Thai police 'trained on checkpoint searches, interception'

[webfact]

Police 'trained on checkpoint searches, interception'
PANTHIPA JITRAWUTTIPORN
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- POLICE say they have received training on how to intercept and search suspects at a checkpoint, and use procedures on a par with international standards.

Pol Maj-General Amornwit Muntong, chief of the Police Education Bureau's Tactical Training Centre, spoke about the training after a police team in Thalang district in Phuket was accused of using excessive force when chasing two young drug suspects on Saturday.

The suspects died after a road accident while trying to escape.

Their deaths enraged hundreds of local people, who turned up at Thalang Police Station and rioted later that night. The havoc continued until the wee hours of Sunday.

"Police will observe people they have asked to stop at checkpoints. People in general will usually cooperate," Amornwit said.

He said that if any person tried to resist operations at the checkpoint, police would realise that there must be something wrong.

"If some people try to run away from a checkpoint, police will take further action. In some cases, big vehicles like trucks and buses may be used to block their escape route."

He said police would then surround suspects and try to arrest them.

"If the situation is serious, a reinforcement from the Arintaraj 26 will be called," Amornwit continued.

He said all police non-commissioned-officer students learned how to man a checkpoint during their one-year programme. "For those who have already served in the police force, we have also provide tactical training every year."

The Nong Sarai Training Centre has 20 training courses - with places for about 2,200 police each year. But Amornwit admitted the centre's capacity was far from meeting the needs of the 210,000-member police force.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Police-trained-on-checkpoint-searches-interception-30270832.html

-- The Nation 2015-10-14

[ChrisY1]

Don't understand what this article has to do with police who rammed a motorcycle to stop it.....resulting in 2 deaths......hardly clever tactics and certainly shouldn't have been in their traning !

[metisdead]

A post containing a slur toward the RTP has been removed:

11) You will not post slurs, degrading or overly negative comments directed towards Thailand, specific locations, Thai institutions such as the judicial or law enforcement system, Thai culture, Thai people or any other group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

[ldiablo]

Just have a quick look on you tube and you can find many cases of the thai police using excessive force.

One example is if you simply type in:Thai police kick man of motorcycle.

[NongKhaiKid]

In years of driving here I've passed through / been stopped at many police checkpoints and have yet to see a pursuit vehicle in position which should be a must.

Yes there are police vehicles but none I've seen crewed and ready to respond to a driver failing to stop or doing a hasty U-turn when seeing the checkpoint. Racing to parked vehicles in a 'Le Mans ' type start isn't the best way to get a pursuit going.

Aren't they lucky to have lorries and buses available to block roads ? Of course this requires a chase to exist long enough for this to be organised so an O.J. Simpson style ' slow drive ' will come in handy but unfortunately most drivers trying to evade police simply put the foot down.

Edited October 14, 2015 by NongKhaiKid

[Bullie]

Yes , Thai policemen are trained to man checkpoints. They train every working day of their lives, by stopping all and sundry, trying to wiggle some tea-money out of them.

[spermwhale]

Yes , Thai policemen are trained to man checkpoints. They train every working day of their lives, by stopping all and sundry, trying to wiggle some tea-money out of them.

They are trained to catch the low-hanging fruit. That's why you can speed and run as many red lights as you want because they will never stop you. The only thing they can get you for at a check point is no seatbelt, talking not the phone or not having proper registration. At night alcohol checks.

But moving violations? haha I've never seen a cop pull anyone over on the road for illegal behavior in my 12 years here

[kiwikeith]

Just have a quick look on you tube and you can find many cases of the thai police using excessive force.

One example is if you simply type in:Thai police kick man of motorcycle.

I wonder if this training included how to recognise and reject a bribe.

[meatboy]

Yes , Thai policemen are trained to man checkpoints. They train every working day of their lives, by stopping all and sundry, trying to wiggle some tea-money out of them.

including trained how to use a CALCULATOR when stopping non thai speakers.

[Brer Fox]

I always look forward to my daily dose of humour on Thaivisa forum. This story about police checkpoint training and responses is no exception. A 210,000 pax police force. Wow! that adds up to a lot of annual tea money. I'd like to see that in one big pile.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

I remember watching a video based TV show (maximum exposure i think it was called) back home about 13 years ago before I moved to Thailand. It showed the Thai police trying to tackle the gangs of motorcycle street racers in Bkk. The police waited down the road and when the large gangs of racers went by on their scooters at high speed the police would jump out into the street with baseball bats and try and knock the drivers and passengers off their bikes.

A couple hours of re training will not change a thing.

That being said, if drug dealers run from the cops then they are at least partially responsible for what they get too.

If they would have stopped and paid the cops some tea money they most likely would have just walked away within 10 mins anyway.

[Praematura]

So I'm in Pattaya and they flag me down in front of the police box on soi 9 and beach road. As I'm standing there and a middle eastern guy blew past when the Thai cop told him to stop he kept going and knocked the cop down. The head cop (a group of 5) barks something out and three Thais took off on 3 650 or so motorcycles. I asked the cop what will happen to the guy and he laughed in a creep way and said they wouldn't bring him back to the station.

[dageurreotype]

Yes , Thai policemen are trained to man checkpoints. They train every working day of their lives, by stopping all and sundry, trying to wiggle some tea-money out of them.

Exactly. And what this article fails to mention is that this practice is the norm here, whereas in other countries, not so much. Also, Other Countries do not have nearly the same amount of checkpoints, particularly on Fridays (weekend money, known among the locals as before Saturday=mia noi day)) and Mondays (spent it all and skint day). Never see them here in Phuket in the middle of the week. Another silly article having no relevance to this particular country.

[elgordo38]

Just have a quick look on you tube and you can find many cases of the thai police using excessive force.

One example is if you simply type in:Thai police kick man of motorcycle.

I wonder if this training included how to recognise and reject a bribe.

Wash your mouth out with soap.

[elgordo38]

I always look forward to my daily dose of humour on Thaivisa forum. This story about police checkpoint training and responses is no exception. A 210,000 pax police force. Wow! that adds up to a lot of annual tea money. I'd like to see that in one big pile.

210,000? they must be invisible I never see any and I go by a police box twice a week. It has tinted windows.

[Acharn]

Yes , Thai policemen are trained to man checkpoints. They train every working day of their lives, by stopping all and sundry, trying to wiggle some tea-money out of them.

They are trained to catch the low-hanging fruit. That's why you can speed and run as many red lights as you want because they will never stop you. The only thing they can get you for at a check point is no seatbelt, talking not the phone or not having proper registration. At night alcohol checks.

But moving violations? haha I've never seen a cop pull anyone over on the road for illegal behavior in my 12 years here

Really? Because I've been stopped a number of times. Driving from Phanat Nikhom to Chantaburi to buy turian, I passed a slow truck on a curve. I'd been stuck behind the guy for miles and I ran out of patience and took the risk. A cop saw me and radioed ahead. It wouldn't have been much -- they were mostly collecting ฿20 tolls from trucks carrying cargo, but my wife convinced him I didn't speak Thai and he gave up in disgust. I used to get stopped regularly driving from Sattahip to Bangkok. They had officers along the road with radar guns. You were OK as long as you were doing less than 105 km/hr. Anything over they'd radio a cruiser up ahead of you -- ฿100. My memory is that once you were past Sri Racha you could go a little faster, but I mostly didn't bother. Of course that goes back more than 20 years ago -- I haven't driven since my first wife died.

[Thian]

One day they stopped me and while i was being questioned a huge truck drove 5 cm past me.

Another time another motobike who was told to go on drove over my foot.

When they stop drivers they have to realise that they are responsible for our safety!

For a checkpoint they should use a fuelstation or something similar, or just use a whole lane and block it with pylons.

They also should care for their own safety (and be trained for that), they just stand on the middle of the mainroad at nighttime in BKK, totally irresponsible.

[ableguy]

I always look forward to my daily dose of humour on Thaivisa forum. This story about police checkpoint training and responses is no exception. A 210,000 pax police force. Wow! that adds up to a lot of annual tea money. I'd like to see that in one big pile.

210,000? they must be invisible I never see any and I go by a police box twice a week. It has tinted windows.

Have you tried sleeping with the sun in your eyes ? The tinted windows are not just for counting money.

[connda]

Start putting freaking patrol cars on the road and pull people over for moving violations.

At the present moment, Thais are trained that a police cruiser with it's sirens blaring and lights flashing means VIP being escorted.

What they need to be trained to react to is that a police cruiser with it's sirens blaring and lights flashing means 'pull you butt over to the side of the road'.

Afraid the LOS has a ways to go...can't really blame the public. I've never seen a patrol car pull anyone over. Always road blocks.

[RubbaJohnny]

Fine