Thai govt cracks down on 'influential figures'

[webfact]

Thai Govt cracks down on 'influential figures'



SA KAEO, 14 March 2016 (NNT) – Thai authorities are continuing a crackdown on ‘influential figures’ and organized crime in a bid to clean up the country and improve the country’s image.

Deputy national police chief, Pol Gen Srivara Ransibrahmanakul led a team of police officers in a raid on a house in Sa Kaeo’s Thap Sadet subdistrict and found six guns, all with licenses, along with other items such as 15 sheets of Siamese rosewood.

The owner of the house is Mr Plai Manpuen who is the headman of Thap Sadet subdistrict. The team also found 5 illegal migrant workers in one of Mr Plai’s warehouses.

Meanwhile in Chiang Mai province, more than 20 influential figures were summoned by security officials. They have all been told to refrain from being involved in crime or doing anything illegal. In addition, Chiang Mai authorities have also been cracking down on drug smuggling and arms trafficking in their area.


-- NNT 2016-03-14

[ezzra]

Many of the so called ' influential figures ' are police people, past and current serving....

so this would be a good place to start, close to home.....

[Nigeone]

Oh please...in Chiang Mai province 20 people have been told to refrain etc..that's going to work isn't it !!

If they have done wrong charge them and lock them up...Till that happens these crackdowns!! are not going to

Make any difference sadly

[davehowden]

"Thai Govt cracks down on 'influential figures'"

Yeh, but only if they are REDS!!

[thesetat2013]

"Thai Govt cracks down on 'influential figures'"

Yeh, but only if they are REDS!!

What a stupid and biased comment.

They are going after small fry who only have a little influence because if they were serious they would have to start threatening their own people in offices around the country. The police and gov would effectively shut down. This is nothing buy a dog and pony show

[NongKhaiKid]

Oh please...in Chiang Mai province 20 people have been told to refrain etc..that's going to work isn't it !!

If they have done wrong charge them and lock them up...Till that happens these crackdowns!! are not going to

Make any difference sadly

Completely ridiculous and unbelievable isn't it ?

I wonder who was wai-ing whom ?

[Jessi]

Many of the so called ' influential figures ' are police people, past and current serving....

so this would be a good place to start, close to home.....

You really have let the cat out of the bag now.

Police involved in crime in Thailand..............Well I never.

[boomerangutang]

It's like pouring a cup of tea on a brush fire, and saying you're putting it out. Thai police are incapable of policing their own. When dozens of top brass go to prison (instead of 'assigned to other posts'), then I'll start giving their efforts some credence. The recently retired and current top cops, Somyot and Praktip, showed their corruption quotient when they both intentionally skewed the investigation of the Ko Tao double murder of Sept. 2014. It's rumored they took very large money payments for doing so, but we'll never know because it's impossible for there to be a proper investigation.

[Jessi]

The Military raided a large Gambling den in Korat Friday night I think.

Plenty of players arrested, No police involved in the raid.

What does that tell you?

Three high ranking cops have now been transferred to inactive post.

Nothing on TV about it as it was in the post.

[MaiChai]

Thailand is all about gangs. Are you in the gang that is in government favour or in the gang that is out of favour. Thing is the tables turn dont they; the in favour gangs are now the out of favour gangs. Right and wrong has little to do with it?

[Assurancetourix]

The Mafia number one in Thailand is not Royal Thai Police ;

it's high ranking officers in the army ;

They will never shooting themself in the foot

[AGareth2]

no competition allowed

[LannaGuy]

purges have happened all through history, particularly in immature nations, either you are 'in' or 'out' at any particular time

[clockman]

Oh please...in Chiang Mai province 20 people have been told to refrain etc..that's going to work isn't it !!

If they have done wrong charge them and lock them up...Till that happens these crackdowns!! are not going to

Make any difference sadly

Completely ridiculous and unbelievable isn't it ?

I wonder who was wai-ing whom ?

Pure Thainess!

[Srikcir]

Let's make this a provison in the 2016 draft constitution: "Influential figures should refrain from being involved in crime or doing anything illegal."

[soalbundy]

Let's make this a provison in the 2016 draft constitution: "Influential figures should refrain from being involved in crime or doing anything illegal."

No, they should refrain from being caught, gives the country a bad name, like bad, worse, awful, .... what comes after awful i wonder.

[Tatsujin]

... "a crackdown on ‘influential figures’ and organized crime" ...

That's gonna empty the ranks of the Police and Military then if they do it properly.

[Oziex1]

I remember some time back the newly elected Mayor of Patong, Phuket, her plan to deal with the influentials and crooks was that she asked them not to do bad things.

A public statement, not a request at a meeting!

Not sure what the outcome of the request was.

[rethaier]

Many of the so called ' influential figures ' are police people, past and current serving....

so this would be a good place to start, close to home.....

And you know this how?

[gandalf12]

Let's make this a provison in the 2016 draft constitution: "Influential figures should refrain from being involved in crime or doing anything illegal."

No, they should refrain from being caught, gives the country a bad name, like bad, worse, awful, .... what comes after awful i wonder.

Atrocious?

[sweatalot]

"Thai Govt cracks down on 'influential figures'"

Yeh, but only if they are REDS!!

what's wrong with this?

if they abuse their huge influence they should be subject to crackdown only on a quota with so called "yellows"

The government has to start somewhere - and this is far better than doing nothing

[MZurf]

Many of the so called ' influential figures ' are police people, past and current serving....

so this would be a good place to start, close to home.....

And you know this how?

I can't answer for ezzra but I know this because I've been living in Thailand for a long time. Edited March 14, 2016 by MZurf

[MZurf]

"Thai Govt cracks down on 'influential figures'"

Yeh, but only if they are REDS!!

what's wrong with this?

if they abuse their huge influence they should be subject to crackdown only on a quota with so called "yellows"

The government has to start somewhere - and this is far better than doing nothing

They're not doing anything, they're pretending to do something. Do you honestly think that they're actually going after the corrupt people in this country???

[dieseldave1951]

Likley a two fingered salute

I remember some time back the newly elected Mayor of Patong, Phuket, her plan to deal with the influentials and crooks was that she asked them not to do bad things.

A public statement, not a request at a meeting!

Not sure what the outcome of the request was.

[thhMan]

I have always said that if you see a Thai in an expensive car, somewhere in that family, there is a thief, whether in the past or currently thieving

Unless the education and business levels are so highly tuned, that most of these Thai people are in actual fact very sharp business people....

The weird thing is in my personal observation, since the talk and presence of a crackdown, I have seen less expensive cars on the street...

[Ulic]

Is their no word in Thai for "corrupt" why use the euphuism "influential figures"

Is this the Thai version of political correctness ?

[Eric Loh]

Start with investigating the top police officers for their unusual wealth and you probably find the connection with these influential figures. Not hard to figure out that police corruption contribute to the existence of these dark influential figures. No police corruption is more effective than crackdown. They are part of the problem.

[irwinfc]

purge the current influential figures to pave the way for a new generation!

[boomerangutang]

It reminds me when Chalom was put in charge (by Yingluck) of cleaning up corruption. He went and busted a few little guys, but that's not the item. At one point, he had a press conference and said, "We know who the mafia bosses are. They know we know who they are. One of their names starts with (pick a Thai letter). If people like him don't stop breaking the law, then we might have to take action."

That's as harsh as it gets in Thailand. Even when a gov't minister is found with dozens of boxes filled with 1,000 baht notes (I bet he wished there was such a thing as 10,000 baht notes), the worse that can happen is: re-assigment, or a stern warning. On the other end, if a farang gets accused of dropping a cig but on a sidewalk (even if it's a contrived charge), that farang will get fined Bt.2000 baht on the spot.

It's easier for a rich person or his grown child to get away with murder (literally!), than it is for a farang to get a warning for littering.

[cumgranosalum]

if you support the govt., you are "OK"....if not, you are an "influential figure", right?