2 policemen suspected of extorting Chinese tourists released on bail

Pattaya Provincial Court granted two police officers bail of 400,000 baht each after the pair were charged with allegedly extorting 700,000 baht from two Chinese tourists on a motorway heading to Pattaya.

A group of men, claiming to be police officers, were caught on dashcam footage demanding money from two Chinese men in the foreigners’ rented SUV on the motorway on July 10.

The two Chinese victims were later arrested for illegally entering Thailand. They confessed to being wanted by Chinese police and escaping to Laos and later Thailand. The two are now in the custody of Thai police, providing more information about the extortion case and awaiting transfer to China.

Further investigation into the group of alleged police officers led to the arrest of 30-year-old Police Sergeant Thitiwat, who denied extorting money from the Chinese nationals. He stayed in the car while other friends talked with the foreigners. Another police officer, 54-year-old Police Sub-Lieutenant Praderm, surrendered himself at Nong Prue Police Station yesterday, July 23, and also denied the allegation. He refused to speak with journalists, and details of his questions were not made public.

Officers did not reveal whether any more police officers were involved in the case, but the Pattaya Provincial Court issued additional arrest warrants for three Thai men: 40-year-old Worraphon Kaensawat, 48-year-old Wachira Bannakhon, and 33-year-old Kamon Wangsi.

Officers questioned the two police officers and collected fingerprints from the car rented by the Chinese nationals to determine whether the police officers were involved in the extortion.

PPTV HD reported this afternoon, July 24, that the two police officers secured bail of 400,000 baht each.UPDATE 2: Another officer surrenders in Chinese tourist extortion case (video)

Following the extortion case involving Chinese tourists reported on July 10, another police officer turned himself in yesterday, July 23, but denied all accusations.

The extortion, which took place on the motorway en route to Pattaya, was brought to attention after a travel agency representative stepped forward seeking justice for their Chinese clients. Footage captured by a dashcam depicting the incident was subsequently shared with the public.

Related News: King Maha Vajiralongkorn

The video showed a group of alleged police officers approaching the Chinese tourists, checking their passports and other documents, before demanding 700,000 baht from the foreigners.

One police officer, 30-year-old Police Sergeant Thitiwat, was the first officer apprehended for involvement in the case. He admitted to being with other police officers at the scene but denied joining the extortion, claiming he did not know of it because it occurred inside the car.

Another police officer involved in the case, 54-year-old Police Sub-Lieutenant Praderm, surrendered himself at Nong Prue Police Station yesterday, July 23. Praderm also denied the allegations and refused to answer journalists’ questions when he appeared at the police station.

Workpoint News reported that Praderm was known among other police officers for being a singer in the song Police Will Come, launched by the Royal Thai Police (RTP). The song is available on the RTP’s official YouTube channel.

The Pattaya Provincial Court also issued arrest warrants for three more suspects who are not police: a 40-year-old Thai man named Worraphan, a 48-year-old Thai man named Wachira, and a 33-year-old Thai man named Kamon.

The two cars in the video, a white Toyota Fortuner SUV and a black Ford Everest were seized for further investigation.

ThaiRath reported that the two Chinese tourists who were victims in this case initially avoided meeting police because they had entered the country illegally. The pair were wanted on arrest warrants for illegal gambling in China and had fled to Thailand before being extorted by Thai police.

They were later found at a condominium in Chon Buri. They confessed to having fled from China to Laos in December last year. They then came from Laos to Thailand via the Mekong River. They hired a person whose identity was not revealed to take them to Chiang Rai International Airport before traveling to Pattaya.

The two were punished for their illegal entry but will only gain their freedom after providing helpful information about the extortion case.

UPDATE 1: Pattaya police deny collusion in Chinese tourist extortion scandal

One of the police officers accused of extorting 700,000 baht from Chinese tourists in Pattaya denied involvement in the act, claiming he was in the car the entire time and did not know what had happened to the foreigners.

A dashcam video showed a group of men introducing themselves as police, raiding the car of the Chinese victims, and later demanding they hand over 700,000 baht in cash.

The video was shared on social media platforms by a representative of a travel agency and car rental service that catered to Chinese tourists. According to the representative, the Chinese victims are expected to remain in Thailand until July 25, awaiting justice.

Efforts by the travel agency, police, and various news platforms to contact the Thai driver who provided services to the Chinese tourists on the day of the incident have failed. Police officers plan to track his phone signal to summon him for questioning.

The travel agency urged the driver to contact the police. It sought assistance from the non-profit organization Saimai Survive to follow up on the case, expressing concern that it may be overlooked due to the involvement of members of the Royal Thai Police.

A new Facebook page shared a conversation between its administrator and the driver, during which the driver expressed concerns about his and his child’s safety.

The man said he had to take his child to sleep in the car and was scared that the police officers on that day would come after him for exposing their corruption.

The founder of Saimai Survive, Ekkephop Lueangprasert, told Channel 3 that police summoned a suspicious officer, a police corporal, for questioning. The officer admitted that he was with other police officers at the scene but did not join the extortion because he was in the car the entire time.

Another police officer suspected of involvement is Police Senior Sergeant Major Jamroen from Immigration Bureau Division 3.

Jamroen was formerly based in Pattaya but later moved to the Si Racha district of Chon Buri. However, he reportedly continued to commit corrupt acts and extort money from locals in Pattaya.

It is anticipated that at least five police officers were involved in the extortion, and it is also believed that some residents participated in this corrupt operation.

Channel 3 added that the driver remained silent and did not answer calls from anyone.

ORIGINAL STORY: Thailand travel woes: Cops’ highway robbery sparks outcry

A Thai travel agency took to social media to seek justice after a group of alleged police officers extorted 700,000 baht from Chinese tourists on a motorway heading to Pattaya.

The Thai woman, who claimed to be a travel agency representative, shared a dashcam video in which a group of men, claiming to be police officers, asked the car carrying the Chinese tourists to stop on the motorway at about 7.29 pm on July 10.

The woman explained that her Chinese customers were stopped 200 meters from the Pattaya toll fare collection booth. The men demanded 700,000 baht from the Chinese nationals, and both she and her customers questioned whether they were genuine police officers.

The travel agency representative added that the Chinese tourists were staying at a hotel near Terminal 21 in Pattaya. She hoped the foreigners would get justice before they left Thailand on July 25.

Channel 7 reported that the men, who claimed to be police, arrived at the scene in two vehicles, a white Toyota Fortuner and a black Ford Everest. The media revealed more details of the incident, stating that the alleged police officers requested to check the Chinese nationals’ passports and visas.

The alleged police officers then photographed each Chinese tourist and checked the driver’s license. The driver’s nationality was not revealed, but it was suspected to be Thai.

The superintendent of the Nong Prue Police Station, Thawee Kudtalaeng, who supervised the area, revealed to Channel 7 that the Chinese nationals should have reported the matter to the police.

Channel 7 reported that the reporter team attempted to contact the Chinese tourists’ vehicle driver to ask about the incident that night, but their attempt failed.

As per police reports, officers can only do something if the Chinese tourists report the matter.

In a related report, another major extortion case was reported in January of last year when a Taiwanese actress, An Yu-Qing, also known as Charlene An, came forward to expose corrupt Thai police officers. An and her friends were asked to pay 27,000 baht each at a police checkpoint to claim their freedom.

An’s exposure led to the imprisonment of five years for four police officers involved in the extortion. Two other police officers present at the scene maintained their innocence.