Huge police raid ends in embarrassment as Wat Dhammakaya spokesman not home

[rooster59]

Huge police raid ends in embarrassment as Wat Dhammakaya spokesman not home

 

Image: Daily News

 

A big police raid mounted at the home of Wat Dhammakaya spokesman Ong-art Thammanitha found the wanted man was not there.

 

A large number of reporters and TV crews were on hand as Klong Luang police, armed with both a search warrant and an arrest warrant, could not find their man.

 

The only man home was Ong-art's father who said that his son did not live at the address and had not been there for a month. The house on 200 square wah by the klong is in Klong 1 sub-district of Klong Luang, Pathum Thani.

 

The warrants were issued Thursday and Friday.

 

The family lawyer was present to make sure that the search of the house was conducted in a legal manner. He had been instructed to be there by the father who seemed to be aware that the raiding party were on their way.

 

Ong-art is wanted for breaking the law under Article 116 of the criminal code.

 

Source: Daily News

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2016-12-17

[DaveE13]

ooh someone tipped off his old man lol

[PatOngo]

Face lost? They dig themselves even deeper into the hole.

Reminds me of a song.......True Colors.

[IMA_FARANG]

That whole execise of detaining this monk has been a rather rediculous charade anyhow.

 

[jerojero]

Utterly amateurish. Nuff said

[colinneil]

Key stone cops strike again  

Somebody tipped them off that there was going to be a raid.

So wanted man legs it.

The RTP and DSI could not more stupid and inept if they tried.

[DaveE13]

Maybe just maybe he is inside the space ship.

Why don't you all go there to arrest him?

On no forgot no balls between they lot of em 

[Wilsonandson]

Still, they all had a great day out socializing.

[worgeordie]

I dont think they expected him to be there anyway,maybe

the better just stick to the normal method, "Please report

to the station,by next tuesday ",

regards worgeordie

[mtls2005]

Ong-art is wanted for breaking the law under Article 116 of the criminal code.

 

I think a 116 case can be made against pretty much any Thai citizen, or foreigner, save the really young. Anyone complaining about anything: Thais queuing, holding a red bowl, weather, taxis, drivers, friends, TV shows, food prices, etc. could be construed to be causing a public problem.

 

 

[Briggsy]

This is posturing.

 

The police were not inept or clueless. One side in this battle over assets and power was saying to the other side, "Look, we were able to obtain a search warrant and search the house of your spokesman's family and you were not able to pull strings to stop it. Next time we will hit harder. Come to the table and compromise. Give us something we want. We are more powerful than you."

 

This was a threat, a choreographed display of power, not a real attempt to arrest anybody.

[jaidam]

 Well worth having that coup a few years back to clean Thailand of corruption, wasn't it.

[Wilsonandson]

4 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

I dont think they expected him to be there anyway,maybe

the better just stick to the normal method, "Please report

to the station,by next tuesday ",

regards worgeordie

"Lets go to Ong-arts house and see if he's there?"

"No, he left a month ago"

"Owh, I wanner go out, I'm sick of sitting in the police station all day"

"Okay, come on then, grab your mobile, lets go"

"Can the press come as well?"

"Sure, I like my photo taken"

"Can I put the siren on searg?"

"Cause you can, we're the sh1t"

"Put on Lil Wayne c.d on, pump those beats out"

[Misterwhisper]

This entire embarrassing saga makes me want to...

 

The Screaming Sheep (Original Upload).mp4

[doremifasol]

Nooooo!!!! Who would have thought?

[Brer Fox]

2 hours ago, colinneil said:

Key stone cops strike again  

Somebody tipped them off that there was going to be a raid.

So wanted man legs it.

The RTP and DSI could not more stupid and inept if they tried.

He might well have gone on the lam but just a likely he was hiding in the dunny out the back.

[canuckamuck]

During the raid voices cold be heard saying. "We're coming in room 203 in 5 minutes, there better not be anyone in there! We are going into 204 in just 5 more minutes, there better not be anyone in there!" and so on.

[Artisi]

4 hours ago, colinneil said:

Key stone cops strike again  

Somebody tipped them off that there was going to be a raid.

So wanted man legs it.

The RTP and DSI could not more stupid and inept if they tried.

Oh! I think they could be a lot more stupid and inept if they really tried,  what you currently see is just normal behaviour. 

[Artisi]

32 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

During the raid voices cold be heard saying. "We're coming in room 203 in 5 minutes, there better not be anyone in there! We are going into 204 in just 5 more minutes, there better not be anyone in there!" and so on.

A bit like kiddies playing hide-and-seek,  1-2-3 ......100 "coming ready or not"

[yellowboat]

What is the Thai word for "stake-out" ?  The junta's reputation is taking a beating.  They will have to arrest more red shirts to make up for it. 

[Thailand]

4 hours ago, Briggsy said:

This is posturing.

 

The police were not inept or clueless. One side in this battle over assets and power was saying to the other side, "Look, we were able to obtain a search warrant and search the house of your spokesman's family and you were not able to pull strings to stop it. Next time we will hit harder. Come to the table and compromise. Give us something we want. We are more powerful than you."

 

This was a threat, a choreographed display of power, not a real attempt to arrest anybody.

Thais would never knowingly lose face like this, major very red ones and some inactive posts coming up from another cock up related to this case alone.

[bangrak]

Shouldn't the police have called him first, to warn him about the raid, and ask him to be home? Isn't that the way it's 'normally' done here? Or is it how it was done, and he preferred instead to go for a walkin the (Dhammakaya) park...?

[grumbleweed]

 

The face they're losing is probably hidden by all that egg

 

"Hey! In 2 weeks time we're coming to arrest you, so make sure you're out of the way." Somehow I don't think they've quite grasped the concept of policing

 

I would think anyone associating this outfit with the Keystone Cops is gonna leave themselves open to a defamation lawsuit... from the Keystone Cops

[bangon04]

36 minutes ago, Thailand said:

Thais would never knowingly lose face like this, major very red ones and some inactive posts coming up from another cock up related to this case alone.

Seriously? This case and the ongoing saga of the Wat raid are merely the result of total and endemic incompetence in the Thai police, and not even the slightest hint of collusion and corruption?  Hard to believe that any police force, even in the third world, could be such a joke. But then they have had a lot of practice.

[BSJ]

The average low rank Thai copper is just there for the money.  All this bother is extra work from the higher ups.

 

[elgordo38]

6 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The family lawyer was present to make sure that the search of the house was conducted in a legal manner.

Bet he was laughing up his sleeve at this fiasco knowing no doubt in advance what the outcome would be. I hope the police left their calling card with a RSVP

[elgordo38]

The roosters rushed in but the chicken had flown the coop. Better luck next time. Play some "Pin the tail on the donkey" it suits. 

[elgordo38]

6 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The only man home was Ong-art's father who said that his son did not live at the address and had not been there for a month.

The icing on the cake. 

[jabis]

horse bolted - what should we do with this media coverage 

[connda]

I have to ask, but why continue to participate in this charade?  This one person has the entirety of Thailand dancing like puppets on strings.  My suggestion?  Just stop.  Stop reporting on anything except an arrest.  Otherwise, the police, the justice department, and most news agencies right along with their constituents and viewers are simply being made out as fools. 

"I'm a powerful abbot wearing orange, aren't ya gonna dance for me?"