And speaking of corruption . . .

[Gaybutton]

For me the only surprise in any of this will be if anything substantial and significant is actually done about it this time.

I see nothing new in this article. We've seen it all before and I've lost count of how many times.
________________________

Big-name fraud wave shocks

Police culture under scrutiny as clean-up push begins

by Wassayos Ngamkham and Supoj Wancharoen

December 2, 2025

The intensified campaign to expose wrongdoing within the police force, led by former deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn and Atchariya Ruangratanapong, president of the Crime Victims Assistance Club, has become a major point of public interest.

Their revelations carry weight, as Pol Gen Surachate is considered an insider who has in-depth information that outsiders would rarely be able to uncover.

Pol Gen Surachate was dismissed from the force without a pension amid allegations that he was linked to online gambling. But he maintains the allegations were part of a conspiracy within the force to discredit him and block him from becoming chief.

Whether his renewed campaign will genuinely resolve long-standing issues involving protection rackets, illegal gambling, underground casinos and foreign criminal networks — in which police of various ranks are alleged to be involved — or whether this is merely an attempt to generate publicity, attack rivals or exact revenge before eventually fading away, as has happened in the past, remains to be seen.

Big-name involvement

Mana Nimitmongkol, president of the Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand, said Thailand has failed to suppress online scammers, illegal gambling, grey-market conglomerates, and money laundering because "big-name" figures in politics and the civil service form the apex of a pyramid profiting from bribes within these criminal networks.

As a result, enforcement efforts only manage to catch minor offenders, creating the appearance of action without addressing the systemic problem.

"The most shocking news is that ministers, MPs, former police chiefs, and over 200 other officers are involved in online gambling, drug trafficking, underground businesses, and corruption. This revelation has been reinforced by the exposés of Pol Gen Surachate," he said.

"Recent high-profile cases include the Tu Hao and Linjing Club incidents, Yu Xinxi's illegal association arranging visas for as many as 7,000 Chinese nationals to enter Thailand, and the involvement of Inspector Sua in a major online gambling network," he said.

"Consider how they were able to carry out such large-scale operations without networks or high-ranking supporters. Our laws are outdated and struggle to keep up with these schemes -- whether in narcotics, gambling, fraud, or cybercrime.

"Meanwhile, scammer gangs are defrauding Thai citizens of more than 100 billion baht annually, making it extremely difficult to trace the ringleaders and the state officials who protect these criminal enterprises."

Mr Mana said corruption within the force has been longstanding and widely recognised. Calls for reform have so far failed because of strong resistance from those who benefit from the system.

Police corruption arises in several ways: some acts are committed intentionally by the officer, some result from pressure from superiors, and some occur when citizens solicit police support for personal cases, he said.

Deep roots

"The problem with the police lies in the organisation's structure and culture. Excessive centralisation of power causes delays, frustrates the public, and invites political interference and patronage.

"Promotions and transfers are often determined by personal connections or monetary influence, and even the authority of the national police chief is subject to political pressure," he said.

"To address this, the police need to be downsized and operate more at the provincial level, rather than being centrally controlled as at present.

"Currently, officers can leverage money or connections to secure preferred positions, and many choose superiors who affect their career prospects rather than serving the public. Good officers, therefore, often work under difficult conditions and face criticism despite doing nothing wrong," Mr Mana added.

"Reforming the police is a major task that our Anti-Corruption Organisation has been pursuing continuously. It requires raising public awareness and changing societal mindsets. We are already seeing younger generations develop new perspectives compared with the older generation. We must build a broad civic coalition to support meaningful police reform."

Budget issues

Consideration of increasing salaries and the overall police budget is still viewed as a top priority for breaking the cycle of illegal off-the-books payments within the force.

Yet reform efforts remain slow and inconsistent. Pol Gen Winai Thongsong, a former deputy national police chief, currently serving on the Police Commission and as president of the Royal Thai Police Association, said the commission has been working over the past two years to address off-the-books payments, with a particular focus on appointments and transfers nationwide.

Unfair appointments in the past led to the buying and selling of positions, which in turn compelled officers to generate illegal income to secure the roles they desired.

"To stop off-the-books payments, we must end the buying and selling of positions by unit chiefs. This means carefully selecting supervisors, from inspectors up to commanders and generals.

"The transition will take time, but we have already begun. With capable leaders in place, officers will no longer need to invest in positions and will regain professional dignity," Pol Gen Winai said.

He added that the most effective reform would be to increase the budget for the Royal Thai Police (RTP), including higher salaries and improved welfare provisions.

Over the past several years, proposals to increase funding have often caused several prime ministers, as chair of the Police Commission, to step aside, as the sums involved are substantial.

"If we want genuine reform, budget considerations must be central. When the topic of funding comes up, people shy away. Our officers need sufficient resources to perform their duties. For instance, each patrol car alone costs around 3,000 baht per day in fuel. To achieve quality, investment is unavoidable -- nothing good comes cheap," he said.

While there has been progress on reducing off-the-books payments, Pol Gen Winai said, damage sustained to the police's reputation is largely due to influencers who collaborate with officers previously involved in illicit payments, publicising stories that harm the majority of law-abiding officers.

Some of these influencers also extort officers and officials from other agencies for money and assets. Moving forward, the RTP will pursue legal action against such individuals.

Oversight challenges

Pol Lt Col Krisanaphong Poothakool, an associate professor in criminology and vice president at Rangsit University, said multiple factors contribute to the police force's involvement in soliciting illicit benefits.

The first factor is the centralisation of power: a single national police chief is responsible for overseeing hundreds of thousands of officers, and this role is also subject to political oversight, creating opportunities for vested interests to influence operations.

The second factor concerns accountability mechanisms. Oversight of police work must be rigorous, rapid, transparent, and fair.

When officers face allegations, review committees must remain impartial. He praised the Police Complaints Committee, which receives complaints from the public regarding police conduct.

This committee also examines allegations against a former national police chief, enhancing public confidence in the integrity of the review process.

Pol Lt Col Krisanaphong said the RTP should provide regular training on police values. From what he knows, officers receive almost no additional training after graduating from provincial police training schools.

This is largely due to staff shortages, even though ongoing training in both operational tactics and ethical awareness should be standard.

He added that, ideally, the public should be involved in monitoring police work and handling complaints. This would increase community confidence in oversight.

In the eyes of the public, "the police have a negative image." Reports that a former national police chief is under investigation for off-the-books payments further undermine trust. In his view, external monitoring is essential to rebuild public confidence.

Negative view

Kuldit Lertkittivorakul, a 56-year-old businessman, said the police are among the professions that most Thai citizens view negatively, second only to politicians.

This perception may stem from the fact that police are closely involved with the public, as people often have to report incidents to them.

"Police are like other civil servants with low incomes. In the past, they relied on legal threats, but now the public is better informed and cannot easily be intimidated by the law. Lower-ranking officers, therefore, exploit minor offenders, such as drug users or drunk drivers," he said.

"Higher-ranking officers seek income from gambling dens, lotteries, and increasingly from online scammers and gambling operations, as seen in recent exposés.

"True reform of the police must start at the organisational level. Politicians should oversee the force with limited authority, because when they have too much power, officers focus on pleasing their superiors, instead of the public."

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/sp ... ave-shocks

[Dodger]

Interesting how they use the term "off-the-book payments" instead of "tea money".