Bribe-taking investigation following a pub raid



BANGKOK: -- An investigation has been ordered by the national police chief, Pol Gen Somyos Poompanmuang, into alleged bribe taking by police from several units from a wellknown pub on Srinagarind road.

The pub, Rider and KumPhra Ram, was raided by police Saturday night after a tip off that the night entertainment venue also provided prostitution services to clients. Police seized narcotics drugs and found several young women in the pub.

A notebook showing the names of several police units and amounts of money thought to be bribes or protection fees was also found by the policemen.

Pol Lt-Gen Prawuth Thavornsiri, the police spokesman, said that the investigation was intended to find out whether bribes or protection fees had actually been paid to the police units as shown in the notebook.

Two police teams have been formed to carry out the probe – one from Metropolitan Police Bureau and the other from the police inspector-general’s office.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/bribe-taking-investigation-following-pub-raid/


-- Thai PBS 2014-11-03

Well well. Thailand is growing up after all! But for how long?

Police chief orders probe into bribery scandal over Srinakarin resort
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The national police chief has ordered a probe into an allegation that local and central police were taking kickbacks from a resort on Srinakarin Road, Royal Thai Police spokesman Pol Lt General Prawut Thavornsiri said yesterday.

They found the Rider Resort operated a restaurant, massage parlour and resort as "front businesses" plus a prostitution ring behind the scenes with 10 Thai women and two foreign women.

Illegal drugs - six tablets of "ice" and five packs of marijuana - were also found at the scene, Prawut said.

According to Prawet Police Station's deputy superintendent, Lt Colonel Padet Phubupphakarn, one of the officers accused of taking bribes holds the rank of police lieutenant colonel but does not work at the Prawet station now. "I am looking into the case and will report the progress to my supervisor," he said.

Amarin Puangchinda, 39, told police he was the resort's manager, police spokesman Prawut said.

Images of documents, which recorded monthly payments paid by the resort to a local police station and several central police units, have gone viral on social media.

Prawut said the national police chief had received reports about the payment of bribes but had not yet seen the actual documents. He said any police found to be involved in receiving kickbacks would face disciplinary and criminal action.

He said in other cases records of bribes were mostly written by hand but in this case it was typed on paper with the official stamp of the venue.

Two local police officers whose names appeared on the paper have been transferred out of the jurisdiction.

Police would track down owners of the resort, who would face charges of running an entertainment business without a licence, procuring women for prostitution, harbouring illegal aliens, possessing illegal drugs and extending a building without permission.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Police-chief-orders-probe-into-bribery-scandal-ove-30246807.html


-- The Nation 2014-11-03

a note book with names of police units,amounts of money,but the investigation is to find out if bribes or protection money had actually been paid.

NO NEVER the note book is little somchai's homework for a school essay on how to make a mint.

as is the case in almost every entertainment venue in THAILAND, just more smoke and mirrors

Police chief orders probe into bribery scandal over Srinakarin resort

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The national police chief has ordered a probe into an allegation that local and central police were taking kickbacks from a resort on Srinakarin Road, Royal Thai Police spokesman Pol Lt General Prawut Thavornsiri said yesterday.

They found the Rider Resort operated a restaurant, massage parlour and resort as "front businesses" plus a prostitution ring behind the scenes with 10 Thai women and two foreign women.

Illegal drugs - six tablets of "ice" and five packs of marijuana - were also found at the scene, Prawut said.

According to Prawet Police Station's deputy superintendent, Lt Colonel Padet Phubupphakarn, one of the officers accused of taking bribes holds the rank of police lieutenant colonel but does not work at the Prawet station now. "I am looking into the case and will report the progress to my supervisor," he said.

Amarin Puangchinda, 39, told police he was the resort's manager, police spokesman Prawut said.

Images of documents, which recorded monthly payments paid by the resort to a local police station and several central police units, have gone viral on social media.

Prawut said the national police chief had received reports about the payment of bribes but had not yet seen the actual documents. He said any police found to be involved in receiving kickbacks would face disciplinary and criminal action.

He said in other cases records of bribes were mostly written by hand but in this case it was typed on paper with the official stamp of the venue.

Two local police officers whose names appeared on the paper have been transferred out of the jurisdiction.

Police would track down owners of the resort, who would face charges of running an entertainment business without a licence, procuring women for prostitution, harbouring illegal aliens, possessing illegal drugs and extending a building without permission.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Police-chief-orders-probe-into-bribery-scandal-ove-30246807.html

-- The Nation 2014-11-03

I could tell the authoriies that under the illegal lottery system in whole Thailand are every month millions changing the hands! But probably they know this aswell since ever. I mean some honest police until now under threat of ....! Imagine.

Is anyone the slightest bit surprised. One down (maybe) hundreds of thousands to go.

Bribes,Police, Never ! according to them anyway.

regards Worgeordie

and absolutely NO WAY to arrest the 2 offending officers because they have been transferred out of the jurisdiction. Well MAYBE we can find out where they were transferred to Barney Fife.

Bribes?

Corruption?

Say it isn't so!!!

Maybe they should start at the top. How does a cop in Thailand invest millions into the S.E.T.?

It's not even April 1st.

I don't think that many of the readers see the significance of this. Instead of sweeping it under the already lumpy carpet, they are actually investigating what has been happening.

Without being too optimistic, for me anyway, it is a step in the right direction. There will be quite a few people panicking about this.

Get rid of the inactive posts and enforce the full force of the law, they might be on the path to making a difference.......................

Edited November 3, 201411 yr by chrisinth

This is not a news story. This is just the way of life here in Thailand.

There will be no convictions in any case like this.

Edited November 3, 201411 yr by uty6543

Is anyone the slightest bit surprised. One down (maybe) hundreds of thousands to go.

555

Isn't that the truth. I would hate to see them charging the business owners for doing this since this has been the accepted business model in Thailand forever. If businesses did not pay, then bad things would happen otherwise so in essence they are victims.

This is not a news story. This is just the way of life here in Thailand.

There will be no convictions in any case like this.

There will be no convictions in any case like this.

And, of course, we have that on good authority?

Onwer of the venue goes to Jail...

Bent cops get moved to inactive posts.

Justice not!!

Let's see.

prostitution going on, and several young women found there,,

well i never,, and it was a tip off,,

I don't think that many of the readers see the significance of this. Instead of sweeping it under the already lumpy carpet, they are actually investigating what has been happening.

Without being too optimistic, for me anyway, it is a step in the right direction. There will be quite a few people panicking about this.

Get rid of the inactive posts and enforce the full force of the law, they might be on the path to making a difference.......................

Chris you are so sweet when in your naive mode!!

The guy who ordered this crackdown, the national chief of police, is the very same guy, who last week bought shares on SET for 360 million baht!! Way above the combined assets declared by him and his wife!!

So a qualified guess would be, that the guys collecting in the pub mentioned in the OP, "forgot" to pass on their takings up the foodchain!! Hence the crackdown.

But dream on!!

Why does Thai Visa report this type of news? Farangs do not really care about this sort of stuff. Well, except the part about the girls 555

The owner of the bar appears to have made a significant investment in his licensing process with representatives of the RTP. But as is often the case he was probably unaware of the new sheriff in town and his collectors.

Probably the last we here of this case, owner will pay his fine in court, license suspended for a month or two. Then back to business as usual, maybe under new management.

One is better than none. Next is to go after the police involved in the thousands of similar pubs, many of which are breeding grounds for crime and drug use.

Two local police officers whose names appeared on the paper have been transferred out of the jurisdiction around the corner. The police officer who reported the findings has since been fired.

They found the Rider Resort operated a restaurant, massage parlour and resort as "front businesses" plus a prostitution ring behind the scenes with 10 Thai women and two foreign women.

Illegal drugs - six tablets of "ice" and five packs of marijuana - were also found at the scene

Still, despite those factors, based on reviews by people who stayed there on Agoda, the establishment manages to rate overall above average.

Not despite, but because of those factors, the establisment manages to rate above average!!

Why do I have a feeling, that many posters will be walking their dog in that neighbourhood tonight??

It's not even April 1st.

Hey.......everyday is April 1st here........

I don't think that many of the readers see the significance of this. Instead of sweeping it under the already lumpy carpet, they are actually investigating what has been happening.

Without being too optimistic, for me anyway, it is a step in the right direction. There will be quite a few people panicking about this.

Get rid of the inactive posts and enforce the full force of the law, they might be on the path to making a difference.......................

Yes, but...reading that "someone" posted images of bribery evidence online makes me think that was what prompted the investigation, not that the evidence was found but that it was published. Now the next question: who has access to evidence and would post it on the internet? Got to be a vigilante BiB!

Two local police officers whose names appeared on the paper have been transferred out of the jurisdiction around the corner. The police officer who reported the findings has since been fired.

"The police officer who reported the findings has since been fired."

You sure about that nonsense?

The Resort is near my house and is behind Seacon Square. Been there with my family for meals and entertainment up to a year ago and never seen any prostitution. Must have been something new to make some money due to the the military crackdown affecting their tourist trade and therefore profits. Can't say I blame them. Story is that the Army got the tip off, they have been visiting the moo bahns around here asking for information on illegal activities and ensuring we are "Happy".

The police here openly walk from business to business collecting money for 'protection'. Every bar, restaurant..... basically if you want to do business, you pay the police or they will have you arrested on trumped up charges.

The coup has changed nothing here at all in Thailand's second biggest city.

"and found several young women in the pub."

The Horror, the Horror.

How much to make the note-book go away ???