Police officers under investigation for issuing ‘private’ fines to tourists
Three police officers in Thailand were transferred to administrative duties in mid-July as an investigation into their conduct was launched.
Earlier, the trio were accused of targeting Kuwaiti tourists and issuing them “private” fines.
According to The Pattaya News, the tourists admitted to the traffic violations, but said the circumstances around paying the fine were very suspicious.
Tourists pulled into isolated areas and given hefty fines
The tourists alleged that over the past month, they have been stopped multiple times per night and issued fines of up to 5,000 Thai baht (THB) (S$192) each time.
Once they were hailed, the uniformed officers would lead them to isolated areas and say the fines must be paid in cash only.
Source: Bangkok Post
Requests for payment to be made at the station would purportedly be refused.
They even had to pay an extra THB500 (S$19) for the receipt, which appeared to be a generic cash slip.
Reporters were also given video recordings the tourists had secretly taken of their encounters with the officers, along with the receipts.
Source: The Pattaya News
According to the Bangkok Post, Pattaya residents have long complained about Kuwaiti tourists riding motorcycles recklessly — with most complaints centring around street racing and loud exhaust systems.
Officers transferred to administrative duties amid probe
The tourists pointed to three officers in particular who were allegedly always the ones to issue the hefty fines.
Those officers — a senior sergeant major, a sergeant major and a sergeant — were all placed on administrative duties since 15 July, lasting until the investigation into them concludes.
If found guilty, the officers face both disciplinary action and criminal charges, police officials said.
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12 police officers arrested in M’sia over robbery of S$64K in crypto belonging to Chinese nationals
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Featured image adapted from Bangkok Post and the Pattaya News.
