Koh Tao's other little secret: police extortion

[Soi Dog]

Too much bashing of the gallant boys in brown here. After all, in London it can take police 15 minutes to reach the scene of a crime. In Washington, D.C. it can take up to twenty minutes. Here inThailand when a crime is committed the police are right there on the spot.

[transam]

IMHO public officials who abuse their position for personal gain should face draconian penalties such as multiples of sentence normally applied increasing with salary, and death sentences over a certain level of position and criminality. Make it retrospective and watch the rats run for the borders.

There should also be positive incentives for whistle-blowers. As well as anonymity, witness protection and amnesty of their own criminal acts (to a certain level), rewards based on a year or two the criminals annual superannuation rate should be granted on conviction. This would actually save the country money as well as the obvious benefits.

If it's nationwide you ain't going to fix it cos a zillion folk are used to the income that they ain't going to lose.

The BiB financial perks on KT are huge, they will be crapping themselves with the thought of a clean up. Though I don't believe there will be a clean up, "in practice", as the thought of free cash will prevail who ever is in charge of stuff.

[junk1e]

Anybody who thinks Thailand's corruption problems can be solved in a sweep of the hand is living in dreamland. However the NCPO have done more since taking over than any previous "democratically" elected government, many of whom came to power as a result of corruption. Will take a long time but they have started and should be supported in their efforts. Thailand is a far safer tourist donation than its western counterparts. The Generals comments were unfortunate coming as they did on the back of these murders, but were misinterpreted by the Western media. Women should be able to walk around scantily dressed without being in fear of being raped or worse, but there are a lot of sick men out there and common sense should prevail.

[55Jay]

Recall reading a comment from an English teacher saying when asked, his "Buffalo" students said they wanted to be police.

Many in my country want to be like the gangsta rap thugs, gettin' big booty women, wear phat gold chains, stacks of cash and Mercedes in the car park.

Thai Police still have some way to go yet but they are on the "what I want to be when I grow up" chart, somewhere between rice farmer and hardware shop owner.

[SOTIRIOS]

...nauseating.....

[ratcatcher]

Reform has nothing to do with Change, so much is clear.

Since the start with Change will need a complete lockdown on law enforcement, in order to change the existing force into a normal functioning democratic police force.

Can't be done in a year!

sure about that?

Quote wikipedia: "In 2005. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili fired "the entire traffic police force" of the Georgian National Police due to corruption,[2] numbering around 30,000 police officers.[3]

A new force was built around new recruits.[2]The United States State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law-Enforcement Affairs has provided assistance to the training efforts.[4] Patruli was first introduced in the summer of 2005 replacing the traffic police, which were accused of corruption.[5]"

currently there are 42,000 serving police officers

source: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_enforcement_in_Georgia_(country)

where there is a will there is a way.

7-8 years ago Thaksin also made a great cleansing of corrupt cops. Many had to leave.

Who's he?

[SupermarineS6B]

Too much bashing of the gallant boys in brown here. After all, in London it can take police 15 minutes to reach the scene of a crime. In Washington, D.C. it can take up to twenty minutes. Here inThailand when a crime is committed the police are right there on the spot.

Yeah, and the old saying " The early bird catches the worm" applies here........... first in, first greasy palm........

[samuibruno]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

"At the local level, police came under intense scrutiny for their sluggish handling of the investigation. Never mind that anger was building up because of the manner they were doing things in the days after the gruesome murders."

"Yes, you guess it correctly - extortion."

In many places around the world, the standard joke is "The best police money can buy". In Thailand, it's "The worst police money can buy". alt=wai2.gif width=20 height=20>

I agree with you.

In most countries, the police motto is "To serve and protect". Here in Thailand, the motto is "To observe and neglect."

you got that wrong

the motto is to observe and collect

[biplanebluey]

It's no secret you've to pay millions to become an important police officer and it's also no secret this is very good investment - and that's not because of the 20K income you might get.

The police in Thailand is a totally corrupt mafia style organisation. It does more bad than good.

It's not just a Ko Tao thing. It's all over the country. The Thai police is a disgrace for Thailand.

It has always been like that, and the new dictator seems to be perfectly happy with the situation (I wonder why ...... ), because he didn't announce any serious police reform.

There is serious action being taken against police owned illegal businesses.

Do you really think the army and the police are buddies?

"Serious action against illegal owned police businesses??"------- HA-HA------Like to elaborate?,or are you just blowing in the wind?

[ColdSingha]

Reform has nothing to do with Change, so much is clear.

Since the start with Change will need a complete lockdown on law enforcement, in order to change the existing force into a normal functioning democratic police force.

Can't be done in a year!

sure about that?

Quote wikipedia: "In 2005. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili fired "the entire traffic police force" of the Georgian National Police due to corruption,[2] numbering around 30,000 police officers.[3]

A new force was built around new recruits.[2]The United States State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law-Enforcement Affairs has provided assistance to the training efforts.[4] Patruli was first introduced in the summer of 2005 replacing the traffic police, which were accused of corruption.[5]"

currently there are 42,000 serving police officers

source: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_enforcement_in_Georgia_(country)

where there is a will there is a way.

7-8 years ago Thaksin also made a great cleansing of corrupt cops. Many had to leave.

seriously? lol-ing at the irony of that

[Assurancetourix]

Not exactly confined to KT is it?

Everywhere in Thailand; I know some burma people in Kanchanaburi province have the same problem : they must pay for working ;

Heracles must come back to Thailand; he will have to do a 13* work ;

make some new police officies.

Traffic Police

Criminal Investigation Departerment ( FBI in USA )

Vice Squad

Airport and Border Police

Immigration Police

And

Complaints Investigation Bureau

Do u know that policemen in Thailand must pay if they want to work in their province or in a big town ?

They have to pay for everything, for their uniform, to buy their motobike..

( the same in the army )

If they had an excellent income like " the men in black " in Brasil, we will forget this word : corruption .

[Taco]

Koh Phangan is the same. One of my staff paid a monthly 500 to the police as well. She now has a proper Thai ID card that the new gov demanded yet it is valid only 2 months (which we had to wait 2 full days in a steaming hot tent in Surat for). How ridiculous is that? So for 2 months she did not have to pay the police. Next we tried to renew the card for one year and the answer we got was, dont worry let it expire. When you need to take care of the next step you will hear something.

Obviously that is to get that 500 baht back in their pockets.

[manutoo]

According to our findings, out of the 5,000 migrant workers on Koh Tao, about 2,000 work illegally without proper permits. To get around that each 'illegal' has to pay police Bt500 a month. And if they want to use a motorcycle, that's another Bt500 a month to get around the driver's licence issue.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko_Tao

Area

• Total

21 km² (8 sq mi)

Population

• Total 1,382

Are there several Koh Tao in Thailand ?

Or are these figures all correct ? Migrant workers are not counted in the local population ?

I'd have thought that 500 migrant workers would be already a lot for such a small island... (or there are no Thais working there?)

[ParadiseLost]

I awoke this morning to read that the third "accused" is now missing... The one that changed his mind and backed out of the confession.

This episode is making me question how I can live in a place (9 years) where police can act with such impunity. Murder I can understand and accept as part of human psyche, but this level of moral; bankruptcy is just too much. I always heard and saw little things here, like helmets, drug busts, but these are minor issues. For two innocent people to get murdered and the RTP circus allowed to end with such a BS case is bad, but for higher authorities to take them at face value is even more corrupt.

The owner(s) of BKK Airways own just about everything down here - can we expect pressure from them to bring this to closure? If this is anyone's 'back yard' it is theirs.

[BIC]

The whole Koh Phangan / Koh Tao province is under the leadership of Officials, Tax office and Police located on Koh Phangan. The Military visted Koh Phangan two months ago and closed down ALL parties saying they were cleaning up the island. Full Moon party was then the only one given the go ahead. It should be noted that Full Moon Party is in fact ILLEGAL anyway as under Thai law all parties/music should stop at 2am. After a week of the military departing some of the other parties were back operating i.e. Half Moon, Maya etc. The parties near the beaches/towns were not allowed, such as The boat party, Eden & Guys Bar. Two months later ALL parties are back operating and flouting the laws of Thailand including the DRUG parties on Haad Thien at Guys Bar & Eden. The question that MUST be asked is how this province in Thailand can be governed in such a CORRUPT way with total lack of concern for Thai Law & local residents and the TOTAL lack of safety for foreign tourists. These islands are two of the main regions of Tourism in Thailand so surely this alone should be an incentive for the new Military regime to prioritise sorting out the serious problems here, especially following public meetings that were recently held and locals expressing their concerns. All these illegalities are in Full View of the Military vistors who can obviously see multiple party advertising signage all over the island on every street. There are no drug tests, there are no drink/drive breath tests, there is no explanation or accounting as to where the 100THB entrance Full Moon fee is given to (about 2 Miillion Thai Baht every Full Moon!). How and why are the illegal bucket stalls allowed on the beach selling 'home made' spirit which is causing alot of the foreigner accidents and deaths. Note a drunk guy walked through a plate glass window earlier this year at Full Moon and died and another drowned in a rip tide at 6am on Full moon night. This lack of concern for tourists and locals, increase in parties and corruption has spread across the water to Koh Tao and now with two deaths there surely something has to be done about these two islands. I emplore Mr Pryuth to clean up these two islands and REMOVE corruption there and rule by the LAWS OF THAILAND. So please NO SCAPEGOATS, NO COVER UPS and most important clean up the officals and leadership on these islands!

[thhMan]

I didnt know it was a secret...

It common knowledge with most Thais and I am sure, many westerners...

They dont get paid much, because they dont do much... so to puff their deservedly small salaries.. they take bribes or "insist" on one...

[gemguy]

Story time...... A few years back, i used to have a Thai girlfriend whom i suspected was dealing drugs. Initially i suspected it was the local (Dark skinned) lads supplying her in Soi 7. Anyway after raising hell in (New Wave bar) with the ensuing roll outside complete with bird in the melee, i went home and thought nothing about it. Luckily when the RTP (Single) copper turned up at my house the land lady was there and quickly realised that this copper was not intent on interviewing me, rather to introduce some led into my body. Luckily the Chinese land lady whose Grand father was a personal friend of Chang Kai shek, informed the copper that if he didn't sling his hook, she would make sure that he would end up writing parking tickets for the rest of his life. Duly the cop legged it, the land lady asked me to go for a two week holiday just to let things calm down....... Anyway while i was gone, another little gem of the RTP turned up, namely a parcel pick up request at the main post office on Charoenkrung. The land lady once again saved my ass by informing me it was the old scam of picking up a parcel containing something rather nasty placed there by the BIB again with the purpose of inviting me on a long time stay at the Bangkok Hilton......... Gotta give him his due, he was a persistant soul......... Anyway i later realised that the supplier of drugs to my girlfriend was not the local dark lads, but none other than the RTP on Sukhumvit......... I later lost two mates to these animals, one jumped out of a window, and one ended up with 26 years in Khlong prem, solely for the reason that they had stepped onto the coppers patch, Sukhumvit.......... Corruption in Thailand ? From the top to the bottom x 10......... The RTP supplying dealers on the street in Sukhumvit.......... Who'd of thought that eh ????????? Good night, sweet dreams......

Commonly at the discos and clubs around BKK when you see a police officer ...he will be the one to ask for drugs...if your looking for them.

[OmarZaidMD]

What some call 'corruption' others call tradition. There is a mix here: where the cultures (East mentality & West uniforms and institutions) overlap, not to mention the fine line between copper and robber. Nevertheless, order must be maintained and the 'man' in uniform is caught between what is customary ethically, and what extrinsic ethics are being both assimilated and/or imposed. Not a comfortable squeeze.

The solution is time honored evolution of conscious adaptation and devolution of authority with a bit less 'wetting of the beak' by those at the top of the feeding chain. These you can often spot by the size of their bellies regardless of the uniform -- monks included.

Yes, Thais have substantial social problems but they are not the ones bombing the world's helpless minions into the pulp of hatred. So be careful. They know who you are. - oz

Edited October 5, 2014 by OmarZaidMD

[silent]

This will surely lead to more crackdowns against farange presence in Thailand, for whom prevailing logic is without them there would be no such existence, (or evidence), of crime.

Problem solved.

[IAMSOBAD]

Nooooo...Thais would NEVER kill like that and NEVER extort anyone. They are HAPPY and SMILING people.

TIT for the TAT in AMAZING DIELAND. Come for a holiday and stay for eternity.

Most cops use extortion in every locale here and not just Koh Tao.

[Yann55]

I keep repeating myself but I'll say it once again : it's not just Koh Tao.

ALL the 'paradise islands' of this country are like near-independant little nests where the corrupt relation between police and locals generate a shocking atmosphere of lawlessness.

It's transparent for the short-time tourists except when they are targeted by some kind of scam (of which there are many) but for anyone who gets a little bit further into the reality of these places, the truth is : THEY STINK. Not on the travel agents brochures, of course, but that's only because photos don't smell.

[IAMSOBAD]

The whole Koh Phangan / Koh Tao province is under the leadership of Officials, Tax office and Police located on Koh Phangan. The Military visted Koh Phangan two months ago and closed down ALL parties saying they were cleaning up the island. Full Moon party was then the only one given the go ahead. It should be noted that Full Moon Party is in fact ILLEGAL anyway as under Thai law all parties/music should stop at 2am. After a week of the military departing some of the other parties were back operating i.e. Half Moon, Maya etc. The parties near the beaches/towns were not allowed, such as The boat party, Eden & Guys Bar. Two months later ALL parties are back operating and flouting the laws of Thailand including the DRUG parties on Haad Thien at Guys Bar & Eden. The question that MUST be asked is how this province in Thailand can be governed in such a CORRUPT way with total lack of concern for Thai Law & local residents and the TOTAL lack of safety for foreign tourists. These islands are two of the main regions of Tourism in Thailand so surely this alone should be an incentive for the new Military regime to prioritise sorting out the serious problems here, especially following public meetings that were recently held and locals expressing their concerns. All these illegalities are in Full View of the Military vistors who can obviously see multiple party advertising signage all over the island on every street. There are no drug tests, there are no drink/drive breath tests, there is no explanation or accounting as to where the 100THB entrance Full Moon fee is given to (about 2 Miillion Thai Baht every Full Moon!). How and why are the illegal bucket stalls allowed on the beach selling 'home made' spirit which is causing alot of the foreigner accidents and deaths. Note a drunk guy walked through a plate glass window earlier this year at Full Moon and died and another drowned in a rip tide at 6am on Full moon night. This lack of concern for tourists and locals, increase in parties and corruption has spread across the water to Koh Tao and now with two deaths there surely something has to be done about these two islands. I emplore Mr Pryuth to clean up these two islands and REMOVE corruption there and rule by the LAWS OF THAILAND. So please NO SCAPEGOATS, NO COVER UPS and most important clean up the officals and leadership on these islands!

All people here know that they only get a small fine and never get jail. That's why they rape,rob, kill, drive crazy and do scams. They are ALL above the law. What law? Edited October 5, 2014 by IAMSOBAD

[gemguy]

I awoke this morning to read that the third "accused" is now missing... The one that changed his mind and backed out of the confession.

This episode is making me question how I can live in a place (9 years) where police can act with such impunity. Murder I can understand and accept as part of human psyche, but this level of moral; bankruptcy is just too much. I always heard and saw little things here, like helmets, drug busts, but these are minor issues. For two innocent people to get murdered and the RTP circus allowed to end with such a BS case is bad, but for higher authorities to take them at face value is even more corrupt.

The owner(s) of BKK Airways own just about everything down here - can we expect pressure from them to bring this to closure? If this is anyone's 'back yard' it is theirs.

Part of being Thai is not to interfere in other peoples affairs..so to speak.

If anyone does, they back off pretty quick when told to do so by near anyone of higher authority or influence. ....or made to be understood they are connected, directly or indirectly, with someone of higher authority or intimidating influence.

[halloween]

Too much bashing of the gallant boys in brown here. After all, in London it can take police 15 minutes to reach the scene of a crime. In Washington, D.C. it can take up to twenty minutes. Here inThailand when a crime is committed the police are right there on the spot.

I think it's great that the RTP has the ability to parachute officers into remote crime scenes that would otherwise take hours to reach. I can't think of another police force with this capability, with almost every police officer given parachute training.

[BestBitterPhuket]

What will happen to the police force at KT? They are accused of extreme unprofessionalism and serious crimes. Is ANYTHING going to happen? The millions of Thais fighting for reform and the ousting of Thaksin last year, how will they feel if nothing is done? Each and every officer at KT should be investigated.

[ford8]

Slipperx in another post writes, I believe, an excellent analysis of Thailand's woes.

I take a little solace that we are far far from the bottom of the barrel, indeed compared to some regions are

positively benign.

[garrya]

It is the same everywhere in Thailand. No exception.

My sister-in-law's neighbour is a mia noi of a police man. One they he was drunk and got out of the house saying, "I need some money." - he was off duty anyways.

An hour later this nice little fellow went back with 5000 baht unhappily. According to him, it was a weak round.

Sick

[richusa]

Same as the shakedown in Bangkok on sukhumvit 3-21. These are suppose to keep the tourist safe. But they rake in nearly 50,000+ a day.

Also have seen an African hand these same cops an envelope....ALL THE POLICE ARE HELPING THEMSELVES....the land of freedom...LOL

[Bluespunk]

What some call 'corruption' others call tradition. There is a mix here: where the cultures (East mentality & West uniforms and institutions) overlap, not to mention the fine line between copper and robber. Nevertheless, order must be maintained and the 'man' in uniform is caught between what is customary ethically, and what extrinsic ethics are being both assimilated and/or imposed. Not a comfortable squeeze.

The solution is time honored evolution of conscious adaptation and devolution of authority with a bit less 'wetting of the beak' by those at the top of the feeding chain. These you can often spot by the size of their bellies regardless of the uniform -- monks included.

Yes, Thais have substantial social problems but they are not the ones bombing the world's helpless minions into the pulp of hatred. So be careful. They know who you are. - oz

What on earth are you going on about?

Why not keep your little hate speech outbursts (last paragraph) for those who care.

i.e. your mirror.

Edited October 5, 2014 by Bluespunk

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

Why is this only Koh Tao's little secret? This is Thailand's scourge. The BIB have extorted the entire country for far too long. They sell the streets and the sidewalks in Bkk which forces us to walk on the streets where the drivers are all too happy to run you over. They simply just give the police more money and then they are not accountable for killing you.

The BIB extort every single business owner and bar. Just yesterday evening at about 6 pm, I was sitting at a nice little Irish Pub on Sukhumvit 11. Four BIB walked inside. The waitress I was talking to at the time frowned and said they come here and eat and drink all the time and never pay.

I could easily recall a dozen other stories like this and I am sure anyone that has been here for any length of time could name several as well. This BIB mafia needs to be eradicated once and for all. Fire the lot of them and start over with a clean slate. This time create a system whereby they do not have to pay for their position. This turns the whole institution into nothing more than a corrupt money making machine!