‘Stam’ the fake cop busted in Phuket, denies Patong shakedowns

The Phuket News

 

Chatrin 'Stam' Tongteerakul, 24, said he really wanted to be a policeman, but denied extorting money from Patong businesses. Photo: Phuket Tourist Police

 

PHUKET:-- Police have flown in from Bangkok to arrest a man in Patong who impersonated a police officer to get free meals in restaurants and extort cash from small businesses. If the business owners didn’t pay up, he threatened to shut them down.

 

“I flew down to lead the arrest team as soon as I received the complaint about this,” Pol Col Sipaketh Kruewattanaset, Deputy Chief of the Royal Thai Police Crime Suppression Division (CSD) in Bangkok, told The Phuket News today (Aug 22).

 

CSD officers, working together with Tourist police in Phuket, arrested 24-year-old Chatrin “Stan” Tongteerakul arrested at a home on 50 Pi Rd, on the foothills behind Patong, last Wednesday (Aug 24).

 

Chatrin was presented to the press in Bangkok on Saturday (Aug 27).

 

When police raided the Patong home, they found Chatrin in possession of a .40 calibre Glock handgun with 76 bullets and a Remington 12-gauge shotgun with four cartridges.

 

Officers also found a Crime Suppression Police uniform and a fake police identification card recognising Chatrin as a Phuket Provincial Police corporal and presenting him as the head of the Provincial Police investigation division in Phuket.

Full Story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/stam-the-fake-cop-busted-in-phuket-denies-patong-shakedowns-58797.php#7eDlB0RZY3rE6PMY.97

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2016-08-22

POS!

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6 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Officers also found a Crime Suppression Police uniform and a fake police identification card recognising Chatrin as a Phuket Provincial Police corporal and presenting him as the head of the Provincial Police investigation division in Phuket.

 

The only thing a corporal is head of where I come from is the latrine detail.

There used to be a fake cop doing traffic infringements in Phuket (don't know if he is still there). Had a dodgy uniform made at the tailors and everything. Just used to do tourists for no helmet, etc. Eventually the police heard about it and summoned him.

Did they arrest him?

No.

Did they ask him to bring their cut down to the police station at the end of each day?

 

Erm.....

 

 

Wow need cops from bangkok to catch 'Stam' the big fish.

What are the cops in the headquater in maikhao doing? 

Patong and kathu cops are always busy with other small fishes in the pond.

Only in Thailand , I am not impressed by the IQ of the business owners who believed this guy was a police officer working alone . All they had to do was to take one phone call .    

This guy could not have worked alone. Surely other officers did see him in Police attire somewhere? Never to recognize he is not one of their own?

 

My suspicions gets clearer as Bangkok officers had to go to Phuket and work with the tourist police to apprehend him. Why not the local station Police?

 

I smell dirty cops, they smell like rotten bacon!

 

 

A freelancer

Being a freelance cop seems to be a very popular career choice in Thailand.

Where do these idiots come from? I wonder if he's the son of a cop or ex=cop. I agree with Douglas. It shouldn't take BKK cops to figure this out.

The wider issue is that business owners expect to be "shaken down" by police so it is easy for an impersonator to get involved.  If the police were a clean operation(that will never happen), there would be no chance for an impersonator.

 

You cannot have wanabe cops taking money out of the

hands of the official Police.just shows how serious they

take this, flying in Police from Bangkok.

regards worgeordie

1 hour ago, steveyinasia said:

The wider issue is that business owners expect to be "shaken down" by police so it is easy for an impersonator to get involved.  If the police were a clean operation(that will never happen), there would be no chance for an impersonator.

 

After quite a few years operating a business here, I can honestly say I have never been shaken down nor has any attempt been made for a shake down.

Now if the business were not fully legal this could and most probably would be different.

1 hour ago, stevenl said:

After quite a few years operating a business here, I can honestly say I have never been shaken down nor has any attempt been made for a shake down.

Now if the business were not fully legal this could and most probably would be different.

 

I second that. But then we don't operate a business in the 'entertainment' business that is loosely regulated.

 

Even beauty salons get shaken down . Had a couple of neighbours who compnained of this when they first pened shops along Nanai Road. Small amount - 3,000 baht a month ... but still a shake down. 

7 hours ago, stevenl said:

After quite a few years operating a business here, I can honestly say I have never been shaken down nor has any attempt been made for a shake down.

Now if the business were not fully legal this could and most probably would be different.

 

I think if your business was in the hospitality industry, things would be different.