Links revealed between police and migrants on Koh Tao

[ColdSingha]

Any TV members/readers surprise with this news?

not surprised by this, am surprised i got suckered into thinking something was going to change post coup.

it's looking more and more like the only changes were remove the reds from all positions of power and some window dressing thrown in for the media/public appeasement

all major issues have so far been ignored its business as usual for the status quo in LOS

Edited October 2, 2014 by ColdSingha

[slapout]

It sounds like they're running their own little country on this island and maybe they've been getting away with it for decades. Taoland ?

I wonder how many other islands this kind of thing is happening on ?

This is the way the entire country operates when it comes to the BIB, and anyone wiith a organnization/authority to set and operate this type of system/scam.

If baht figures are even close to correct for a small community like this, just imagine the amount of money being laundered/hidden throughout Thialand who by their own admiission, harbor vast numbers of corrupt ''mafia, godfathers, civel servents, etc. Then throw in the out and out thieves and fraudsters and then determine if these combined sums would exceed most of the national budget being sought to effectively run the country.

If Thailand has any hope of making a positive contribution to its population and the sourounding countries, it had better cut the head from these networks and put the gopher members.in such fear of their criminal livelyhood that they start earning a honest living, immigrant to more accepting criminal countries or are placed on public work road gangs,

Do not allow their adimission to the temples nor inactive posts and set a stated standard for all court judges to adhere to, no matter the social, economic standing of those involved. OK wishful thinking

[Fred Flinstone]

So the Authority tells Police either keep your bribes and be quiet , or arrest the suspect (i.e. his Son)

Which?

Police find evidence he was in Bangkok and the Gravy train keeps moving along .

[CockneyGit]

Is this really news to anyone..?? Koh Tao is just a microcosm of Thailand as a whole.

Due to recent tragic events it's now Koh Tao that is the focus to air Thailand's woes.

In a few weeks we'll have headlines such as "Litter found on Koh Tao Beach'', ''Pirate DVDs sold on paradise island''.

All these issues are nation-wide and are nothing new.

[Rimbuman]

You can bet that money did not stay in KT, and will have fed its way all the way up the food chain to the top in BKK.

This is all common knowledge though and nothing new.

Hush hush, Thai tax system.

[Fab5BKK]

"falangs don't understand Thailand"

[SolePurpose]

Well Well...... why am i not surprised?

[epicstuff]

You can bet that money did not stay in KT, and will have fed its way all the way up the food chain to the top in BKK.

This is all common knowledge though and nothing new.

i was once told police had to buy their position if they wanted to work on KPG or KT as the bribe income potential was so much better than else where..

[Krataiboy]

Well done the Nation for this bold and necessary exposure. This story encapsulates much of what is wrong with Thailand, rotten to the core with corruption. A pity that it took the deaths of two people to bring it to public notice.

Time for another crack-down, PM.

[Soutpeel]

You can bet that money did not stay in KT, and will have fed its way all the way up the food chain to the top in BKK.

This is all common knowledge though and nothing new.

i was once told police had to buy their position if they wanted to work on KPG or KT as the bribe income potential was so much better than else where..

I have been told the police buy their positions irrespective of where they work and starts from day 1 even to be admitted to the police "academy" money changes hands for a person to be accepted...

[jpeg]

Everyone pays tax in this Country. Every time anyone purchases anything you pay 7% VAT. In adition many items have an excise imposed, tobacco, alcohol for example.

I doubt that the small stall owner or store owner declares their income from purchases. Therefore, they are not paying the 7% VAT. If every business charged, collected and paid the VAT there wouldn't be such a shortfall (estimated as 160 billion baht for fiscal year 2013-14) in the national collected taxes.

My very small local store owner complained that the Yingluck government were 'eating her tax'. So yes. They do pay.

[Alwyn]

It's the same all over. Phuket has thousands of Indians working in the market selling the el-cheapo tee-shirts for a ridiculously high amount.. In fact, these days you'd be hard pushed to find a Thai working the markets. They also all pay 500 baht a month each.

[chiang mai]

You can bet that money did not stay in KT, and will have fed its way all the way up the food chain to the top in BKK.

This is all common knowledge though and nothing new.

i was once told police had to buy their position if they wanted to work on KPG or KT as the bribe income potential was so much better than else where..

I have been told the police buy their positions irrespective of where they work and starts from day 1 even to be admitted to the police "academy" money changes hands for a person to be accepted...

Plus they buy their own guns, bullets and gasoline for patrols.

But the same principles apply for many positions in Thai society: the wife's niece had to pay just to be allowed to sit the entrance exam at nursing school. And Mrs CM graduates from Open Uni in March, her graduation gown costs around 800 baht to rent for the day or 950 baht to buy new and fitted to size! Around 35,000 people will graduate that day in March so you work out the numbers!

Edited October 2, 2014 by chiang mai

[heyexile]

The first thing Junta government needed to do was reforming police, didn't happen end will never happen.

They did. Appointed their own hand-picked Police Commissioner General.

Under New Management now. What could possibly go wrong?

http://thaitribune.org/en/hot-issue/5886

Edited October 2, 2014 by heyexile

[oldsailor35]

OK so where is this wonderful PM Prayuth now. The man who says he is going to stamp out corruption. Please step up the real Prayuth.

He should have the guts to sack the RTP on Koh Tao and re appoint new clean ones.

[Fat Haggis]

Here we go again visitors trying to tell Thailand how to do things. Right or wrong it has been there system for a long time and it seems to work for them. You want to pay higher taxes to pay cops higher salaries go back home and complain all you want.

Then tell your PM to quit taking about rooting out corruption and it makes him no different from ANY other PM the country has seen in the past 30 years, face it that corruption is just a Thai way of life!!

[aussieinthailand]

The solution is simple : Either deport them all immediately and put an end to this rampant corruption or register them legally and remove the corruption from the equation.

yu'p sounds good on paper but really doesn't work like that, Often the cop's will have a fee regardless of the legality of the migrant worker, just pack all the restaurant staff chef', waiting staff, cleaners, etc just hold them for a few hours until the cash is paid, it's even done at hospitals that have migrant staff, now just think so many migrant workers get less salary per month than a Thai would get, then the BIB want to take a slice, Not all just peaches n cream huh.

[jpeg]

Generally its expected to kick back 30% or thereabouts to the guy above you.

and this is why "real" police work rarely gets done. in their minds it's a far better use of their time to collect tea money at 30% commission

remember that the next time a policeman tells you he "help you"

And that's why gambling consistently ranks top of the crime stats on Phuket 'C'mon, don't run away, we want to help you'

[oldsailor35]

Thailand will forever be encased in corruption as long as the RTP are allowed to carry on in this way. Prayuth just has to start with the RTP if he is genuine.The corrupt RTP are the crux of all Thai corruption. Even the village idiot can understand this.

[oldsailor35]

Read post # 106 By Fat Haggis, Mr Prayuth. He knows what we all know.

Edited October 2, 2014 by oldsailor35

[ParadiseLost]

OK, here we have evidence of systematic corruption and extortion of more than 1 million baht per month. If the new government really wants to remove corruption, a good start would be to fire every police officer currently based on the island and then charge them.

Unless of course they can prove that they reported the scam to superiors.

This is but the tip of the iceberg.

Rumour has it that the police chief on Koh Phangan paid 10 million for his position last year. Perhaps this is just gossip, but most locals believe it. Police have their fingers in all pies here - gambling, prostitution, drugs...

I support 100% the idea of removing them all, only problem is the new lot could be equally bad if not worse. Not sure what the solution is, if there even is one.

Koh Tao should be annexed into the Ang Thong marine park and all the 'land-owners' evicted. Plenty of dive companies on the bigger two islands to cater for the 'dive professionals'.

Edited October 2, 2014 by ParadiseLost

[jpeg]

Thailand will forever be encased in corruption as long as the RTP are allowed to carry on in this way. Prayuth just has to start with the RTP if he is genuine.The corrupt RTP are the crux of all Thai corruption. Even the village idiot can understand this.

I have to say that even though I was very cynical at the start, I found it jawdropping there was no rout of each and every police station here. My cynicism is now off the chart

[chiang mai]

Read post # 106 By Fat Haggis, Mr Prayuth. He knows what we all know.

A self admitted casual tourist knows more than the native born, life long resident and Head of The Thai Army, now PM.

You're unwell dear, take a little lay down perhaps.

[Mooner]

Common practice on many islands in Thailand

[BoristheBlade]

Two foreign nationals , guest in your country were brutally murdered, and it was on your watch General. I REPEAT ON YOUR WATCH! Act like a soldier and sort it out!

[pasak]

It sounds like they earn in one month what a typical farang (not a pensioner) spends in a day.

Not everyone is as consumerist as you Americans.

[Globeman]

It sounds like they're running their own little country on this island and maybe they've been getting away with it for decades. Taoland ?

I wonder how many other islands this kind of thing is happening on ?

All of them.

[boomerangutang]

Anyone with soggy scruples looking for a good money-making gig: Set up a business selling Johnny Walker whiskeyat some city in Thailand, preferably Bkk. JW is used often for bribes - by the bottle or by the case. It works well to grease the gears even with the head of Thailand's anti-drug crime fighters, though a case of quality wine might do as well, .....he may use some as ear medicine.

[BMF1960]

Surely it is time for the army to set up shop on the island!

[BoristheBlade]

It's time for the people of Thailand to take control of their county and their destiny.

I can accept than some Thai people are indifferent to the Ko Tao situation, BUT cases like The Red Bull murder leave me exasperated with the Thai population. If that incident were to happen in The UK with the same non trial/investigation, the people would be rioting in the streets...why do Thai's just accept this SH!T????.