Interior Minister: Officials involved in goods smuggling must be strictly prosecuted

BANGKOK, 23 October 2014 (NNT) – Minister of Interior General Anupong Paochinda has vowed to look into an allegation that some Interior officials were involved in smuggling of contraband goods across the border. He said although no such cases have been reported to him so far, he is ready to investigate the case to establish the truth.

The comment came in response to a recent statement by the Director-General of the Customs Department indicating involvement of some Interior officials in contraband-goods smuggling. The Interior Minister said anybody found involved in the cases as alleged, will face drastic disciplinary action no matter which ranks they are holding.

As today marks the King Rama V Memorial Day, 23 October, the Minister said the ministry would follow in the footsteps of the King who had pioneered the bureaucratic reforms. Meanwhile, the philosophy of Sufficiency Economy of the ruling King Rama IX would also be adopted in the code of conduct of his ministry.

He commented on the selection of the Constitution Drafting Commission, to which the cabinet is entrusted to appoint five of its members, saying the issue has not yet been discussed; therefore, there is still no clarity on the number of outsiders to join the commission.


-- NNT 2014-10-23

Thai officials would never get involved in smuggling, corruption or other wrongdoings.

And this statement of mine will be proved true as no officials will be found guilty of these actions.

Yeah right; They will be severely punished by moving them to 'an inactive post '. In other words they will do even less work than they were doing before and still be paid the same amount of money and have the same pension rights !

Strange statement to make. No smoke without fire.

Is there a difference between being "strictly prosecuted" and an ordinarily prosecuted?

Is there a difference between being "strictly prosecuted" and an ordinarily prosecuted?

Think so... As believe ordinarily prosecuted means not prosecuted ... Just shifted to an inactive post and collect salary for doing nothing until either everyone forgets and then you get sent back to active post.. Or you reach retirement and collect your pension for the rest of your life...

Strictly prosecuted - no matter how high they are, which family name they have or married into, which political allegiances they have or who their patron is.

Let's wait and see how many are prosecuted then..........

IMHO.. all this nonsense isnt news anymore... Just a bad soap opera that should have been canned ages ago

Strictly punished as in transferred to inactive post until further notice....

Yeah right; They will be severely punished by moving them to 'an inactive post '. In other words they will do even less work than they were doing before and still be paid the same amount of money and have the same pension rights !

So true and so sad. But one hopes that 'inactive posts' at least have less access to tea money... so maybe a big drop in take home pay.

Just how often have we hear this refrain ?

' Strict action, crackdowns, prosecutions etc, etc ' but what actual happens, little or nothing.

The Minister has had his say in public so everyone can see that something will be done and of course everyone will believe him without question.

When you actually arrest and convict one of these "officials" and it's a sentence worthy enough of being a deterrent, THEN come crow about it . . . until then, these daily announcements of "all is fine, back to normal, no corruption, no murders, we love you. we will do this etc etc" . . . well, it's all bullshit and hot air. And we know it too.