Thai man denies role in alleged 700,000 baht extortion case

A Thai man has surrendered to Pattaya Police amid allegations of involvement in an extortion case where two police officers allegedly demanded 700,000 baht from a group of Chinese tourists. Despite turning himself in, he denies all charges.

The suspect, identified as Worapon, arrived at Nongprue Police Station on Tuesday, July 30. He was questioned by Deputy Superintendent Police Lieutenant Colonel Somchok Fakphairoj. Accompanied by his lawyer, Worapon remained composed and did not respond to reporters’ inquiries.

During the questioning, Worapon’s lawyer stated that his client voluntarily surrendered to prove his innocence. The lawyer explained that Worapon was merely present in the vehicle used during the incident and had no active role in the alleged extortion.

Police reports indicate that the case revolves around two police officers accused of extorting the Chinese nationals. The officers face multiple charges, including abuse of power, misconduct, coercion, and illegal detention. Both officers have denied the allegations and were released on bail after posting 400,000 baht each. The legal proceedings are ongoing.

In addition to Worapon, police are seeking two more suspects. Worapon faces four charges: aiding the officers’ misconduct, supporting their criminal activities or dereliction of duty, coercion, and illegal detention, reported Pattaya News.

UPDATE 2: Another officer surrenders in Chinese tourist extortion case

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 representative of a travel agency stepped forward seeking justice for their Chinese clients. Footage captured by a dashcam depicting the incident was subsequently shared with the public.

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 his involvement in the case. He admitted to being with other police officers at the scene but denied joining the extortion, claiming he had no knowledge 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, including 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 that appeared 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 travelling to Pattaya.

The two were punished for their illegal entry, but they will only gain their freedom after providing useful 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 been unsuccessful. Police officers plan to track his phone signal to summon him for questioning.

The travel agency urged the driver to contact the police and has also sought assistance from non-profit organisation 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 news 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 representative of a travel agency, 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 7.29pm on July 10.

The woman explained that her Chinese customers were stopped 200 metres away 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, and 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 took pictures of each Chinese tourist and later checked the driving licence of the driver. The nationality of the driver was not revealed but 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 did not report the matter to the police.

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

As per police reports, officers cannot do anything unless the Chinese tourists report the matter.

In a related report, another major case of extortion 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.