Bangkok Police defend 'anti-bribery' cash reward

[Carrerakiss]

The idea is stupid for sure. But for those people who take it as an opportunity to take part in some Thai bashing, please take note they probably copied this idea from our neighbors in the South who implemented this earlier this year also.

So two stupids make a bigger stupid?

Why not just pay a decent wage and demand higher standards of professionalism?

[abrahamzvi]

I must admit that I do have my doubts if rewarding an officer for following the law is the right attitude. However, unless police officers , and this goes for ALL civil servants with authority, are paid properly, corruption will not be eradicated. It is human nature to want to enjoy a reasonable standard of living, and if this is not provided by the work executed, in the way of a decent salary, people in a position to wield authority are prone to corruption. I personally think that the Singaporean way is the proper manner to deal with this problem. Pay civil servants and politicians reasonably high salaries and at the same time be really strict with those who break the law by being corrupt. I know this is not easy and it does take a process of education, but, in my view, it is the only way. Singapore and Japan are the best examples of this.

[samjaidee]

I wonder how long it will take for many Thais to wonder if they really want to live in a country that's a mix of Singapore as for society rules and Burma for the political regime. Clearly that's what the junta is heading towards and I'm not sure that the average Thai person is ready for this.

For sure this anti-bribery scheme does not raise hurras from some road warriors I've spoken to (like clothes sellers who make the trip from they jangwat to Pratunam at least once a week). Sure, that might clamp down on the number of imaginary offenses they are charged for, but it also means that whenever they get pulled over by a cop, they might waste the rest of the day going to to a distant police station they can't find, doing a likely time-consuming paperwork and eventually pay way much more than the cop would have asked for,

I'm waiting until restrictions on alcohol selling and consumption are strictly enforced country-wide (not only in Bangkok) and other similar measures likely to be immensely popular to see whether the current ruler's aura starts fading or not.

I don't quite get your last sentence. Alcohol sales are not restricted pretty much anywhere in the world. It is individual responsibility to consume measures one can handle WHEN NOT DRIVING, and not consume when one does drive, or how much one consumes with a meal and does not, etc. You would condone going back to black-market sales, because of lessened legal sales? FFSs you must be 90 years old, and from Chicago??

Alcohol sales are restricted in most parts of the world. Sellers need a specific licence to sell alcohol, whether they be manufacturers, wholesalers, and all forms of retailers.

[Strangebrew]

This 10,000 baht reward is flawed in the fact they can pull over someone say like a farang and either one arrest falsely for bribery or extort more than 10,000 baht from him and once paid arrest him anyway and get paid twice. What it should be if accused of taking a bribe The said officer gets arrested And all bank records get checked then and there. If it is found that they are showing monies not able to be accounted for then officer goes to trial if convicted spends a long prison term and all assets go to state to be used to up lift the poor.

[Strangebrew]

Want instant change? ok simple pull up all police officers banking accounts and check all owned assets side businesses and such and check where the money came from to get. But then you will have no police then. Because 99% take bribes be in the form of money or free items. If found guilty lengthy prison term is in order at hard labor like 20 to 30 years for losing people trust. Oh and take all assets back to government and spread among the poor.

[chrispang]

Hilarious, but fair play - a step in the direction against corruption.

Sort out the Kao Tao case now.

Edited October 11, 2014 by chrispang

[outsider]

Yup, as jaywalker already mentioned, this campaign has been withdrawn. Surprised the BiB stopped digging so quickly on this one, but still, good they reacted so swiftly and more importantly, positively.

[chrispang]

Of late, the BiB has had to defend almost everything it has done or is doing. Some may say the 'bashers' are being particularly harsh and unfair, that they (bashers) have nothing else better to do. I say on the contrary. If you have to defend almost everything you do, therein lies a problem already. Either what you are doing is not well-thought, or half-cooked or your stakeholders have lost all confidence in you. In the case with the BiB, I'd say it's a case of both. I don't think blind and blatant bashing is nice, but in the case of the BiB, I say this - there's no smoke without fire. In the midst of all crackdowns and reforms, why doesn't the good government consider changing something with the BiB? Installing a working brain at the top would be a good start.

Edited October 11, 2014 by chrispang

[strabel23]

The problem is once everyone knows about this crackdown on bribing an officer then there will be no bribe offered and therefore the officer will not collect on either bribe or reward. Eventually this will result in an officer feeling frustrated not being able to extort any tea money and it will be interesting to see how they deal with this.

A better solution would be a salary commensurate and befitting to the position of being a police officer, to restore legitimacy and respect to the police, and a small percentage of the fine being offered as a reward just enough to entice the officer to do his job.

Edited October 11, 2014 by steven roberts

[mikiea]

snig, you are correct, it seems like the authorities in the entire country are having one massive brain fart. :-)

[BSJ]

It was a stupid idea from the beginning. How anyone with half a brain could even think of it is beyond me.

[pendingo]

Crass though it is at least they are open (and in your face) about bribery and corruption in Thailand.

What you see is what you see.

I'm just wondering how long it will be before it goes underground as in Western countries.

All I can say is next time you get "nicked" by a Thai traffic cop don't even think about a bribe unless you can pay more than 10000 THB.

[empireboy]

Bangkok Police defending their chance to make more money...?? Noooo! I can't believe that!!

[Benmart]

"...such as the Traffic Police Gentleman Award, certificates, and trips to study police operations in foreign countries".

I wonder which foreign country was visited and which police agency provided a model for handing out cash awards for being honest?

Various officials continue to make comments that defy logic and demonstrate a lack of knowledge as to how their words damage their credibility.

[Dumbfounded]

OK, so a traffic cop pulls someone over :

Previously, the cop would be offered a bribe from the motorist to avoid the charge, whether the charge was deserved or not.

Now, if the motorist doesn't offer a bribe fearing arrest, the cop will be out of pocket.

What will the cop do?

He only gets his 10,000 baht IF he arrests a motorist for offering a bribe.

No bribe offer = no arrest, no 10,000 baht, and no bribe money

So is it possible he will tell the motorist don't worry I will not arrest you if you give me a bribe ?

Would the motorist believe him ?

Would the cop be honest enough to accept a bribe without arresting the motorist for giving a bribe,

or would the cop just ask this of the motorist to stich him up for an arrest?

I can only think that the car cams with twin cameras (one for the road, one for the drivers window) are going to become very popular on Lazada

[IAMSOBAD]

RTP SLOGAN...

Clowns to the left of me ...

Jokers to the right...

Here I am ...An RTP General with you.

Pass the whiskey boys I have another idea we should do.

No more uniforms or badges.

Let the people guess who is real RTP and who is a criminal. But...General its same same. Pass the whiskey.

[boomerangutang]

I think the answer is to pay them a decent salary so they are not forced to look for tea money

It sounds good, but wouldn't do much to improve bribery scenarios in Thailand. When Thaksin was running for PM in 2000, one of his campaign blurbs was "He's already rich, so he won't be tempted to take bribes."

Sure. If you believe that sort of thing, then I've got some miracle hair growing tonic to sell you. Just rub it on your bald spot and wait 3 months, you'll have a head of hair like a gorilla. Only Bt.30,000 for a 5 cc bottle.

[phanangpete]

IF they could just get ,even half the working population to pay taxes , then they could increase their salaries, the whole system they have been trained to believe in is draconian and from a long past century.

The reason they have never asked for outside help, training , rules , guide lines, right and wrong , is because they know , the powers that be, what a right bunch of <deleted> they would be deemed to be to the 'outside world' .

[CapeThai]

I wonder for a matter a interest how much the Koh Tao's bribe was worth ? It must have been quite a fair amount... ???

[emilymat]

OK, so a traffic cop pulls someone over :

Previously, the cop would be offered a bribe from the motorist to avoid the charge, whether the charge was deserved or not.

Now, if the motorist doesn't offer a bribe fearing arrest, the cop will be out of pocket.

What will the cop do?

He only gets his 10,000 baht IF he arrests a motorist for offering a bribe.

No bribe offer = no arrest, no 10,000 baht, and no bribe money

So is it possible he will tell the motorist don't worry I will not arrest you if you give me a bribe ?

Would the motorist believe him ?

Would the cop be honest enough to accept a bribe without arresting the motorist for giving a bribe,

or would the cop just ask this of the motorist to stich him up for an arrest?

I can only think that the car cams with twin cameras (one for the road, one for the drivers window) are going to become very popular on Lazada

That's the best illustration of this whole mess. Thanks. But it still begs the question as to how anyone could have been so daft as to seek the introduction of such a bizarre scheme. I would cry if I did not laugh.

[Doc46]

How does this work? This is not clear,,,,How often would one Cop get the 10,000 Baht? Once a Week ,,,Once a Month,,,OR every time they suppose to knock back a bribe? Please explain.

[soalbundy]

I think the answer is to pay them a decent salary so they are not forced to look for tea money

It sounds good, but wouldn't do much to improve bribery scenarios in Thailand. When Thaksin was running for PM in 2000, one of his campaign blurbs was "He's already rich, so he won't be tempted to take bribes."

Sure. If you believe that sort of thing, then I've got some miracle hair growing tonic to sell you. Just rub it on your bald spot and wait 3 months, you'll have a head of hair like a gorilla. Only Bt.30,000 for a 5 cc bottle.

It worked with the American police during the prohibition

[Phuketboy]

So instead of accepting bribes from the public to get off offences, they are now accepting a 10,000 bribe from the government to do what they are suppose to be doing. A bribe is a bribe no matter who it is from. If they accept this they are still accepting a bribe. Why can't they just do the job which they sign up for and which they are suppose to do and get paid for?

[soalbundy]

lets forget it can we, its been canceled for Gods sake

[HerbalEd]

I admit this practice somehow does not seem right .... and yet I must say it may just cut out a lot of police corruption because it will put the fear of arrest into those who would normally offer a bride to a policeman. The customary 100 to 500 baht payoff often given my Thais and farangs to get out of a traffic violation may well be a thing of the past. Of course if that happens then the cop don't get anything ... neither a bribe nor bounty for arresting a would be briber. It'll be interesting to see how the cops compensate for that.

BTW, I find it rather hypocritical when so many farangs here on tv.com self righteously rant against Thai corruption but then are very happy to bride a policeman for a traffic violation ... or give a "gift" to an official to speed up some paperwork.

[happy pattaya man]

Is it just me or am I being cynical? why not try to offer the arresting officer 11,000 baht....after all "Baht is number 1"

[Alwyn]

The idea is stupid for sure. But for those people who take it as an opportunity to take part in some Thai bashing, please take note they probably copied this idea from our neighbors in the South who implemented this earlier this year also.

oh, that's okay then.

[monkeycountry]

BKK Police Defend 'Anti-Bribery' Cash Reward

By Khaosod english

BANGKOK - The Metropolitan Police Bureau have defended the handing out of 10,000 baht in cash to traffic police officers who refused to accept bribes from motorists.

Pol.Maj.Gen. Adul Narongsak, deputy commander of the MPB, said today that the reward serves as a "morale-boosting" instrument that encourage police officers to perform their duties in an honest way. The reward is a part of the anti-bribery campaign launched by Bangkok police on 4 October.

He went on to dismiss accusation from the public that the 10,000 cash reward is unnecessary because police officers are already required by laws to turn down bribes.

"Police commanders have to respond appropriately to success or failure of their agencies," said Pol.Maj.Gen. Adul, "In the past, we have also handed out rewards to police officers as a morale-boosting method, such as the Traffic Police Gentleman Award, certificates, and trips to study police operations in foreign countries."

The officer also hopes that the cash payment will help reduce the widespread problem of police officers extorting bribes from motorists, and added that the public can assist the police force by snapping photos or filming police officers who take bribes.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1412933037

-- Khaosod English 2014-10-10

Public participation would be alot more effective if officers caught by pu lic participation were to be prosecuted, jailed and fired. Cureently the worst thing that can happen is a move to the office of inactive positions, which is not much of an incentive to the public, nor much of a deterrent to the police officers.

[soalbundy]

Now it's back on again, it's like Koh Tau all over again, can they get anything right ???? There is now a counter offer from an anti corruption group, 20,000 baht for anyone producing a video showing a policeman ( dare we even call them that ) taking a bribe. Bangkok post just now.

[allan michaud]

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and added that the public can assist the police force by snapping photos or filming police officers who take bribes.

That can be a dangerous thing to do. You better make sure there is a lot of people about to confirm your story after that cop beats the crap out of you.

This is just insane, how does taking a picture prove anything? If it was video with clear sound it might work but then obviously as soon as you point your camera/phone at the cop he's going to stop talking. What evidence do the courts require to prove someone offered a bribe? it seems just the cops word, which is scary considering the kind of scumbags in the the RTP, this is beyond belief.

I thought the General was going to clean up the RTP, not just provide new improved opportunities to extort money from people.