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Home » Reader question » Reader question: Why is the corrupt Thai police not being tackled?
Dear readers,
I am a loyal follower of Thailand blog and I have been visiting Thailand regularly for the last 15 years. Like others, I too have had to deal with the corrupt Thai police a few times. What I don't understand is that everyone in Thailand (Thai and foreigners) knows that the police are corrupt but nothing is being done about it.
Why don't the broom go through the police? Surely the current ruler Prayut can use his power to reorganize the police? But why does everything stay the same?
Regards,
Lucas
Has everything to do with the reward. It's pretty cheesy. And promotion often needs to be bought. A vicious circle. And not to forget the cooperation with the taxi motor boys who are happy to drive you to the police station for a ridiculous fee.
Promotions must be purchased from government and quasi-government everywhere.
So this shouldn't be a deciding factor. Look at the mega wealth amassed by people of very high rank.
This is all raked together by the bribes that are handed out from all sides and otherwise stipulated.
Very fair question, personally I think too many people are involved in the Thai culture of corruption.
Since everyone gets a piece of the pie, no one is inclined to tackle a particular professional group (in this case the very underpaid police).
This will have to be raised from the perspective of international politics.
Should I ever become a victim of corruption/bribery when I am totally innocent, I would do anything to denounce it and blow the whistle in the media.
Let the media be something that corrupt governments are very allergic to, especially in a country that is very touristy…
Tough story. That's how a Brit thought about it too.
He was arrested on Friday and had drunk too much. The officer offered him to pay 1000 baht or go to the police station. You get the idea this brit had principles and went to the police station, where he was locked up after being charged with driving under the influence. Saturday, Sunday this brit stayed cozy in the cell of the police station. Heading to court on Monday and toad sentenced to a 7000 baht fine late in the afternoon. And then on the way to immigration to check his residence status. But yes they were also home and this brit had the pleasure to spend the night in the cell at immigration. He was checked on Tuesday and after everything was found to be okay he was able to walk freely on the street again.
But yes, this man was against corruption and was probably willing to support it.
Quote: “Should I ever become a victim of corruption/bribery when I am totally innocent, I would do anything to denounce it and blow the whistle in the media.”
There is a good chance that you will be convicted of defamation.
Police and military know too much about each other, and are both corrupt, so the junta can't do anything.
Hello Lucas,
The Thai police are grossly underpaid, which is why extra income is a “necessity”. If the government tackles corruption in the police force properly, the police officers will set high salary demands.
The cause lies far in the past, when the police forces did not receive a salary, but had to support themselves. And they knew what to do with that.
Hello Christian,
That you could consider the police underpaid, but then the question is does a bus driver earn more as a ticket seller on the bus? I can name a few groups.
The police may have better opportunities to supplement the salary.
I have never experienced being dropped off by bus.
a) too many people have an interest in it, especially the higher placed given the "buy-in" amounts for such appointments.
b) police (and all government) salaries are quite low. Yet many want such a job because of the “coincidence”.
Or as someone put it: you pay 40% tax and we pay 10%. From your tax dollars - with a lot of control costs - the public servants are paid, we pay them directly, and more based on the profit principle. A lot cheaper.
I think it has to come from the people.
For example by filming the agents collecting bribes (theamoney).
In Russia, that is the reason why many motorists use a dashcam.
This has also happened in Morocco after films about it appeared on the Internet.
I also think that many people are afraid of the police and do not dare to do anything about it.
Not books, but bookcases have been written about corruption in Thailand.
It may be easy for a tourist to point out corruption, but it is difficult to effectively combat corruption in this country.
It starts with the definition of what corruption is because the Thai definition is not the definition of the tourists. In addition, the army is not the police and many more sectors and people benefit from corruption than just the police.
As the case of Singapore shows, an effective fight against corruption stands or falls with the pertinent political will to put an end to it. And that political will, in my opinion, is not there in Thailand. Those politically responsible really know what needs to be done, but they don't really do everything they can to fight it. So many empty words, and the occasional pinprick…
Because all of Thailand is corrupt. From very high to very low. So not just the police. And where should you start? Because nobody likes to cut their own flesh!
If you see that number 2 in the current government owns a considerable (10+) number of watches of approximately Euro 60.000 or more each, which he has “borrowed” (!!) from a now deceased friend, then you know what the answer is is. You're not going to shoot yourself in the foot with making a law against corruption let alone enforcing it, are you?
There will also be - it seems - submarines and an HSL line. Fill in the rest yourself.
The fact that the police apparatus and the army will not change under the current regime gets to the heart of the matter when you talk about changes in Thailand. These power blocs have every interest in maintaining the status quo, regardless of who is in power. Now through transparency through modern media, their organizations and actions are becoming more and more open and they show an almost laughable picture. An unimaginable number of generals who show themselves proudly at the smallest crime events, unbridled and pointless investments in the military and, above all, complete invisibility in ordinary law enforcement (what are those agents doing anyway?). I myself notice that after 6 o'clock in the evening there is no
officer can be seen more and people behave accordingly: helmets come off, traffic becomes a jungle.
Yes, this is Thailand ! It has little to do with reward, with power…everything! The population believes it and wallows in apathy. ps I love Thailand but that's how it works here.
Corruption starts at the top. The traffic police who like to bully us are at the bottom of that ladder and they only grab peanuts.
It is an open secret that corruption prevails in Thailand and the police are certainly no exception. I've been coming to Thailand for a long time and to "protect" myself against dishonest actions by the police when it comes to corruption, I have a simple "weapon". When I am in Thailand I always make sure I have an address of a Thai lawyer with me. (looked up on the internet, printed and plasticized) if I am (wrongly) arrested, I show the ticket and say “i dont speak Thai you call my loyer in Bangkok”. The agent knows better than anyone that he is corrupt and chooses eggs for his money because he does not want to risk that misery. Success counts in 9 out of 10. That's called deceiving the deceiver. As for the salary which is low among others, police a desirable job, status, uniform (they love it) and benefits such as free health care for the whole family plus state pension are also financial benefits.
the only way to get promoted is follow your boss he is the example that follows his boss etc…etc…
so the “bosses in this country are to blame for the corruption not the underserved (and underpaid)
the big bosses must repent and free themselves from corruption!! Impossible I would think!
If you come to live in Thailand, or often come here on vacation, learn to live with the customs that are here. As a foreigner, do not try to change that, because only you yourself will be the victim of that attempt.
We regularly see in the news in Thailand that action is being taken against corruption. Police officers in all walks of life are also being arrested for corruption, which cannot be denied.
The punishments are often ridiculously low, such as transfers, and then they don't get much done. Sometimes there is also real punishment. Also see now some Buddhist leaders who put money in their own pockets and are arrested for this. A change is underway and I recognize that this is just a drop in the ocean, but I have not yet observed it under the yoke of previous cabinets. With the exception of political leaders themselves who had left with the northern sun in a questionable manner. This is also the case in other Asian countries, where political leaders and multinationals are being tackled. I hope to read a lot more of this because corruption undermines democracy and frustrates a society.
It is not only the corruption in the RTP police that is a big problem here.
What about the many daily traffic accidents .
Most will now say what does that have to do with it.
I say everything.
What would happen if there was no more police supervision in the Netherlands and in Belgium?
Will the average traffic participant who is well trained in both our countries still comply with the legal traffic rules ?
I think a lot less, resulting in a strongly increasing number of traffic accidents
The Thai police do nothing about checking and preventive traffic checks on a daily basis.
Among the Thai traffic participants , there is no longer any fear for this corps .
The only thing that happens after an accident is that they come out of their shelter and possibly arrange an ambulance, hearse or something like that, draw up an accident report and take up the well-known spray can with white paint for marking the accident.
I have experienced it several times from experience in friends and family, including a fatal accident (niece of my spouse) how the RTP works or rather does not work
Jan Beute.