Thai woman and Australian husband accuse Pattaya police of extortion
Couple say cash demanded in secret room after dining and dashing charge
A Thai woman and her Australian husband accused a police officer of extorting 20,000 baht from them at Mueang Pattaya Police Station yesterday, October 13.
The 25 year old Thai woman, identified only as Mint, shared details of the alleged corruption with local news outlet Athip Burapa, hoping to reclaim the money and bring the incident to light. The incident reportedly occurred at around 5.20am yesterday.
Mint explained that she was at home with her child when she received a call from the police informing her that her Australian husband, aged around 35 to 40, was detained for dining and dashing at a bar in Soi Buakhao, with an unpaid bill of 6,464 baht.
Mint said she immediately went to the Mueang Pattaya Police Station. When she arrived, a Thai man wearing a vest and trousers similar to a police uniform told her that her husband was being held in a detention room. The alleged officer then offered to settle the case for 20,000 baht so it would not proceed to court.
The woman said she agreed to pay but attempted to negotiate, saying the amount was too high. The man led her to a small room under the staircase near the restroom on the second floor of the police station, where they agreed to reduce the amount to 15,000 baht.
Mint then took her child to the nearest ATM to withdraw the cash. The man took the money without providing any receipt or paperwork, claiming he would take care of the matter.
Eventually, he simply escorted her husband out to the front of the station and released him without any official record of the case.
Mint did not clarify whether her husband had actually failed to pay the restaurant bill, but said a similar incident had happened about two weeks earlier.
On that occasion, a man wearing a dark blue police-style vest and trousers, along with another tall, thin Thai man in a long-sleeved shirt with the word “POLICE” printed on the back, came to their home and took her husband away.
They accused him of not paying a 600-baht food bill, and she ended up paying 20,000 baht without receiving any official documents or summons.
The couple are now seeking help from the media, fearing they may be victims of fake police officers in Pattaya. As of now, officers at Mueang Pattaya Police Station have not yet clarified the matter.
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