally get it done.

Saying "[it] shows how rotten the police are here that it takes the Thai Army to do their job for them" underestimates just how powerful these mafias are, and how powerless local authorities were to deal with them.

The corruption started at the top. Their main priority for 8 years was getting their hero back to Thailand, and that trumped any other problems the country had. With 'a new sheriff in town', that priority has changed.

I'll reserve final judgment until the dust settles, but it looks to be a good start. And I hope it's finally the start of a new direction, and finally some hope for Phuket.

[FATOZ]

Hopefully the tuk tuk mafia are next on their list

[madmitch]

Main news on Thai Channel 3 News right now.

[NamKangMan]

I've always said it would take the Thai Army, and many members ridiculed me.

Just shows how rotten the police are here that it takes the Thai Army to do their job for them.

No, it was the former national government that didn't have the will to get it done, the local governor and police who didn't have the resources to get it done, and a military coup that apparently sees the need to get it done to finally get it done.

Saying "[it] shows how rotten the police are here that it takes the Thai Army to do their job for them" underestimates just how powerful these mafias are, and how powerless local authorities were to deal with them.

The corruption started at the top. Their main priority for 8 years was getting their hero back to Thailand, and that trumped any other problems the country had. With 'a new sheriff in town', that priority has changed.

I'll reserve final judgment until the dust settles, but it looks to be a good start. And I hope it's finally the start of a new direction, and finally some hope for Phuket.

You do know that Phuket is deep in Yellow Shirt territory, don't you?

They didn't want "the job done" because they were all "on the take."

[JetsetBkk]

This alone makes the coup worthwhile.

[iSabai]

I've always said it would take the Thai Army, and many members ridiculed me.

Just shows how rotten the police are here that it takes the Thai Army to do their job for them.

No, it was the former national government that didn't have the will to get it done, the local governor and police who didn't have the resources to get it done, and a military coup that apparently sees the need to get it done to finally get it done.

Saying "[it] shows how rotten the police are here that it takes the Thai Army to do their job for them" underestimates just how powerful these mafias are, and how powerless local authorities were to deal with them.

The corruption started at the top. Their main priority for 8 years was getting their hero back to Thailand, and that trumped any other problems the country had. With 'a new sheriff in town', that priority has changed.

I'll reserve final judgment until the dust settles, but it looks to be a good start. And I hope it's finally the start of a new direction, and finally some hope for Phuket.

You do know that Phuket is deep in Yellow Shirt territory, don't you?

They didn't want "the job done" because they were all "on the take."

You do know that shirt color makes no difference don't you? They're all on the take. This is a fresh start. How it plays out remains to be seen, but at least it's a start in a different direction.

[MMarlow]

I've always said it would take the Thai Army, and many members ridiculed me.

Just shows how rotten the police are here that it takes the Thai Army to do their job for them.

You really do deserve to be ridiculed. Just when it looked as though you may be making a good point you go and spoil it with your last sentence and your recurring lack of reading ability or refusal to give credit where it is due. One third of the operation was the RTP.

Edited June 4, 2014 by MMarlow

[Patje]

About time, now go after they jet-ski scam

[Maestro]

Removed a troll post and the replies to it.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[ttthailand]

Great job ! Now clean up the jet sky scams for good and I will be really impressed. Keep up the good work !

[Somtamnication]

THERE IS A GOD!!!

[KarenBravo]

Quietly hopeful, but, not yet 100% convinced.

[Tatsujin]

I've always said it would take the Thai Army, and many members ridiculed me.

Just shows how rotten the police are here that it takes the Thai Army to do their job for them.

You really do deserve to be ridiculed. Just when it looked as though you may be making a good point you go and spoil it with your last sentence and your recurring lack of reading ability or refusal to give credit where it is due. One third of the operation was the RTP.

With respect, his point was correct.

Prior to the Army taking over and running/heading/leading/initiating all of these operations, very little was done. Since the Coup, and since the transfer of so many Police "leaders" (mafia), their protection has gone and the Army is also looking over their shoulders to see that they do their jobs properly.

1/3rd of them might be RTP, but 2/3rd's are not . . . that's a kind of telling point. I wouldn't give the RTP credit (as a whole) for a damn thing other than covering up or colluding with or running a large part of the illegal activities that go on here in Thailand on a daily basis.

On an individual basis, I'd give massive credit to some wonderful Police individuals I've seen, met or read about over the years, but as a group, as a whole, the RTP are a total and utter disgrace to themselves and this country and its people.

[Loptr]

“From now on, the police will not let this happen. No police officer will be transferred and anyone who blocks roads will be prosecuted,” he said.

It's about freaking time.

“Our problem is the local authorities are not strong enough to enforce the law seriously.”

Hard to believe they actually admit this in a press release. Perhaps there is hope.

[ClutchClark]

Way to go Thailand Military Rule !!

Kick a$$ and take names.

Make Thailand a better place.

The heck with elections....Thailand ran well under previous military rule and is doing so again.

[Mrjlh]

Now what's going to happen at the airport? Clean them up too?

[steelepulse]

I'd like to see an Army general appointed as a right hand man to the governor and quickly solve all the main problems that the island has suffered over the past 10 years since the Tusnami that are due to corruption, jet ski scams, surly taxi tuk tuk drivers, etc. One year of iron fists and lockdown of the criminals, perhaps Phuket could get rid of the majority of the rampant corruption.

[lostmebike]

What a popular story this is ... 'SOM NOM NA'

[keemapoot]

Wow, should I start making plans to move back to Phuket?

[Jockey]

“More than a thousand police officers, soldiers and local authority officials have been working on this.

“The plan was launched on January 30 this year; we have spent about three months now working on this problem.”

So credit is not just to be associated with the Thai Military Junta.

[ClutchClark]

More than a thousand police officers, soldiers and local authority officials have been working on this.

The plan was launched on January 30 this year; we have spent about three months now working on this problem.

So credit is not just to be associated with the Thai Military Junta.

Just coincidence that all the riff-raff is being cleaned up in LOS when the military took over.

Sure thing, I believe it. ;-)

Because the police force was doing a great job these last few years ;-)

Edited June 5, 2014 by ClutchClark