The Metropolitan Police Bureau is getting tough on Bangkok checkpoints, following the extortion scandal involving a Taiwanese actress. According to a Nation Thailand report, MPB chief Thiti Saengsawang has warned officers to heed official regulations on operating checkpoints. He says that failure to do so will see station bosses and those above them held responsible.
Police in the Bangkok district of Huay Kwang have been accused of extorting money from Charlene An, a Taiwanese actress who was visiting the capital. It’s understood officers have admitted to extorting 27,000 baht when she was found to be carrying an illegal vaping device.
The story has hit the headlines both in Thailand and internationally. In total, 7 officers are accused of extorting money from the actress and her friends after they were stopped at a checkpoint near the Chinese Embassy on Ratchadaphisek Road at around 1am on January 5. The actress subsequently went public with her story and the 7 officers have been transferred to inactive posts.
Now the MPB says all police checkpoints must have prior approval and be supervised by officers at inspector level or above. They must also heed the regulations laid out in the Royal Thai Police’s 2023 plan for crime suppression and prevention. The MPB chief has instructed all station bosses and their deputies to carry out daily checks of police checkpoints in their areas to ensure they are playing by the rules.
SOURCE: Nation Thailand
