A Taiwanese actress is involved in the latest incident after she was asked to pay a 27,000 baht bribe. Illegal activities by police have been known for some time but change still seems illusory, despite hopes raised by the 2014 coup. The police are now used against anti-government protesters.
Bangkok (AsiaNews) – The latest case of corruption has refocused the attention of public opinion on the need to reform Thailand’s police.
Many Thais hoped to see some change after the coup in May 2014 by Thailand’s military under then General, now Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Thai police are notorious for illegal activities, often exposed by Thai media, most notably in gambling and a broadly defined “entertainment" sector, casting a negative shadow on Thai society and the country’s image.
When caught, police agents are never punished, transferred, suspended or have their benefits, salary or pensions cut.
The latest case, reported abroad as well, involved a well-known Taiwanese actress, An Yu Qing, also known by her English name Charlene An.
She said she was the victim of extortion in early January when she was out late. Police stopped her on one of the busiest streets in the capital Bangkok, and asked her to pay 27,000 baht (about US$ 829) to let her go.
As the media scrutiny of the case grew, the Huay Kwang police station after days of hesitation backed her story; initially, police had said that she had violated immigration regulations and possessed e-cigarettes.
For many Thais, this is nothing new. Middle- and high-ranking police officers are reputed to have money and assets far above their pay level, and lower ranks are forced to make donations to the higher echelons, from which they will benefit once they move up the ladder.
Thai police has been criticised several times for its bloated size (230,000 members), particularly heavy at the top. Likewise, there is a widespread perception that the status quo is tolerated and that blackmail plays a role.
The authorities are conscious of the need to get rid of “bad elements”. National Police Chief General Damrongsak Kittiprapas and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who is ultimately responsible for the police, are aware of the situation.
Police reform remains, however, a thorny issue but one that matters to ordinary Thais, who see police failing to uphold the law or trying to circumvent it. This is also why Thais accepted the military coup in 2014. General Prayut Chan-o-cha had pledged to clean up the police.
Negative attitudes towards the police in Thailand’s military and traditional elites also stems from deep dislike of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a former career police officer, who was ousted in 2008 and is now living in exile.
Nevertheless, police can be found nowadays lined up against protesters demanding Prayut's resignation and an end to military power in the country.
Photo: Flickr/Gerry Popplestone