License to grill: Corrupt cop shakes down 79-baht diner for bribes
A fed-up restaurant manager has blown the whistle on a corrupt cop who allegedly demanded a monthly bribe to stop police raids, turning a humble 79-baht-a-dish diner into the target of relentless inspections that have scared off customers and slashed sales.
Reporters were called to the Chop Charoen restaurant in Soi Mu Ban Chang Ayothaya, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, after claims emerged that a man identifying himself as a police sergeant had tried to extort 1,000 baht a month to keep the business off the radar.
When the owners refused to cough up, their once-busy restaurant was suddenly swamped with visits from uniformed officers, sometimes more than 20 of them in vans and pickup trucks, turning up in full force to search the place.
Ms Nun, the 33 year old restaurant manager and co-owner, revealed that she and her business partners had legally opened the budget-friendly restaurant in December 2014, complete with a proper business and alcohol licence.
“In mid-January, police came to inspect the shop and asked to see the licence. We let them check as usual, and there were no problems. Then on February 1, a man called, claiming to be a police sergeant.
“He said if I wanted the shop to be quiet and not inspected so often, he wanted 1,000 baht per month, and 500 baht for the red box.”
Ms Nun said the caller dropped names of senior officials and various police task forces during the call, which left her shaken. She recorded the conversation as evidence and discussed it with her partner.
“We operate a normal restaurant, not a pub. We don’t stay open late. We have every licence required, so we didn’t feel it was appropriate to pay. There’s no need for bribes.”
But after turning down the offer, the nightmare began. From March through April, teams of officers from multiple agencies descended on the shop for repeated inspections, The Daily News reported.
“They came with torches, asking customers for ID cards, which shocked people. Some were so scared they didn’t dare return. Now, it’s clearly hurting our sales.”
The restaurant’s owner, 33 year old Phutthiphong Yimprasert, said he took the matter to Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Police Station to confirm whether the caller was a real officer. Shockingly, the audio clip was verified, the man was indeed a serving policeman.
The local police superintendent has now ordered an official investigation, Phutthiphong said.
“What we don’t understand is why, after we complained, even more officers started turning up, claiming it was a ‘public relations campaign.’ In reality, it just terrifies customers. We’re trying to make a living honestly, but we’re facing this kind of pressure instead.”
Phutthiphong insisted the released audio clip wasn’t about starting a war with the police but about raising questions over whether this kind of conduct is acceptable and demanding a fair probe.
“Society should be asking whether power is being used appropriately. We just want justice.”
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