Bangkok police release seized and impounded vehicles to rightful owners



BANGKOK: -- Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) has released vehicles seized or impounded in the past three year period to their owners as New Year gifts.

But some owners also criticised the police for their care of the impounded or seized vehicles as some turned wrecks.
Acting MPB commissioner Pol Lt Gen Sanit disclosed that the number of vehicles retrieved and seized in the past three year period that will be returned to their rightful owners in the campaign amounts to 905 vehicles in total.

Among these vehicles, some were seized from street racers, while others were managed to be retrieved after they were stolen. Some were also seized when owners could not show proper ownership documentation.

As the metropolitan police kicked off the release yesterday, more than 100 private individuals brought along ownership papers and presented them to the acting commissioner in order to claim their vehicles.

But some owners viewed that the police should be more circumspect in their duties and exercise greater care in carrying out their duties.

They criticized the police for their methods and wanted them to be more concise an accurate in logging down seized or impounded vehicles.

Many times in the past police were overburdened by excessive numbers of seized and impounded vehicles which unfortunately have resulted in many vehicles in good or new condition being abandoned.

They then became wrecks because no care or maintenance were given to them by their owners because the vehicles could not be taken out of impound due to negligent logging.

They wanted an improvement in police procedure whereby owners of impounded vehicles are informed and required to take their vehicles out from impound after a period of 1 year of seizure.

Should no one come forward to claim the vehicles then they must be put up for public sale and the proceeds returned to the state.

Yesterday a woman coming to claim her vehicle at the MPB said her motorcycle which she bought for several tens of thousands of baht had been stolen in early 2014 as she was shopping at a shopping centre.

At the time, the motorcycle had just recently been purchased and that all she could do was to grit her teeth and keep on paying the monthly installment payments.

She revealed that she had despaired of ever seeing her motorcycle again and only had its keys to remind her of its existence.

But unexpectedly on January 3, a police officer called her to say that her motorcycle had been found and she could go and reclaim it.

She admitted that having her vehicle returned to her was even better than winning the lottery.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/bangkok-police-release-seized-and-impounded-vehicles-to-rightful-owners

-- Thai PBS 2016-01-06

This stuff could be logged in on a spreadsheet on Google Doc's with read-only access to the public.

The public could look at it, hit ctrl-f and search the document for their vehicle every day.

Pretty simple stuff.

This stuff could be logged in on a spreadsheet on Google Doc's with read-only access to the public.

The public could look at it, hit ctrl-f and search the document for their vehicle every day.

Pretty simple stuff.

The only problem with this suggestion is that it would increase the accountability of the police.

Not likely to happen...

And each given a case of beer for the inconvenience to drink on the way home.

And each given a case of beer for the inconvenience to drink on the way home.

Where a handy roadblock will be set up to restart the vicious cycle.

This stuff could be logged in on a spreadsheet on Google Doc's with read-only access to the public.

The public could look at it, hit ctrl-f and search the document for their vehicle every day.

Pretty simple stuff.

Now, now, now--how can anyone get a bribe out of THAT.

Shame on you, farang no understand government Thainess...

No mention of impound fees.....there are obviously costs involved...if this program is going to be continued on an ongoing basis then owners should have to pay a fee to get their vehicle back (unless someone is reclaiming a stolen vehicle).

No mention of impound fees.....there are obviously costs involved...if this program is going to be continued on an ongoing basis then owners should have to pay a fee to get their vehicle back (unless someone is reclaiming a stolen vehicle).

I'd imagine the impound fees work on a sliding scale and are negotiable.

As was mentioned above, putting too much stuff on the books would affect tea money far too drastically.

Suhpreadshit suhpreadshit... No understààaand...

Suhpreadshit suhpreadshit... No understààaand...

Sadly enough, all too true.

That was a terrible form of punishment, having the offenders vehicles impounded for up to 7 days.That only leaves 51 weeks for the offender to reoffend.

I am thrilled to hear that anyone got their vehicles back...all those free vehicles placed in police lockup...must have been a serious temptation...