"Just doing our duty, sir" - police get online hammering in road stop clip

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"Just doing our duty, sir" - police get online hammering in road stop clip


Image: Thairath

Bangkok: -- A road stop clip went viral at the weekend after a team of six officers out of uniform were filmed suggesting they should take a
man's motorbike from him, the poster claimed.

His crime? Not having mirrors, doing an illegal U-turn and the pillion passenger not having a helmet, reported Tharath.

The rider was also incensed claiming that officers wanted to see his green registration book though he had a valid copy and a copy of insurance that matched the name.

Hundreds of thousands of Thais online wanted to know if plain clothes officers could stop people like this for traffic offences suggesting they might be fake cops. Many more said why should people risk carrying original documents when copies should be enough.

Police countered that the cops were real and that it was part of the crackdown on drugs. They were within their rights to search the man and could request original documents if copies were not clear.

The video of the altercation was posted on Facebook by Penpetch Khongpetch. He said on his Facebook page (Pen' Petch) that he was going home and doing a U-turn under a bridge in the King Kaew area (in Bang Plee). Six police out of uniform got out of vehicles and approached him and said they wanted to conduct a search - he presumed for drugs. Finding nothing they asked to see his registration documents. He showed them copies but claimed they said this was not enough and wanted to even take his bike off him and take him to the station for interview and further search. He asked what the charge was and was told not having mirrors, doing an illegal U-turn and his pillion passenger was not wearing a helmet.

"That's enough to take my bike off me?", he can be heard asking before saying: "I know the law, what you are doing is wrong."

Finally traffic cops were called and he was issued with a ticket and let go.

Thai Rath online reporters caught up with Penpetch who said that he filmed the incident on Saturday afternoon in the Bang Plee area of eastern Bangkok.

A spokesman at Lat Krabang police station said: "They were real police alright. This was part of the crackdown on illegal drugs that is being conducted by policemen in and out of uniform. They have the right to inspect suspicious characters and were only doing their duty. If the police are not happy with the clarity of a copy of documents they have the right to ask to look at the originals."

Some 300,000 Thai people went online to comment on the issues raised in the clip.

Source: Thairath

-- 2016-07-11

[Bluespunk]

I'm no fan of the BIB but in this case I can't see why they are being viewed as in the wrong. As long as they identified themselves as police they have the right to pull someone up for illegal turns, no helmet etc...

[ScotBkk]

Thai Police officers seem nice until they start targeting you for stops, give you a bogus speeding ticket and write fake police reports about their interactions with you unless your willing to pay tea fees

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited July 11, 2016 by ScotBkk

[sweatalot]

I'm no fan of the BIB but in this case I can't see why they are being viewed as in the wrong. As long as they identified themselves as police they have the right to pull someone up for illegal turns, no helmet etc...

But is this enough to confiscate his motorcycle and to force him to the police station?

I think it's not appropriate

[lemonjelly]

I'm no fan of the BIB but in this case I can't see why they are being viewed as in the wrong. As long as they identified themselves as police they have the right to pull someone up for illegal turns, no helmet etc...

All very well until some charlie shows you nothing more than a laminated card to say he's a cop and then makes off with your wheels.....

[Bluespunk]

I'm no fan of the BIB but in this case I can't see why they are being viewed as in the wrong. As long as they identified themselves as police they have the right to pull someone up for illegal turns, no helmet etc...

But is this enough to confiscate his motorcycle and to force him to the police station?

I think it's not appropriate

No that's over the top, unless of course they claimed his documents were fake.

As a say I'm no fan and wouldn't trust any excuse they cough up generally, but in this case there might be some justification for their actions.

Maybe...

However, I could be wrong.

[Basil B]

Not having mirrors, well that is a good reason to take the bike off the road.

Maybe the cops should have been uniformed, but does not mean they were in the wrong.

[The stuttering parrot]

Can't believe the bloke is whinging about being pinched for riding a defective motorcycle with no mirrors and a passenger without a helmet.

And to merely give him a ticket and let him ride off on the same defective machine with the passenger with no helmet shows you exactly why Thai roads and their rules are in such a disgraceful mess.

[Basil B]

I'm no fan of the BIB but in this case I can't see why they are being viewed as in the wrong. As long as they identified themselves as police they have the right to pull someone up for illegal turns, no helmet etc...

All very well until some charlie shows you nothing more than a laminated card to say he's a cop and then makes off with your wheels.....

could just as easily hire a uniform from a fancy dress shop...

[WhizBang]

The real problem here, even if the police were real and 'just doing their job', is that the police have a crap reputation for abuse, intimidation and extortion. It is a reputation that they have richly earned over the years and as a result, no one trusts them one little bit.

If they want to reverse that impression, then they need to go overboard and be ultra professional at all times when dealing with the public AND start rooting out all the bad cops and actually arresting and prosecuting them.

I won't be holding my breath.

[Hawk]

The mafia will always be just that, the mafia.

[Jeremy50]

They should have taken his bike. What is this idiot blubbering about?

[Britannia]

What a load of rubbish I read on here, NO MIRRORS! PILLION HAS NO HELMET!! Go stand outside any school throughout Thailand and watch the children driving in 3-4-5 on Bike and not one wearing a helmet, Watch guys delivering sheets of glass for shop window on a motor bike, watch them driving one handed with a baby on the bike and talking on the mobile and you lot comment on a pillion not having a helmet and no mirrors, sounds like stand up comedy

[fstarbkk]

This was not handled very professionally, to put it mildly. Even if the officers were in plain clothes for drug interdiction, they should have handed off to uniforms as soon as it was clear that this was just a traffic offense.

The citizen had every right to be suspicious under these circumstances. I'm not sure if I would have stuck around in a dark underpass, with a bunch of guys in t-shirts coming at me, claiming to be police.

[cockatoowho]

A spokesman at Lat Krabang police station said: They were real police alright. Of course they were, they were out of uniform to rip somebody off. Bloody Mafia.

[thai3]

Don't see why the fuss over no mirrors- they don't use them anyway

[Happy Grumpy]

Take the motorbikes off school kids, please.

[berybert]

I'm no fan of the BIB but in this case I can't see why they are being viewed as in the wrong. As long as they identified themselves as police they have the right to pull someone up for illegal turns, no helmet etc...

But is this enough to confiscate his motorcycle and to force him to the police station?

I think it's not appropriate

Do you ? And if this idiot was to pull out in front of the car/bike you are driving whilst having no mirrors to look into whilst making an illegal move causing you to crash and maybe kill him or yourself. Would you be happy to know that the policeman who had stopped him earlier had told him 'no problem, on your way' ?

[captspectre]

I'm no fan of the BIB but in this case I can't see why they are being viewed as in the wrong. As long as they identified themselves as police they have the right to pull someone up for illegal turns, no helmet etc...

But is this enough to confiscate his motorcycle and to force him to the police station?

I think it's not appropriate

anytime you can get these clown attention who make illegal U turns, doin't have safety equipment and ride like idiots is alright with me! it is a daily war with these idiots when driving in thailand, driving with one hand while on the phone, driving the wrong way, running the red lights, you name it and they do it on a daily basis!

[adhd]

everybody that pay thai taxes should get a free dashcam or one you can stick on your helmet

[jadee]

I remember a video last month of a drunk pickup driver killing a biker in an underpass. Bikes are banned from underpasses so it could have been avoided if they'd followed the rules. The police did the right thing stopping the biker for the illegal u-turn - this is how you reduce road fatalities. Having no mirrors is extremely dangerous, almost suicidally dangerous.

[SOTIRIOS]

...only in an uproar if it's their own kind it seems....

...meanwhile foreigners are being wiped out left and right...businesses...condos....anything....and zero recourse.....

[Jimbo1964]

There is allot of ice being sold in that area so keep search BIB. Especially the local Thai pubs.

[Jangot]

Don't see why the fuss over no mirrors- they don't use them anyway

Of course they are used! How else are you going to be able to see the zits and chin hairs to pluck.

[GAZZPA]

I'm no fan of the BIB but in this case I can't see why they are being viewed as in the wrong. As long as they identified themselves as police they have the right to pull someone up for illegal turns, no helmet etc...

They do for sure, but taking his property from him they don't have any right. He had documents on him and they say they were not clear, I dont believe that for a minute. they were clear enough for the Thai traffic police who issued him with a ticket and let him go.

The police have to uphold the law not persecute members of the public. They stopped him, searched him and found nothing, so issue the ticket and let him go.

[LannaGuy]

I'm no fan of the BIB but in this case I can't see why they are being viewed as in the wrong. As long as they identified themselves as police they have the right to pull someone up for illegal turns, no helmet etc...

as long as they showed THEIR ID yes that's what Police DO (or DO all over the world)

[sahibji]

must be rare but it is heartening

to see citizen stand up for his rights.

nothing to fear if you have done nothing wrong.

such a stance shows things are working fairly.

[dick dasterdly]

Too many are missing the point that his 'gripe' was that the police officers wanted to take his 'bike away. How the hell was he to know that they were genuine police officers? Plus, of course - taking the 'bike away is far from normal!

He accepted the charges against him and when uniformed police arrived they applied normal 'rules' - issued a ticket.

[NoshowJones]

Don't see why the fuss over no mirrors- they don't use them anyway

True, but I once saw a Thai motorcyclist in front of me look behind, indicate right, then pull over and stop.

That was several years ago, and I have not seen it again since.

[Bluespunk]

I'm no fan of the BIB but in this case I can't see why they are being viewed as in the wrong. As long as they identified themselves as police they have the right to pull someone up for illegal turns, no helmet etc...

They do for sure, but taking his property from him they don't have any right. He had documents on him and they say they were not clear, I dont believe that for a minute. they were clear enough for the Thai traffic police who issued him with a ticket and let him go.

The police have to uphold the law not persecute members of the public. They stopped him, searched him and found nothing, so issue the ticket and let him go.

I'd agree with you but for the lack of mirrors. That makes the bike unroadworthy and it should have been confiscated.

I have no faith, trust or confidence in the integrity of the BIB but even a broken analogue clock gets it right twice a day...

Edited July 12, 2016 by Bluespunk