Dressed to impress - as a cop with all the trimmings! Police impersonator arrested in Bangkok

[Lupatria]

Just another sample from the book "Trust me we are Thai" - Rule No. 5: Everything is same same but different!

[tifino]

Just another sample from the book "Trust me we are Thai" - Rule No. 5: Everything is same same but different!

we are all equal...

however some are more equal than the others

[AlQaholic]

Everyone in the PhotoOp are impersonating police officers.....They even admit it in the article...."acting police chief Sanit Mahathavorn"

[selftaopath]

He even got the fake wings correct.

Like thousands of so- called real police uniform wearing with fake parachute wings.

I always get a laugh when I see the police with the parachute wings, I GUESS if they seen an aircraft they earn their wings, no need to jump out of a perfectly good aircraft.

Does anyone know what the other "stuff" they wear represents? I've often wondered a/b the red braided thing over one shoulder?

[Siameaze]

Mitigation effort? He had a gun. So let him get mild rebuke and see if he later extorts money and shoots someone...then take action.

[Bangkok Barry]

And the place on the internet where he bought his fake police ID from - are the police following up on that?

[gdgbb]

Most of the BIB could be arrested for impersonating police officers.

Kind of funny to see them doing their dog and pony show with the suspect in front of a banner reading "Stronger Together".

Stronger together, as in, the "real" vs. the "fake" ones???

"Stronger together, as in, the "real" vs. the "fake" ones???"

Yes, obviously.

[gdgbb]

Police cadets do have to jump. Which is quite strange in my opinion.

I can't post the link as it is to the newspaper that cannot be named, but search for:

Parachute failure at Police Academy: 2 Die

What makes you say that the Bangkok Post cannot be named?

[nausea]

Harmless fantasist, by the sounds of it. The gun's a bit worrying though. The wings thing is just weird, real or not.

[smotherb]

He even got the fake wings correct.

Like thousands of so- called real police uniform wearing with fake parachute wings.

They are not fake wings, they simply mean the copper can flit from bribes to extortion without dragging his feet.

[sahibji]

And is it legal to buy and wear a "police" raincoat from the mbk?

There are so many different policeuniforms or hats in BKK, i have no idea who is who, real or fake.

Are securityguards in similar uniforms allowed to stop me on a road because they want to help car coming out of a driveway?

Our moobaan has security who all dress like soldiers, they even wear the helmet and boots all day long. They never warned us they would change the whole crew so we all thought the army had taken over.

hi Thian

i like your view on security guards assisting in traffic movements. i am not sure about the legality

but it happens every where. in some countries, particularly Indonesia this is a means of livelihood - assisting car

to get in and out of crowded points,for nominal fee. it has become a norm and norms are accepted in common law.

[sahibji]

happens everywhere.

nothing unusual or unique unless the impersonator abuses

police functions and powers.

[redogi]

Did he think that he would gain respect wearing that uniform, would have been better of dressing same as Ronald McDonald

[lostinisaan]

The culprit is on the right in the photo with as a police chief dressed Sanit Mahathavorn holding up the fake uniform in front of the accused, reported tnamcot.

[elgordo38]

He even got the fake wings correct.

Like thousands of so- called real police uniform wearing with fake parachute wings.

Hire the guy he should fit right in. No training needed. Instead of wasting time finding fake cops find some real criminals. I am sure there is no shortage of them.

[starky]

I have seen Uniform shops in BKK where you can have a tailor made any uniforms you want and they had

those trays full of insignias, decorations and rank's bars and strips for anyone to choose at his heart content.....

you can walk in as a simple Joe and come out a general.....

Pattaya police station used to have a shop out the front ( don't know if still there) where you could buy all the police gear everything short of a pistol. I used to wear the Gold helmet on my bike around town constantly on my bike, only time I had any drama was when I got pulled by a traffic cop ( red and white helmet) made me take the badge off. Secretly I think he was just jealous of my higher rank . Like a lot of stuff here easy to buy probably not legal just don't get caught by the wrong cop at the wrong time.

[NongKhaiKid]

And is it legal to buy and wear a "police" raincoat from the mbk?

There are so many different policeuniforms or hats in BKK, i have no idea who is who, real or fake.

Are securityguards in similar uniforms allowed to stop me on a road because they want to help car coming out of a driveway?

Our moobaan has security who all dress like soldiers, they even wear the helmet and boots all day long. They never warned us they would change the whole crew so we all thought the army had taken over.

hi Thian

i like your view on security guards assisting in traffic movements. i am not sure about the legality

but it happens every where. in some countries, particularly Indonesia this is a means of livelihood - assisting car

to get in and out of crowded points,for nominal fee. it has become a norm and norms are accepted in common law.

I know from an officer in my local municipal building that the uniformed municipal employees who ' direct ' traffic at a couple of locations on the dual carriageway during peak hours were ' trained ' by the BIB but are not legally authorised to regulate traffic.

When I asked if they caused an accident would the municipality's insurance cover it and he wasn't too keen to answer.

[elgordo38]

Hey laddie try and find another hero. Besides they have enough impersonators already.

[blackcab]

Police cadets do have to jump. Which is quite strange in my opinion.

I can't post the link as it is to the newspaper that cannot be named, but search for:

Parachute failure at Police Academy: 2 Die

What makes you say that the Bangkok Post cannot be named?

Jest.

[Happy Grumpy]

said that he had never used the uniform to extort money or cause any trouble.

What police officer would!

[adwbkk]

So a fake cop dresses up as a real cop, while the real cop dresses up as Michael Jackson.

Why is the police chief wearing 1 white glove?

Just finished doing a rectal exam to confirm this guy was not a real arse hole

[waldroj]

As Mackstask (#30 above) points out, they do have to take a leap. The more they do (and survive), the higher the rating, and presumable the more bonus money!

There are 6 ratings associated with those badges (See http://www.nationreligionking.com/police/borderpatrol/paru/airbornetraining/)

Interestingly, the jump tower training is also available to members of the Thai public - but, it would probably be safer for them to go and have a can of Red Bull instead.

Apparently, parachute training for Thai police began back in 1951, at the direction of the US National Security Council. The CIA and the Thai National Police (renamed Royal Thai Police in 1998) began a joint project to build a paramilitary force that would "operate in small-unit patrols, parachute behind enemy lines, commit sabotage, and engage in espionage and surveillance". The original intent was to halt the activities of Chinese-inspired insurgents along Thailand's undefended borders (from At War in the Shadow of Vietnam (p.37) by Timothy N. Castle, Columbia University Press).

"...parachute behind enemy lines, commit sabotage, and engage in espionage and surveillance..." - Seems a lot of cops are getting those wings (and bonus money) under false pretences these days!

[MiKT]

He even got the fake wings correct.

Like thousands of so- called real police uniform wearing with fake parachute wings.

They are not fake wings, they simply mean the copper can flit from bribes to extortion without dragging his feet.

Yes, maybe the "wings" refer to the Thai word for running [away].

or possibly impersonating a policeman doing a good job by "winging-it".

[Eric Loh]

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/online/photos/2015/02/14241758701424176280l.jpg

PDRC party in military uniform twice is ok.

[connda]

It's not like you can't buy a uniform in a half of dozen different shops in any half-way decent size city in the land of smiles.

[MediaWatcher]

He even got the fake wings correct.

Like thousands of so- called real police uniform wearing with fake parachute wings.

I always get a laugh when I see the police with the parachute wings, I GUESS if they seen an aircraft they earn their wings, no need to jump out of a perfectly good aircraft.

If that makes you laugh, have a look at teachers, in uniform, many also have the "parachute" wings, and I'm guess most government "workers" , who have uniforms, also have them.

[phantomfiddler]

At least he has that inscrutably intelligent look enjoyed by most of the BIB

[waldroj]

Not every police officer has a parachute badge - these guys must be drop-outs!

[ratcatcher]

Not every police officer has a parachute badge - these guys must be drop-outs!

No, they just don't drink Red Bull.

[dhream]

He could have just said he was a stripper for farang hen nights. Case 'clothed'.

I understand the vib have to buy all their kit anyway. Because ya know the state has other stuff to spend the money on like traffic management. full Computerisation of immigration, Public utilities, aviation safety, water and flood management, SUBMARINES!!! etc.