Pattaya police turn down bribe

11 Apr 2011

A Pattaya woman who tried to secure a friend’s freedom from police custody with a bribe also found herself under arrest. Mrs Boonrod Sukprayoon, 57 and 48-year-old Mrs Renu Ruamsawat had been detained by Pattaya Police Department officers on drug possession charges.

The two were alleged to have had almost 40 amphetamine tablets between them when they were arrested by police lieutenant Wissanu Chaisuwan and his team of narcotics suppression officers. Police say that the two are drug dealers and were selling the amphetamines to teenagers in the Thai seaside resort.

The duo are said to have admitted that they had been selling the illicit tablets. Police say Boonrod called an accomplice, 55-year-old Mrs Samruay Ketsiri, to come to the police station with 80,000 Baht in cash as a payment to officers to forget about the crime.

When Ketsiri arrived at the station and supposedly offered the cash as a bribe, she was arrested and charged with attempting to bribe Thai police officers.

The bribe rejection flies in the face of the accusations often levelled at police officers in Thailand. Many residents of the country allege that officers will turn a blind eye to minor offences if the price is right.

An example of this is that although the wearing of crash helmets is compulsory for motorcyclists and their pillion passengers in Thailand, many do not bother as they believe that a small backhander will sort out the problem.

Tags: Pattaya police bribe