Thailand's top cop: graft-buster or junta hatchet man?

[Lite Beer]

Thailand's top cop: graft-buster or junta hatchet man?
Bangkok, Thailand | AFP

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's top cop says his task is to revive trust in a graft-tainted force, but observers believe his real brief is to be a hatchet man for a junta trying to tame the police -- and their patron, billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.


For decades the fortunes of the Thai police and military have waxed and waned depending on who is in government, with money, rank and power bestowed upon the institution of the hour.


Until last May's coup, the stock of the police force had soared under successive elected Shinawatra governments, vexing an army whose primacy is normally assured by its massive budget, ties with the royalist establishment and penchant for seizing power when things are not going its way.


Now it is in charge, the junta appears determined to bring the police to heel.


After sweeping the 2001 election, Thaksin, a former mid-ranking police officer turned businessman, dropped his pointmen into key policing posts.


Those appointments buttressed his family's political base -- especially in the country's north -- reaching deep into local communities, where even low-ranking police wield substantial authority.


His enemies say Thaksin crafted a network of police fiefdoms fuelled by corruption and indebted to his billionaire family, wedding the force's fortunes to his own long after he was toppled by the army in 2006.


Junta-leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha, who marked six months as prime minister on April 17, has been busy severing that alliance.


Amid an immediate purge of senior officers, Prayut made Police-General Somyot Poompanmoung his commissioner, sweeping aside an incumbent picked by Yingluck Shinawatra -- Thaksin's younger sister, who led the administration felled by last year's coup.


Somyot, who has continued to sideline Shinawatra loyalists, bemoans the "shadow of politics" historically cast over the 200,000-strong force -- although he now sits in Thailand's junta-selected National Legislative Assembly.


"Political parties interfere with the police and some police officers have served politicians in the hope of progressing," the 59-year-old Somyot told AFP from behind a hulking wooden desk at police headquarters in Bangkok. "We are ready for a change."





- Good cops, bad cops -




Thais routinely complain that their police are better at hoovering up streetside bribes than detective work.


Somyot, who declares his assets at over $11.5 million -- including income from advising companies as well as property holdings and investments -- has vowed to transfer, arrest or prosecute all graft-tainted officers.


True to his word, he has nailed several senior policemen, including the head of Thailand's elite Central Investigation Bureau -- jailed with his deputy in January for defaming the royal family while running a criminal empire from inside the police.


"In any big organisation there are good and bad people," Somyot says. "My aim is to improve the public's feeling towards the police. If I can do it, even a little bit, I will have been a success."


But analysts say Somyot's focus is to do the bidding of an army that craves control of the police and, by extension, the Shinawatras -- a family whose pro-poor policies won them every Thai election since 2001, along with the hatred of the Bangkok elite.


Somyot's task is "to redesign the police in a way that will long make it into a mechanism of the military", according to Paul Chambers, director of research at the Institute of Southeast Asian Affairs in Chiang Mai.


"And (to) eliminate influence from local politicians such as Thaksin," he adds.


To do so, Somyot has called for the restructuring of the Royal Thai Police board, currently chaired by the prime minister, to prevent premiers selecting future police chiefs.


The police are also about to be sheared, according to a draft of a new junta-backed constitution, with marine and forest police among the units to be moved to government departments.


On April 8 the junta further tightened the screws, empowering soldiers to carry out the routine police work of searches, investigation and arrest.


The order allows "military officers to interfere in the work of the police", says Puangthong Pawakapan, a Thai politics expert at Chulalongkorn University.





- Money, money, money -




Whatever the motivation, police reform is an often-heard refrain which never sticks, according to Chuwit Kamolvisit, a former massage parlour impresario who named and shamed cops on his payroll before turning to politics.


The cash-for-jobs culture within the police is too deep to uproot, he says, alleging low-rank officers earning just $460 a month tap the public for bribes, or solicit protection money from dodgy businesses, to top up their salaries and buy promotions.


"Rank and status is everything in Thailand... when you are a small policeman to go up, you need to have the right boss," and preferably one at a "golden police station -- near a casino or entertainment venue", he explains.


Thaksin also still draws loyalty from the police rank-and-file as well as a large portion of the electorate.


The role of Thai police chief is a famously precarious given the kingdom's fast-changing political winds. Somyot is already scheduled to retire in September when he hits 60, although there are rumours he may not last that long.


And the merry-go-round of Thai politics -- the country has seen 19 successful or attempted coups since 1932 -- dictates that some form of Shinawatra comeback can not be ruled out, and with it rewards for loyalists and retribution for enemies.


"Police are politicians... they always survive," Chuwit adds.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2015-04-19

[jayboy]

Any background to how he managed to acquire such fabulous wealth on a tiny salary? I am sure the answer is perfectly innocent.

Anyway he seems to be an ideal person to clamp down on graft.

[bruceybonus]

How about unusually wealthy?

[Costas2008]

This is a good article to read and understand politics in Thailand.

I never had a doubt that we will see the Siwanatras back in power and we will see the police again back to their old habits, and corruption thriving at all levels of society.

I consider this junta to be just a short breath space to the history of this country.

In a short time we will see again the same situation as before.

Till the next coup in some years to come.

Whoever believes that things can change in Thailand must be living in a dream world and not reality.

Edited April 19, 2015 by Costas2008

[bruceybonus]

He's not even coy about his wealth, with luxury cars/bikes on show & recent purchase of masses of shares!! Why are these public figures not asked to reveal the sources of their wealth??

Surely an audit trail would not be difficult, as I believe the difference between his salary and his assets is biblical.

[casindonet]

The title has a question mark at the end, but are posters even allowed to write what we really feel without getting ban from tv or getting into trouble with the law?

[Squeegee]

There are some people in this country who apparently don't have to answer questions about how they or their family has amassed wealth beyond their official salary.

That's one of the reasons why there is no trust and why it seems like politics not true anti-corruption.

You all know who and whose family I'm talking about.

[lildragon]

So the man to clean up the cops is a man with considerable wealth beyond what his salary pays. Interesting that.

The apologists will be in here soon To saying that he made That money "through wise investments" and it's The same answer for all the unusually rich Junta staff.

Like clockwork...

[Alwym]

restructuring of the Royal Thai Police board, currently chaired by the prime minister, to prevent premiers selecting future police chiefs.

That would be a very positive step in the right direction.

[EyesWideOpen]

A bag man would be a more accurate description, and a cut for him of course.

Hence his millions of dollars on his chump change police salary...

He is the same as Pongpat. Read in the Bangkok post a few years ago that the police

dept income is about 25 billion baht a year. That is a lot of money to keep track

of and apportion out to the " right" people.....

Using the words graft buster and Thai policeman <<<< oxymoron alert !! >> in the

same sentence is recognized by any long term expat as being fundamentally absurd.

A bit like the foxes deciding who will guard the hen house..

Edited April 19, 2015 by EyesWideOpen

[ldiablo]

Is that what Thailand's top cop now calls taking bribes "advising companies." It boggles my mind how these police,military and politicians have assets in the millions and millions of US dollars.

Edited April 19, 2015 by ldiablo

[ldiablo]

Costas. You are such a hypocrite. You have been proclaiming for months about how your beloved PM is changing Thailand for the better and in your next breath you state "Whoever believes that things can change in Thailand must be living in a dream world and not reality."

[Bluespunk]

"His enemies say Thaksin crafted a network of police fiefdoms fuelled by corruption and indebted to his billionaire family, wedding the force's fortunes to his own long after he was toppled by the army in 2006."

He wasn't toppled by anyone.

However that "by this lie you shall know AFP" aspect of this report aside, the fact is that the BIB are riddled with corruption. Someone's got to do something about it.

Though if it isn't done properly and the current miserable bunch aren't replaced by a proper force (with wages that do not encourage gangsterism) then it will be a waste of time.

[Baerboxer]

Is that what Thailand's top cop now calls taking bribes "advising companies." It boggles my mind how these police,military and politicians have assets in the millions and millions of US dollars.

Jobs for the boys mate. Used to be rife in the UK, the "old boy network". Still far too much of it. Went to the right school or Uni; from the right family; must be non exec director material etc etc

The UK police forces used to be riddled with Mason's - all scratching one another's back, and very accommodating to the upper class elites and politicians. The stories about incompetent police investigations into sexual abuse of children allegations by MP's is seeming wide spread. The flying squad and regional crime squads were legendary for making money rather than solving crimes.

If that can happen in a mature democracy like the UK, where central and local government are freely elected, imagine what can happen in a country like Thailand.

I bet reading all the non executive director lists of Thai organizations, and individuals' lists of all income producing positions would make very interesting reading; especially if compared to their tax returns.

Ain't never gonna happen.

[Suffinator]

Thailand's top cop says his task is to revive trust in a graft-tainted force, but observers believe his real brief is to be a hatchet man for a junta trying to tame the police -- and their patron, billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

I'll start believing in their efforts to eradicate corruption when all the top officials atone to complete transparency of their assets. This will then allow for the removal and imprisonment of all corrupt officials. Only issue here is could they find a big enough prison. At the current rate of corruption in Thailand you might as well just build a wall around the country and declare it a penal colony.

Until last May's coup, the stock of the police force had soared under successive elected Shinawatra governments, vexing an army whose primacy is normally assured by its massive budget, ties with the royalist establishment and penchant for seizing power when things are not going its way.

Which is just another form of corruption that attempts to balance out their unrelenting theft.

The bottom line will always be transparency but alas there are so many crooks in the pot those who would be ousted will likely just point their dirty fingers at their accusers. If Prayut is sincere about peace and harmony and the eradication of corruption then he needs to step up to the plate and open his wealth to public scrutiny ... oh and by the way I'm launching Piggy Airways next week with 1st Class tickets from Bangkok to London Heathrow for just US$10.00 and according to my calculations (which is solely based on TAT's model for delivering tourist numbers) I will make a profit of US$9.90 per person. I'm sure this would all sound more than reasonable to anyone.

[mikemac]

The title has a question mark at the end, but are posters even allowed to write what we really feel without getting ban from tv or getting into trouble with the law?

Give it a go and we will see how you get on................

[khunken]

The fact that the police chief is rich is apparently more important that his ability to rid the force of some of the most corrupt and Shin-appointed blood-suckers. No politician is asked or forced to reveal their source of wealth and if they were, along with other political appointees, it would take for ever.

I'd say it is extremely unlikely that, excepting a HK style total house cleaning, corruption will be eliminated by the current regime. But eliminating some, including those appointed to boost the Shin clan's wealth, is far better than doing nothing at all.

Having said that, I don't like Somyot, especially for his support for the Ko Tao debacle. Interesting piece in the Bangkok Post on Saturday about him feeling the heat over his transfer of some senior cops which he has had to reverse.

[oneday]

I don't know, it just sounds to me like, out with the old "bad" and in with the new "bad".

[Squeegee]

So the man to clean up the cops is a man with considerable wealth beyond what his salary pays. Interesting that.

The apologists will be in here soon To saying that he made That money "through wise investments" and it's The same answer for all the unusually rich Junta staff.

Like clockwork...

Nah, these days they just irrelevantly screech about previous governments rather than staying on topic.

[casindonet]

The title has a question mark at the end, but are posters even allowed to write what we really feel without getting ban from tv or getting into trouble with the law?

Give it a go and we will see how you get on................

Well I surely don't mind getting ban from tv forever but i do mind spending time in bkk hilton.:-SS

[gemguy]

So the man to clean up the cops is a man with considerable wealth beyond what his salary pays. Interesting that.

The apologists will be in here soon To saying that he made That money "through wise investments" and it's The same answer for all the unusually rich Junta staff.

Like clockwork...

Then that means he is the perfect man to take away the wealth from others, that are deemed as corrupt by himself and his master, while the wealth and the sources of the corrupt wealth are then shared and or change hands.

Cheers

[klauskunkel]

Thailand's top cop: graft-buster or junta hatchet man?

Many Thais have two jobs...

[minikev]

The title has a question mark at the end, but are posters even allowed to write what we really feel without getting ban from tv or getting into trouble with the law?

Nope

[TheFishman1]

So what new same same it's a Thailand

[Prbkk]

An article in yesterday's BP suggested he might be on the list for transfer ...on the basis that he had offended a senior army man in some way

[jesimps]

The title has a question mark at the end, but are posters even allowed to write what we really feel without getting ban from tv or getting into trouble with the law?

Give it a go and we will see how you get on................

Yet, in the true spirit of reconciliation, the yellows/junta crowd can say what they like about the PTP/Shiniwatras etc without fear of arrest and being banned/having there posts removed from TV. Very even-handed. What?

[rametindallas]

Any background to how he managed to acquire such fabulous wealth on a tiny salary? I am sure the answer is perfectly innocent.

Anyway he seems to be an ideal person to clamp down on graft.

Nearly ALL of the officer corps (police and military) come from well-to-do/connected families. It's the same with flight attendants with THAI. If you go to a Thai restaurant in Dallas, your Thai waitress almost certainly comes from a family more wealthy than yours to be able for her to study in the US. As everywhere, there are the 'haves' and the 'have-nots' and the 'rich get richer'. If you come from money and have good connections and proper advise, you will become richer than your parents (unless you run down a police sergeant with your Ferrari and drag his body hundreds of meters on your way to leaving the scene of the crime).

BTW, your sarcasm re: Somyot, is noted.

Edited April 19, 2015 by rametindallas

[EyesWideOpen]

Any background to how he managed to acquire such fabulous wealth on a tiny salary? I am sure the answer is perfectly innocent.

Anyway he seems to be an ideal person to clamp down on graft.

Nearly ALL of the officer corps come from well-to-do/connected families. It's the same with flight attendants with THAI.

BTW, your sarcasm is noted.

Not sure it is sarcasm ........ If you wanted to catch a thief, best thing to do would

be to hire a thief to help you as he would have all the inside information...

[casualbiker]

I dunno about this guy but I do know from talking to police college students that THEY want the force changed and that there is serious talk on how this can be achieved. They want to be proud of their jobs!

[casualbiker]

A brief history of the guy:

Courtesy of Blomberg.

Pol. Lt. Gen. Somyot Poompanmoung served as an Independent Director of Tongkah Harbour Public Company Limited from December 13, 2012 to March 3, 2014. Pol. Lt. Gen. Poompanmoung served as a Director of Eastern Water Resources Development and Management Public Company Limited. He served as a Director at Capital Engineering Network Public Company Limited (formerly, Eastern Wire Public Company Ltd.) since January 2005. He served as an Independent Director at Matching Maximize Solution Public Company Limited from April 28, 2010 to August 17, 2010. He holds Master of Political Science from Puna University, India and Bachelor of Political Science from Police Cadet Academy.