Corruption Catch-22: Report a Bribe and Go to Jail?

[webfact]

Corruption Catch-22: Report a Bribe and Go to Jail?
By Teeranai Charuvastra
Staff Reporter


A police officer appears to extort a motorist in Bangkok’s Bang Na district a still image from a video uploaded Feb. 20, 2015. Image: The Thailand Life / YouTube

BANGKOK — It looked like a shut-and-closed case when a video went viral of a traffic police officer caught red-handed accepting a bribe last week from a truck driver in Nakhon Sawan province.

Although there’s stiff jail time for accepting a bribe, long an endemic practice at all levels of society, the officer has yet to be charged with any crime due to a technicality that would seem to discourage such cases going forward: The bribe-paying driver hasn’t shown up in person to file a complaint.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1458121459&typecate=06&section=


-- Khaosod English 2016-03-17

[Yoram]

Are they seriously expecting the driver to come and testify in court and exposing himself to reprisals

and vindictive actions by the accused?

without immunity and protection, no one in his right minds will come to give evidence as they know very well

what will happened to them.....

[aussieinthailand]

Are they seriously expecting the driver to come and testify in court and exposing himself to reprisals

and vindictive actions by the accused?

without immunity and protection, no one in his right minds will come to give evidence as they know very well

what will happened to them.....

The video evidence is there, no more needed, but here you have to expose yourself and family to the BIB and his partners in crime as well as family for taking away the money train, Yu'p LOS and their "crackdowns" on corruption, B_____T.. Why do ya think the top cop investigating human trafficking had to flee too OZ and apply for asylum, money power and reprisals., what chance has the average Joe got?

[canuckamuck]

It's like complaining to the Don about paying protection money.

[NUUM]

what chance has the average Joe got?

The chance to become Joe Doe...

[NongKhaiKid]

A technicality yes but a very convenient one and like issues such as the defamation law far too convenient to be changed.

[selftaopath]

Is there anything at all that is not corrupt in Thailand? Anything?

[leeneeds]

It will not stand up in court

the policeman was filmed

with out his permission,

Now he sues for breach of privacy act !

No wonder the driver has not turned up , he was just paying back money he borrowed

from the said policeman as they are friends,

[craigt3365]

This is a big problem here. No action is done until a police report is filed. If a law is broken, the police should investigate. Police report or not.

[lust]

Who are thee dummies reporting low level street corruption?! It's so much easier to pay a little bit and be done. I guess some people would rather have to go to the station and waste 2 hours for paper work...

[craigt3365]

Who are thee dummies reporting low level street corruption?! It's so much easier to pay a little bit and be done. I guess some people would rather have to go to the station and waste 2 hours for paper work...

Problem is, the payments, at times, are not for anything you've done wrong. Just a money maker for the BiB. For actual infractions, it should be a paper ticket paid via mail and recorded on your license. But that would stop the "ATM" for them.

[lust]

Who are thee dummies reporting low level street corruption?! It's so much easier to pay a little bit and be done. I guess some people would rather have to go to the station and waste 2 hours for paper work...

Problem is, the payments, at times, are not for anything you've done wrong. Just a money maker for the BiB. For actual infractions, it should be a paper ticket paid via mail and recorded on your license. But that would stop the "ATM" for them.

I understand that, but 100baht a month in tea money is not exactly breaking the bank.

Thailand government should be the ones to blame for keeping the police on such low salary, the police look for other means of making ends meet.

I want Thailand back. The old Thailand. The 2006 and prior Thailand.

[craigt3365]

Who are thee dummies reporting low level street corruption?! It's so much easier to pay a little bit and be done. I guess some people would rather have to go to the station and waste 2 hours for paper work...

Problem is, the payments, at times, are not for anything you've done wrong. Just a money maker for the BiB. For actual infractions, it should be a paper ticket paid via mail and recorded on your license. But that would stop the "ATM" for them.

I understand that, but 100baht a month in tea money is not exactly breaking the bank.

Thailand government should be the ones to blame for keeping the police on such low salary, the police look for other means of making ends meet.

I want Thailand back. The old Thailand. The 2006 and prior Thailand.

It's not always for 100B. And not always able to settle on the spot. Some of the fines here in Pattaya have been 15-30k. Mafia style scare tactics are used to extract the maximum amount of money possible.

[robblok]

Who are thee dummies reporting low level street corruption?! It's so much easier to pay a little bit and be done. I guess some people would rather have to go to the station and waste 2 hours for paper work...

Problem is, the payments, at times, are not for anything you've done wrong. Just a money maker for the BiB. For actual infractions, it should be a paper ticket paid via mail and recorded on your license. But that would stop the "ATM" for them.

I understand that, but 100baht a month in tea money is not exactly breaking the bank.

Thailand government should be the ones to blame for keeping the police on such low salary, the police look for other means of making ends meet.

I want Thailand back. The old Thailand. The 2006 and prior Thailand.

Time never stands still and I rather live in this Thailand then the 2006 Thailand. We got good internet and far more technology now. But to each his or her own.

[jacko45k]

I plead the 5th!

Surely based on visual evidence supplied a policeman can be punished, I did not say charged with a crime!

[Fairynuff]

Who are thee dummies reporting low level street corruption?! It's so much easier to pay a little bit and be done. I guess some people would rather have to go to the station and waste 2 hours for paper work...

Who are these dummies that think corruption is absolutely ok?! Who are these dummies that think wrong is right?!

[robblok]

Who are thee dummies reporting low level street corruption?! It's so much easier to pay a little bit and be done. I guess some people would rather have to go to the station and waste 2 hours for paper work...

Who are these dummies that think corruption is absolutely ok?! Who are these dummies that think wrong is right?!

Now why would you go and do something silly like adding the words "absolutely ok"? You know, that's far from my statement so you should practice your reading comprehension. This is text, everyone can see what I said...

Who are these dummies that leave their countries and come into a foreign country and expect them to adapt to their needs. <deleted>

Actually any change against corruption is comming from Thais themselves just as the crackdown on alcohol and driving. Do you really think us foreigners have the power to change anything here ? But I agree with your sentiment we should adapt to this country and not the other way around.

But we can still have our wishes about it, just can't force them on the local population its up to them to do what they want.

[lust]

Who are thee dummies reporting low level street corruption?! It's so much easier to pay a little bit and be done. I guess some people would rather have to go to the station and waste 2 hours for paper work...

Who are these dummies that think corruption is absolutely ok?! Who are these dummies that think wrong is right?!

Now why would you go and do something silly like adding the words "absolutely ok"? You know, that's far from my statement so you should practice your reading comprehension. This is text, everyone can see what I said...

Who are these dummies that leave their countries and come into a foreign country and expect them to adapt to their needs. Are you Muslim?

Actually any change against corruption is comming from Thais themselves just as the crackdown on alcohol and driving. Do you really think us foreigners have the power to change anything here ? But I agree with your sentiment we should adapt to this country and not the other way around.

But we can still have our wishes about it, just can't force them on the local population its up to them to do what they want.

But mate, I feel that actually all these crackdowns influenced by western nations boycotting Thailand because of the recent "discovery", of Thailand being the Wild West.

It all started with famous people coming here and sharing with the world.

Rihanna opened the worlds eyes with her tweets about the sex scene and animal rights, Bruno Mars shared his tweet about pirated music, and so on and so on. Add in the slavery on the boats, migrant workers being sold, bombings, insurgency, counterfeiting, and now the curtain has been pulled.

I strongly feel that the powers that be in this country have no desire for change!

[chainarong]

Are they seriously expecting the driver to come and testify in court and exposing himself to reprisals

and vindictive actions by the accused?

without immunity and protection, no one in his right minds will come to give evidence as they know very well

what will happened to them.....

Disappear or wake up dead in the morning U mean

[chainarong]

Who are thee dummies reporting low level street corruption?! It's so much easier to pay a little bit and be done. I guess some people would rather have to go to the station and waste 2 hours for paper work...

Problem is, the payments, at times, are not for anything you've done wrong. Just a money maker for the BiB. For actual infractions, it should be a paper ticket paid via mail and recorded on your license. But that would stop the "ATM" for them.

I understand that, but 100baht a month in tea money is not exactly breaking the bank.

Thailand government should be the ones to blame for keeping the police on such low salary, the police look for other means of making ends meet.

I want Thailand back. The old Thailand. The 2006 and prior Thailand.

Time never stands still and I rather live in this Thailand then the 2006 Thailand. We got good internet and far more technology now. But to each his or her own.

Far better in 1996

[lust]

^ i bet, but my first trip wasn't until 2006. 1996 must have been such a good time as a foreigner.

[robblok]

Now why would you go and do something silly like adding the words "absolutely ok"? You know, that's far from my statement so you should practice your reading comprehension. This is text, everyone can see what I said...

Who are these dummies that leave their countries and come into a foreign country and expect them to adapt to their needs. Are you Muslim?

Actually any change against corruption is comming from Thais themselves just as the crackdown on alcohol and driving. Do you really think us foreigners have the power to change anything here ? But I agree with your sentiment we should adapt to this country and not the other way around.

But we can still have our wishes about it, just can't force them on the local population its up to them to do what they want.

But mate, I feel that actually all these crackdowns influenced by western nations boycotting Thailand because of the recent "discovery", of Thailand being the Wild West.

It all started with famous people coming here and sharing with the world.

Rihanna opened the worlds eyes with her tweets about the sex scene and animal rights, Bruno Mars shared his tweet about pirated music, and so on and so on. Add in the slavery on the boats, migrant workers being sold, bombings, insurgency, counterfeiting, and now the curtain has been pulled.

I strongly feel that the powers that be in this country have no desire for change!

I think your seeing things, the country only changes if they people want it. The changes on the slavery and fishing sure.. influenced by EU / US but corruption... nope that is the Thais same as drinking and driving.

Maybe those stars have opened a few eyes but that is this.. no force just change of mindset. Different as us foreigners demanding things.

[maoro2013]

The video evidence does not mean money changing hands is a bribe, however likely this may seem.

[LannaGuy]

The video evidence does not mean money changing hands is a bribe, however likely this may seem.

whatever the bigger issue is corruption or possible corruption cannot be reported or it's "Straight to Jail and don't pass Go" how is this moronic policy going to encourage reporting corruption?

[craigt3365]

The video evidence does not mean money changing hands is a bribe, however likely this may seem.

There are dozens of videos out there showing money changing hands. I love the comment a Thai monk made during a speech. Somebody had said 99% of Thai police are good. Only 1% are bad. His comment was why have I never met the 99%. LOL

[attrayant]

The video evidence does not mean money changing hands is a bribe, however likely this may seem.

Public servants must denounce not only acts of impropriety, but also the appearance of impropriety. Anyone who has worked in the public sector knows this. It's day 1 training.

[Britannia]

Are they seriously expecting the driver to come and testify in court and exposing himself to reprisals

and vindictive actions by the accused?

without immunity and protection, no one in his right minds will come to give evidence as they know very well

what will happened to them.....

Disappear or wake up dead in the morning U mean

Yet to see someone wake up dead

[gandalf12]

It's like complaining to the Don about paying protection money.

You could but your life expectancy would be measured in minutes not years

[davejones76]

About corruption it is still all there. Just cleared overstay before the deadline. I went yesterday to Chaeng Wattana.

After outside, not inside, telling him, I had an overstay, the only way to clear is on the airport now.

The immigration guybin Chaemg Wattana gave me a number from a nice other immigration fellow, who came to help me clearing the process.

After paying 20,000 baht and 2,000 baht for the assistance, I was free to depart.

As O speak quite good Thai, he awarded 3 people, who assisted on the process each with a good quality cup of coffee.

No questions asked, no headaches and free to go.

[Tywais]

It will not stand up in court

the policeman was filmed

with out his permission,

Not correct. You are allowed, even encouraged if you read the full article, to video the policeman. Quite a few announcements from the police that it is allowed as it is in public. Even posters put up displaying your rights if stopped for search and they also show that photo/video the incident is allowed. How many YouTube videos out there that were acted on that wouldn't have been without them.