Pattaya Reporter in 'drugs' incident with Traffic Police Volunteer



PATTAYA: -- A Pattaya Reporter became embroiled in a “drugs” incident on Saturday Night after he was stopped at a Pattaya Police Checkpoint and a Traffic Police Volunteer informed officers that the reporter had dropped a consignment of illegal drugs, which was later found to be false.

Khun Tiwagon aged 25, works for an English Language Media Organization in Pattaya and was riding around Pattaya on Saturday Night on his motorbike, looking for news stories, when he encountered a Pattaya Traffic Police Checkpoint in South Pattaya.

The Reporter was stopped and questioned, and decided not to tell officers he was a reporter. Moments later a Traffic Police Volunteer arrived and claimed the reporter had dropped a consignment of illegal drugs further up the road, even though no drugs were presented to Police Officers who were in the process of questioning Khun Tiwagon.

At this point, the reporter called his colleagues who began to record the incident. At this point the Traffic Police Officers retreated, leaving the Volunteer to be questioned by reporters.

Full story: http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/173950/pattaya-reporter-in-drugs-incident-with-traffic-police-volunteer/


-- Pattaya One 2015-03-02

Another shake down attempt.

Its getting out of hand.

This is what happens when the Army comes in and cuts off the funding.

The (edited) police are adapting.

They collude with the jet skis scammers, are too lazy to investigate real crimes and so the set up a roadside check to FRAME people for drugs!

This guy would be in jail now if he wasn't a reporter!

How many people have the Pattaya Police framed and jailed over the years? Scary.

Edited March 2, 201511 yr by petercool
edited slur

Please stay on topic.

This is pathetic - they should be doing a lot more than naming and shaming this guy. If the Army is serious about reforming the RTP, perhaps its time to set up an independent group whose sole mission is to investigate police corruption and intimidation : I suspect that the General knows they would need to work 24/7 for many years and the process itself would be prone to corruption. Still, dreams are free - carry on.

This is pathetic - they should be doing a lot more than naming and shaming this guy. If the Army is serious about reforming the RTP, perhaps its time to set up an independent group whose sole mission is to investigate police corruption and intimidation : I suspect that the General knows they would need to work 24/7 for many years and the process itself would be prone to corruption. Still, dreams are free - carry on.

Yes, great idea, and when we get an independent group maybe we could get one in the UK and the USA?

Sounds right!!

Scary, not doing drugs but being set up. Good thing the guy was a reporter. But it does again lend credibility that sometimes police shakedown people with false evidence. Thanks to the war on drugs the police have a powerful tool to shakedown people.

Probably easier then going after real drug users.. though there are supposed to be so many. Why the hell make up stuff.. maybe its easier and faster money.

Scary, not doing drugs but being set up. Good thing the guy was a reporter. But it does again lend credibility that sometimes police shakedown people with false evidence. Thanks to the war on drugs the police have a powerful tool to shakedown people.

Probably easier then going after real drug users.. though there are supposed to be so many. Why the hell make up stuff.. maybe its easier and faster money.

this is exactly the reason why I am against death penalty.

This is what happens when the Army comes in and cuts off the funding.

The (edited) police are adapting.

They collude with the jet skis scammers, are too lazy to investigate real crimes and so the set up a roadside check to FRAME people for drugs!

This guy would be in jail now if he wasn't a reporter!

How many people have the Pattaya Police framed and jailed over the years? Scary.

A bit of a pathetic cheap shot in trying to blame the army for decades of institutional corruption.

As you say, this has been going on for years and more evidence - like this report - can only help anyone in 'authority' who is serious about tackling such issues.

This is pathetic - they should be doing a lot more than naming and shaming this guy. If the Army is serious about reforming the RTP, perhaps its time to set up an independent group whose sole mission is to investigate police corruption and intimidation : I suspect that the General knows they would need to work 24/7 for many years and the process itself would be prone to corruption. Still, dreams are free - carry on.

Yes, great idea, and when we get an independent group maybe we could get one in the UK and the USA?

Many police agencies in the USA have civilian oversight.

.http://www.spdombudsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/OPO-Civilian-Oversight.pdf

The departments I worked for all had civilian oversight. It kept the honest, honest and weeded out the corrupt, who in certain instances, went to jail themselves.

Thailand certainly could benefit in this area. Time will tell.

Another shake down attempt.

Its getting out of hand.

That dead horse being beaten ... I assume that refers to posted comments such as yours?

This is what happens when the Army comes in and cuts off the funding.

The (edited) police are adapting.

They collude with the jet skis scammers, are too lazy to investigate real crimes and so the set up a roadside check to FRAME people for drugs!

This guy would be in jail now if he wasn't a reporter!

How many people have the Pattaya Police framed and jailed over the years? Scary.

A bit of a pathetic cheap shot in trying to blame the army for decades of institutional corruption.

As you say, this has been going on for years and more evidence - like this report - can only help anyone in 'authority' who is serious about tackling such issues.

No, I'm not blaming the Army at all.

I'm saying the Army has been busy cutting off the police resources (which is good) but the police are adapting.

The police are desperate to fill the cash-flow void no doubt.

Shaking down citizens and terrifying them with a drug plant is probably very profitable...and who cares about a lousy druggie?..... Now they are saying a bag of pills found on the road 100 meters away is YOURS! Good luck with that one. Especially after you get a Thai lawyer involved.....

The Army crackdown on Police corruption is a case of doing the right thing for the wrong reason though I'm afraid.

The war against the Police is political. The Army is cutting their political enemies funding.

Look for more police shakedowns.

Another shake down attempt.

Its getting out of hand.

That dead horse being beaten ... I assume that refers to posted comments such as yours?

Why ?

At this point, the reporter called his colleagues who began to record the incident. At this point the Traffic Police Officers retreated, leaving the Volunteer to be questioned by reporters.

Did the Volunteer volunteer to be left behind enemy lines after the Bib's strategic retreat? Or was he considered expendable?

Some off topic posts, some slur posts and a non English language post all removed

This is what happens when the Army comes in and cuts off the funding.

The (edited) police are adapting.

They collude with the jet skis scammers, are too lazy to investigate real crimes and so the set up a roadside check to FRAME people for drugs!

This guy would be in jail now if he wasn't a reporter!

How many people have the Pattaya Police framed and jailed over the years? Scary.

A bit of a pathetic cheap shot in trying to blame the army for decades of institutional corruption.

As you say, this has been going on for years and more evidence - like this report - can only help anyone in 'authority' who is serious about tackling such issues.

And therein lies the rub. There is NO ONE in authority who is serious about tackling such issues. Including the PM.

I would be very happy to see real change in Thailand, but serously doubt it will come any time soon.

This is what happens when the Army comes in and cuts off the funding.

The (edited) police are adapting.

They collude with the jet skis scammers, are too lazy to investigate real crimes and so the set up a roadside check to FRAME people for drugs!

This guy would be in jail now if he wasn't a reporter!

How many people have the Pattaya Police framed and jailed over the years? Scary.

A bit of a pathetic cheap shot in trying to blame the army for decades of institutional corruption.

As you say, this has been going on for years and more evidence - like this report - can only help anyone in 'authority' who is serious about tackling such issues.

I smell sarcasm...

This is what happens when the Army comes in and cuts off the funding.

The (edited) police are adapting.

They collude with the jet skis scammers, are too lazy to investigate real crimes and so the set up a roadside check to FRAME people for drugs!

This guy would be in jail now if he wasn't a reporter!

How many people have the Pattaya Police framed and jailed over the years? Scary.

A bit of a pathetic cheap shot in trying to blame the army for decades of institutional corruption.

As you say, this has been going on for years and more evidence - like this report - can only help anyone in 'authority' who is serious about tackling such issues.

joesanunu was not taking a cheap shot at the government, he said "this is what happens when the army comes in and cuts off the funding" (the funding being bribes). He said "the police are adapting" (towards an extortion model, rather than bribes)...and recent history shows joesanunu is correct.

This is pathetic - they should be doing a lot more than naming and shaming this guy. If the Army is serious about reforming the RTP, perhaps its time to set up an independent group whose sole mission is to investigate police corruption and intimidation : I suspect that the General knows they would need to work 24/7 for many years and the process itself would be prone to corruption. Still, dreams are free - carry on.

Yes, great idea, and when we get an independent group maybe we could get one in the UK and the USA?

You're right - it'll never take off outside my troubled mind. Most of these have a much broader role, but I believe the Police are 'public sector employees' in most countries, and as such are answerable to these agencies. One might argue that countries like Malaysia havent allocated enough resources to combat corruption, but Singapore seems to be doing a good job. Thailand still has a long way to go when a mere volunteer can pull this sort of crap.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Commission_Against_Corruption_(Hong_Kong)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Corruption_and_Civil_Rights_Commission

http://www.ibac.vic.gov.au/about-ibac/what-we-do

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

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysian_Anti-Corruption_Commission

That Police volunteer looked a proper wrong un and obviously he is

Khun Tiwagon aged 25, works for an English Language Media Organization in Pattaya and was riding around Pattaya on Saturday Night on his motorbike, looking for news stories, when he encountered a Pattaya Traffic Police Checkpoint in South Pattaya...

...He thought by himself:" I'm riding around Pattaya for the whole Saturday Night on my motorbike, looking for news stories and until now nothing! My English Language Media Organisation pays me for stories and I wasted already 100฿ on gasoline riding around Pattaya on Saturday Night looking for news stories, let's see what happens when I throw these oregano sachets I've just got with my pizza here in the curb and then approach this Pattaya Traffic Police Checkpoint..."

Did I miss something? What happened to the volunteer, is he still working as a volunteer, is he under investigation?

This is a really serious matter given the severe penalties for drug possession here. Or are they just going to pretend it never happened and carry on as usual.

The reporter was looking for a news story and he found one!