Mafia crackdown order to be announced in a day or two

[callaway]

"Mafia crackdown to be announced in a day or 2". Then what is this announcement. I guess it will give them another photo op when they announce it again.

[connda]

Ah-uh...

[dageurreotype]

This is the most stupid thing I have heard in my life on crime busting that telling the mafias that they are coming after them.

And by a committee Ah, sorry, but

[casindonet]

They can start in KT......i do remember clearly that we were told there are no mafias in thailand.

[casindonet]

Six months?! Why so long?

I'm surprised it's not six weeks!!

6 weeks if it's done by Mr. Ear Medicine man.

[Dogmatix]

After decades of military dictatorship, Gens Kriengsak and Prem made a good start at cleaning up the military mafiosi - by no means a 100%, but a good start. Then we had the heyday of the provincial godfathers, who seem to have pretty much disappeared since about 2002. So the big mafia is now back to being no longer dominated by the private sector. If Gen Prawit goes after about half a dozen very well known police and military generals, then he will have earned my respect; if not, not.

It's interesting that the structure of the mafia follows whoever has political power. The provincial mafia rose to prominence once Prem stepped aside and let them have political power under Chart Thai, Banharn etc. But Thaksin bought most of them up and subsumed them into Thai Rak Thai and its later incarnations making the criminality more systematic and under his family's control. Prawit is a conservative who seems to be very interested in protecting vested interests but shows no aspiration to shake up the status quo and appear statesmanlike like Prem and Kriengsak. So any purge will have to be highly selective but better than nothing.

[Thai at Heart]

Did anyone notice, when they started trying to reform the lottery, they even game the so called 4 consortiums Asian mafioso names. The four tigers or some other stupid thing. No names, no faces, just some mystical nonsense of a name.

Why? Because they are basically laundering money for whoever would like for a fee.

[Gringogazzer]

Just what the country needs - a 'mafia cracking committee'.

I've always wanted to be on a "mafia cracking committee" [/quote
If only the western countries had thought of forming a mafia cracking committee. The world would be a different place.
I can only bow down, I'm in awe...

[webfact]

Crackdown looms on Mafia-style influential figures
Jitraporn Senawong
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- THE nationwide crackdown on Mafia-style influential figures will be launched as soon as Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha signs an order to establish a committee to carry out the task, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan said yesterday.

Prawit said he would issue the operation's official order later yesterday or today after Prayut signs the appointment of the working committee, to be chaired by Prawit and comprising representatives from the National Council for Peace and Order, the Interior Ministry, the Royal Thai Police and related agencies.

Prawit said the policy would focus on the suppression of crimes featuring military-grade weapons. He also revealed that the government was considering introducing a law to prohibit the carrying of weapons. He said Mafia-style figures at entertainment venues would also be investigated and, if any military or police personnel were found to be involved, their supervisors would also be held accountable, he added.

In related news, Police Commissioner General Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda yesterday said he was ready to cooperate with the nationwide crackdown on Mafia-style influential figures.

He said the police force had some information on the influential figures in question and was waiting for Prawit to call another meeting on the matter. Police have also started monitoring big cities such as Chon Buri, Phetchaburi, Lop Buri and Chai Nat, which were known to have many influential figures, he said.

At a Cabinet meeting last Tuesday, Prayut issued a six-month deadline for related authorities to rid the country of Mafia-style influential figures, be they politicians, soldiers, police or bureaucrats.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Crackdown-looms-on-Mafia-style-influential-figures-30271662.html


-- The Nation 2015-10-27

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

Every time they talk about a crackdown it cracks me up.

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

Better to Crackup something as in Breakup than to Crackdown as in suppress. Their crackdowns are like using a BB gun to kill an elephant.

[jaidam]

This will be interesting. I know all the "mafia" in my town. They are not exactly inconspicuous. They consist mainly of officials in various departments and people "affiliated" to the before mentioned. They demand money to avoid laws, permit illegal activities, and in court cases demand larger sums to buy an outcome. The family relationships go all the way to the top of this region. The mafia are totally entrenched and untouchable - unless total police/judicial/local admin reforms are forthcoming. I would even go as far as saying that under the current administration the local mafia have strengthened and solidified their position.

Edited October 26, 2015 by jaidam

[NongKhaiKid]

A crackdown on the mafia, really ?

The law here, various aspects of every kind of official action etc can have a very selective aspect to it so this is going to be something special !

[RidgeRunner]

This will be interesting. I know all the "mafia" in my town. They are not exactly inconspicuous. They consist mainly of officials in various departments and people "affiliated" to the before mentioned. They demand money to avoid laws, permit illegal activities, and in court cases demand larger sums to buy an outcome. The family relationships go all the way to the top of this region. The mafia are totally entrenched and untouchable - unless total police/judicial/local admin reforms are forthcoming. I would even go as far as saying that under the current administration the local mafia have strengthened and solidified their position.

Government, Police, Military are the Mafia says my lawyer.

Mafia wars is whats happening.

That DSI Chief Pongpat that was arrested earlier this year, the billionaire monks getting busted laundering all that cash, the 'super car' busts, the shakeups in the police, the bomb, the land encroachment crackdown, the coup....maybe a counter coup is coming too....

They are at war.

[smutcakes]

Yesterday the BP said they were setting up a Committee to deal with the mafia, which would be headed by General Prawit, today the headline is that General Prayuth has cancelled that Committee.

Seems like everyone is running around doing their own thing.

It would not be very difficult if they really wanted to crack down, off the top of my head I can name certain families in Chonburi, Buriram, Surathani, Chaing Mai, Saraburi as a starting point.

[BestBitterPhuket]

God bless them if successful! This is something that should have been done decades ago. However, a crackdown on mafia must be conducted by the army, since the police is involved in the mafia activities. Perhaps the mafia crackdown is actually a way of reforming the police.

[smutcakes]

God bless them if successful! This is something that should have been done decades ago. However, a crackdown on mafia must be conducted by the army, since the police is involved in the mafia activities. Perhaps the mafia crackdown is actually a way of reforming the police.

Yes because the army are in no way involved in illegal mafia activity, and could be trusted to go out and without prejudice or favor close down all these money making mafia figures.................

The only reason the police have a worse image than the army is due to the army image being so carefully managed, and they are generally not coming face to face with joe public every day. The organization is set up, chains of command, hierarchical and promotional systems are essentially the same.

You, me, and anyone who has stayed in Thailand a few years knows many of these families and figures- if they are serious about doing something, why bother having all this fan fare, just go and arrest them.

[Toknarok]

So it appears they lied when they stated they did not have a 'black list' for targeting the Mafia.

[BSJ]

It's sad but funny at the same time.

[klauskunkel]

Mafia crackdown order to be announced in a day or two

Crackdown looms on Mafia-style influential figures

Two headlines, one day apart

apparently, in order to have a proper looming, you need to announce it for a day or two

every day I learn something new. thank you

[eddie61]

Crackdown looms on Mafia-style influential figures

Jitraporn Senawong

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- THE nationwide crackdown on Mafia-style influential figures will be launched as soon as Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha signs an order to establish a committee to carry out the task, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan said yesterday.

Prawit said he would issue the operation's official order later yesterday or today after Prayut signs the appointment of the working committee, to be chaired by Prawit and comprising representatives from the National Council for Peace and Order, the Interior Ministry, the Royal Thai Police and related agencies.

Prawit said the policy would focus on the suppression of crimes featuring military-grade weapons. He also revealed that the government was considering introducing a law to prohibit the carrying of weapons. He said Mafia-style figures at entertainment venues would also be investigated and, if any military or police personnel were found to be involved, their supervisors would also be held accountable, he added.

In related news, Police Commissioner General Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda yesterday said he was ready to cooperate with the nationwide crackdown on Mafia-style influential figures.

He said the police force had some information on the influential figures in question and was waiting for Prawit to call another meeting on the matter. Police have also started monitoring big cities such as Chon Buri, Phetchaburi, Lop Buri and Chai Nat, which were known to have many influential figures, he said.

At a Cabinet meeting last Tuesday, Prayut issued a six-month deadline for related authorities to rid the country of Mafia-style influential figures, be they politicians, soldiers, police or bureaucrats.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Crackdown-looms-on-Mafia-style-influential-figures-30271662.html

-- The Nation 2015-10-27

Fair warning, my dear gentlemen of the mafia: it is last orders now, so please take your ill gotten gains and stash them in Singapore, (though that is becoming problematic, as we all know!). If you do need advice on this, our agents are always happy to assist you.

Please take your time to drink up though: we gentlemen in green don't like to disturb our fellow gentlemen of the mafia, or indeed our senior gentlemen in brown.

We shall soon be conducting a "crack-down" on your operations, and we should be thoroughly disappointed if our "crackdown" reveals any links to our operations.

Given our past cooperation, please do excuse this temporary interruption of business. We will naturally do our best not to disturb VIP members of our club, though some of their junior staff may spend some time in less pleasant surroundings. We will keep you informed of operations well ahead of time, so as to avoid inconvenience to members.

You can trust us to normalise the situation as soon as the peasants have stopped being revolting.

Edited October 27, 2015 by eddie61

[AlQaholic]

Sooo.....one Mafia cracking own on the other Mafia, when are they going to crack down on the crack mafia?

[jrward42]

A 'crackdown' here just means that an existing law is actually enforced for a couple of days. It is nice of them to give some warning though.

[Acharn]

This will be interesting. I know all the "mafia" in my town. They are not exactly inconspicuous. They consist mainly of officials in various departments and people "affiliated" to the before mentioned. They demand money to avoid laws, permit illegal activities, and in court cases demand larger sums to buy an outcome. The family relationships go all the way to the top of this region. The mafia are totally entrenched and untouchable - unless total police/judicial/local admin reforms are forthcoming. I would even go as far as saying that under the current administration the local mafia have strengthened and solidified their position.

Government, Police, Military are the Mafia says my lawyer.

Mafia wars is whats happening.

That DSI Chief Pongpat that was arrested earlier this year, the billionaire monks getting busted laundering all that cash, the 'super car' busts, the shakeups in the police, the bomb, the land encroachment crackdown, the coup....maybe a counter coup is coming too....

They are at war.

Pasuk Phongpaichit, Sungsidh Piriyarangsan, Nualnoi Treerat

Corruption and democracy in Thailand

Silkworm Books, 1996

Even though it was 19 years ago, this book (I wonder if Silkworm Press has any copies left) was a wonderful description of just who the "mafia" are. The book was written not long after they started to enter national politics. Basically, they're the local rich people. If you watch Thai soap operas you'll notice the kamnan is often a crook and a tyrant. Although I liked and admired him, Banharn Silpa-archa was a good example. They aren't always evil. Well, the Society of Honorable Men in Sicily aren't always evil, either. But my point is, this is going to be just more political infighting (Italian Renaissance style). They've targeted some rich people and probably some politically influential people and will ignore others. Another day in the life of.

[sweatalot]

"the government was considering introducing a law to prohibit the carrying of weapons"

So carrying of weapons in Thailand is allowed?

[sweatalot]

Thai police cracking down on Mafia?

Anybody believe Mafia will crack down on itself? Or is it about removing the competition?

[Briggsy]

But how is the country going to operate without a police force ?

It seems to be managing OK without a (proper) one at the moment.

Joking (?) apart, I'm frequently surprised at how peaceful and crime free the country is, given the almost total absence of what most countries would regard as conventional policing.

You clearly don't read the Thai press and have bought the fairytale.

Thai murder rate is high but don't take my word for it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate

Burglary is so high that bars are commonplace on windows and nobody upcountry likes to leave a house unoccupied.

Don't also believe the myth that policing is absent in Thailand. In fact the number of police officers and informers is very high. It is just that here the police manage and profit from crime rather than try to prevent it. This leads to less random street crime giving the illusion of a low-crime society, which it is not.

[Mitker]

I didn't know special committees were required to enable a government to deal with crimes

Stupid me!

[bangon04]

Yesterday the BP said they were setting up a Committee to deal with the mafia, which would be headed by General Prawit, today the headline is that General Prayuth has cancelled that Committee.

Seems like everyone is running around doing their own thing.

It would not be very difficult if they really wanted to crack down, off the top of my head I can name certain families in Chonburi, Buriram, Surathani, Chaing Mai, Saraburi as a starting point.

I think you are missing the point. Nobody needs a committee to find out who are the real mafia in Thailand. Everyone knows that already.

A committee would serve an entirely different purpose. It is more of a "selection" committee.

[kiwikeith]

Better to Crackup something as in Breakup than to Crackdown as in suppress. Their crackdowns are like using a BB gun to kill an elephant.

Well they caught 9000 overstayers in one week, they should be able to catch 9 or so mafia in 9 years.