Thai police under scrutiny like never before

[webfact]

EDITORIAL
Police under scrutiny like never before
The Nation

The international microscope on the Ratchaprasong bombing is revealing every flaw in the investigators' procedure

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's police force has often been under the international spotlight. Understandably, the scrutiny grows in intensity every time a major crime here grabs foreign headlines.

Yet, because the Internet era shuffles the global news incessantly and at high speed, the world's focus quickly moves on, leaving Thai law enforcement to limp on as ever, as if from one storm of controversy to another.

The citizenry has come to accept low policing standards as an everyday fact of life, but we nevertheless harbour hopes of general and gradual improvements. Every now and then policymakers give an added spur to those hopes by suggesting that the police force undergo a determined process of reform.

The debate always centres on the pressing needs for civilian oversight and greater accountability, though it rarely extends as far as tackling deficiencies in professionalism and detection. Polite words are usually preferred - like "transparency" as opposed to "corruption".

But the underlying ambition is always the same: that our lawenforcement officers behave in a less tawdry manner and show more sophistication in carrying out their duties. This hope is especially high right now, when all eyes are on Thailand in the aftermath of a bomb attack that killed 20 innocent people and injured at least 100 others.

We know the world is watching and we are relying on the authorities to catch the mystery culprits behind this ungodly act, whoever they might be. Unfortunately, we have once again been let down. Public dismay billows not so much at the failure to apprehend the criminals, but rather at the authorities' seeming inability to match their words to their actions.

Haphazard and sometimes contradictory statements and messages are reinforcing the widespread perception that, when it comes to solving ghastly murders, Thailand's finest, and the policymakers behind them, are simply not up to the task.

Immediately following the attack at the Erawan Shrine, the authorities promised a thorough investigation and vowed to do their utmost to bring the culprits to justice. Instead, they next appeared to prioritise a return to normal everyday life, as if prodding the public to forget about what had happened. Rather than a painstaking examination of evidence at the scene in order to get a better understanding of the explosive device used, we witnessed a hasty cleanup that swept away all signs of the blast - and with it potential evidence.

It was in sharp contrast to the forensics experts clad in white jumpsuits who combed the scene of the Boston Marathon bombing. The American authorities gathered the evidence, tracked down the bombers and put the one who survived on trial, all in a matter of months.

It appears that, in this case, our own authorities were far too concerned about minimising damage to the tourism industry by projecting an alliswell image to the outside world.

As part of damagecontrol efforts, the police chief, Pol General Somyot Pumpanmuang, and his entourage took a tour of Bangkok hangouts popular among foreign visitors and expatriates. Why, we have to wonder, would he choose the adultentertainment district for his public relations drive?

The result was a "photo op" that caught Somyot and his men talking to reporters in the Soi Nana red light district - beneath a large neon sign for the gogo bar Suckers. The choice of backdrop was surely an accident. The Royal Thai Police, oblivious to the mockery that greeted the image, asked to be credited for the photo when it was distributed among the news media.

Irony aside, what counts is not the ineptitude of a publicrelations campaign but the actions being taken to uphold the law.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Police-under-scrutiny-like-never-before-30267617.html


-- The Nation 2015-08-28

[steven100]

did anyone really expect anything different .....

[NongKhaiKid]

Does anyone really believe the BIB or govt will care what anyone thinks, least of all the international community, as they don't understand Thainess and how things are ' done ', here ?

[ikurauni]

This is Thailand. What else should we expect?

There are things that good about Thailand. Let's take a look at their good side.

[NOC]

People rarely exceed their own level of ineptitude....

[noitom]

It is shocking that Thai people tolerate this level of ineptitude and incompetence from the Thai police. The Thai police force top to bottom is feckless and filled with over inflated self importance. It is amusing that the newspaper described that the Thai police jockeyed for position in the photo op in the heart of the Thai sex trade mecca. The newspaper describes this as "adultentertainment distrit" knowing full well that Bangkok and every other town and village and virtually every soi is loaded with sex trade venues masquerading as "adultentertainment districts."

[BSJ]

"The result was a "photo op" that caught Somyot and his men talking to reporters in the Soi Nana red light district - beneath a large neon sign for the gogo bar Suckers. "

You have to give me a warning when you post stuff like that. I nearly p1ssed my pants I was laughing so hard!

[TheAppletons]

"The result was a "photo op" that caught Somyot and his men talking to reporters in the Soi Nana red light district - beneath a large neon sign for the gogo bar Suckers. "

You have to give me a warning when you post stuff like that. I nearly p1ssed my pants I was laughing so hard!

[Charlie Croker]

I foresee the imminent arrest of everyone..., however guilty

Does anyone know what percent of the bombing investigation has been completed yet?

[MZurf]

A total reform of the RTP from top to bottom is one of the most important tasks the country is facing, yet Uncle Too has magnanimously chosen to leave this to the "next" government (whenever that may be) and instead concentrate on even more important issues like the state lottery.

No wonder he's popular with the cheerleaders. I guess they buy a lot of lottery tickets...

Edited August 28, 2015 by MZurf

[IamNoone88]

There is little hope when even the PM flippantly dismisses the help offered by seasoned foreign countries with expertise that could benefit the country. The world has passed them by and sped forward and there is little desire to embrace change. It will be the same in another 20 years.

[X pat]

To serve and to protect.

[jimstar1]

Oh Well Thai Time again

[vadid]

I suppose the great disadvantage of having cctv of the bomber, is that makes it harder to find a Myanmar man to frame

[rocketron57]

i'm sure they will soon have a perfect case against a couple of Burmese.

[ronthai]

They got DNA now, so the escape goat will follow soon. Case solved.

[klauskunkel]

The next photo op will be at Spanky"s

[ikke]

If you drive NE , and see the pussies with their roadblocks , with mask and sunglasses, i almost have to trow up.

Like a bunch of girls dancing an agogo, that's how they look .

Sometimes I think, are these police guys born that stupid, or did they teach them how to act and behave stupid ?

[deepcell]

"The result was a "photo op" that caught Somyot and his men talking to reporters in the Soi Nana red light district - beneath a large neon sign for the gogo bar Suckers. "

You have to give me a warning when you post stuff like that. I nearly p1ssed my pants I was laughing so hard!

14404011871440401848l.jpg

hahahaha the best post so far!!!! even my kid can contain yourself.. LOL

[arrowsdawdle]

I foresee the imminent arrest of everyone..., however guilty

Does anyone know what percent of the bombing investigation has been completed yet?

Crime scenes completely cleaned of all evidence.

[KED]

The sad fact is that the Thai police are worried more about their corrupt system of bribes and tea money than they are about solving any crime. Their number one priority is generating funds for themselves, not protecting the nation's citizens.

[jerome2]

It shouldn'be the normal police that takes care of such important investigation ... so sthing is wrong higher up

[The Deerhunter]

The next photo op will be at Spanky"s

Then Hooters?

[The Deerhunter]

Its all OK now. They have the DNA off the notes given to taxi drivers. See! They really are on the ball after all. (I wondered 20 mins ago what brought that post claiming DNA recovery up and why. Perhaps now we know, or am I being overly cynical?)

[Thian]

I still didn't hear about who's responsible for the not working camera's around the Erawan.

How is it possible they still don't have a good pic of the bomber? There are loads and loads of dashcams and security cams in the area. I even see motorcycles driving around with go-pro camera's on top of their helmets.

Offer 1 million baht for a good pic of the bomber and do it ASAP.

[abitmiffed]

What the hell do you expect? They are NOT trained police but simply brothers,fathers,uncles,or son of rich corrupt previous policemen. Where money buys them the job and not brains

(Not everyone but the vast majority)

Give them a full police test live on TV and see the results of the people who are meant to be protecting the people and country. Yet again shame on you Thailand.

The krap never ends.

[trainman34014]

'Double Post.

Edited August 28, 2015 by trainman34014

[trainman34014]

''Leaving Thai law enforcement to limp on '' Sorry but Snakes to not limp...they slither !

[RoboGeisha]

If you drive NE , and see the pussies with their roadblocks , with mask and sunglasses, i almost have to trow up.

Like a bunch of girls dancing an agogo, that's how they look .

Sometimes I think, are these police guys born that stupid, or did they teach them how to act and behave stupid ?

I recently spoke to a Thai teacher. She told me that the two biggest buffaloes in her class want to become... guess what? Policemen.

I guess it's not that Thailand doesn't have any competent and smart policemen. But reality is that many of their superiors give them a target they expect them to collect every month. If the fail to meet that goal they have a problem. If they are smarter than their superior and "expose" them they have a problem. It doesn't take much to guess which policemen get promoted and which don't. As a result... well... we all know the result.

[allan michaud]

It's always the same here, the first thought is always to minimize the impact on tourism.

The bigger problem that effects Thailand from to to bottom is that few if any people get promoted due to competence, so you end up with people who have no idea what they are doing at the top making the decisions. Kid's in school don't bother to work or cheat because they know that it's a waste of time, the good positions in any job will go to the bosses friends or family, not to the most competent person.

I am amazed that no one has been publicly ridiculing the police chief for his statement the other day asking for software to sharpen images, as seen in TV series CSI. It is only found in Hollywood, yet it seems no one in Thailand is even aware of just how unbelievably dumb this comment was.

First and foremost Thailand needs to promote people based on merit not nepotism.