News Forum - 5 police officers transferred over child prostitution ring at Patong bar

[Thaiger]

Five officers from Patong Police Station were transferred after they were connected to the child prostitution scandal at a bar in the Patong neighbourhood of Phuket. The Operation Underground Railroad anti-trafficking organisation, the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA), found evidence to implicate the officers involved in the child prostitution racket at the Velvet bar, which …

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[TSS]

Yes they just need to be transferred/relocated

[Grumpish]

The number of underage sex workers and their being kept at a nearby hotel, suggest that this was a "speciality" of this bar and that it was known for it. I wonder who their target clientele was?

[Shade_Wilder]

"These officers will be temporarily working at the Phuket Provincial Police Office until their innocence is proven through the investigation." (from the article, my bold)

Talk about a Freudian slip...

[Giltee]

10 minutes ago, Shade_Wilder said:

"These officers will be temporarily working at the Phuket Provincial Police Office until their innocence is proven through the investigation." (from the article, my bold)

Talk about a Freudian slip...

"Until their innocence is proven" as if it’s already decided. Surely it’s time for an independent investigation into the whole public service, that’s every single person, their assets, their bank accounts and partners bank accounts

[HolyCowCm]

Figures. 

[Grumpish]

20 minutes ago, Giltee said:

"Until their innocence is proven" as if it’s already decided. Surely it’s time for an independent investigation into the whole public service, that’s every single person, their assets, their bank accounts and partners bank accounts

Which is something that was done to me, as a police staff employee in the UK,  once every three years, and before I was taken on to the payroll. I only had the standard security clearance, but if I had needed enhanced clearance they could also have gone and talked to family, friends, and neighbours if they had wanted to. 

[MrStretch]

So, their place of work has been changed.  Temporary.

They'll be back in their offices practicing incompetency because "their innocence is proven through investigation".

Laughable.

[andy79]

Working at the police station , should of been sent home and kept from doing any police business at all  , they can still carry on the corruption while working on the job 

[HiuMak]

On 3/17/2023 at 10:55 PM, andy79 said:

Working at the police station , should of been sent home and kept from doing any police business at all  , they can still carry on the corruption while working on the job 

Yeah, these guys should be suspended not transferred. 

I just don't understand the culture of the police force in Thailand.

Wrong doings should be double punishment and not half.

[RNikoley]

Always amuses me, Westerners who can afford to travel to or even live here judge Thailand by their rich-nation standards.

100% of Thais are in violation of numerous laws 100% of the time. Go out to the village where I have a house in Sasaket. Who has a drivers license? Nobody. Who keeps their car and motorcycle registration tax up to date? Nobody. Some old folks have NEVER had a DL. Why? Because they never financed a car. That's when people get them, when they can swing a loan, because the finance company requires it.

Back when I came here often in the late '80s and early '90s, no such thing as a farang needing a DL or a helmet (and I rented and drove cars & jeeps, too). Now, since living here three+ years, I've been stopped a half-dozen times, at least, pay the 500 baht fine. Don't care whether it goes into the guys' and his buddies' pockets (any idea what low level Thai police make?). I tell people from my home country, the one euphemistically called "The Land of the Free" (that JOKE cracks me the eff up), about it, they seem incensed.

I say, yes, when you get pulled over for a traffic infraction, the citations START at $300. I'm down MAYBE $100 in 6 stops at 15 bucks each.

You think all those people with food side carts or the other tiny food stands are in compliance with all laws?

BUT, look it up, 60% of Thais are self-employed entrepreneurs, hacking it out. They don't make a ton of money but they're husslers and hard workers when doing it for themselves. And they're a million times more free.

Self-employment in my vaunted "Land of the Free," "Home of Opportunity?" 6%. LOL. Effin' joke.

Thailand had 10 TIMES the entrepreneurs of all the softies, whiners, and complainers in the Western world.

You know why Thai police are lackadaisical about enforcing letters of many laws? Because they're them, too. They understand how so many of the laws are just theater and show, so that Thailand can claim respectability in accordance with Western standards, and not their own. But also that enforcing them KILLS initiative, self-employed business, entrepreneurship, opportunity.

The one cardinal rule? Never flaunt law violations, never embarrass the police.

[palooka]

3 hours ago, RNikoley said:

100% of Thais are in violation of numerous laws 100% of the time. Go out to the village where I have a house in Sasaket. Who has a drivers license? Nobody. Who keeps their car and motorcycle registration tax up to date? Nobody. Some old folks have NEVER had a DL.

Guess you have been totally Thai- ised, by now and have none of the legals also.

I still keep them updated but age might eventually be my undoing.

[RNikoley]

 

On 3/20/2023 at 8:45 PM, palooka said:

Guess you have been totally Thai- ised, by now and have none of the legals also.

I still keep them updated but age might eventually be my undoing.

Ha, nope, I do have both my DLs, just renewed for 5 years. Also, had a paperwork NIGHTMARE with my motorcycle. Bought it for cash (a GPX Legend) in Chiang Mai in March 2020. Took 3 years to finally get it properly transferred with green book in my name and new plates (changed province of registration). Didn't help that I got it painted (color change is another stack of paperwork).

So, I do comply. Mostly.

When the alcohol purchase prohibitions came along in Covid round one, I grabbed my phone, messaged a contact, and had a bottle within 30 minutes. So, it's all show. If I can get a bottle, so can any Thai, anytime.

Bars all closed 'cause Covid? No problem. Walk down a sidewalk until you see one of the rolling metal doors ajar about a foot, quiet music and talking inside. You're invited!

Funniest of all. You know how vaping is completely illegal? Where's the vape shop in south Phuket, with everything you could possibly want? It's 30 meters from the main Chalong Police Station. No signage, frosted glass storefront.

I always say that violating most laws in Thailand is no problem. Flaunting violating the law and embarrassing the police? Big problem.

 

Edited March 27, 2023 by Faz
Image in breach of FG's removed.