New guidelines on police conduct at security checkpoints have been issued to help improve the image of the institution following recent controversies.
National Police Chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas issued the new guidelines that require officers at checkpoints to save footage from their body cameras for at least 20 days after recording. It also requires that all police security checkpoints, including those set up during criminal pursuits, be reported to the nearest police crime report center.
Establishing checkpoints for other purposes, such as general crime suppression or traffic control, would require approval from a commanding officer or a superior of higher rank before checks on motorists can begin. If a police checkpoint is accused of extortion or demanding a bribe, the guidelines state the officers involved will be investigated and penalized if found guilty, along with the superiors in charge of sanctioning the checkpoint.
The move follows accusations of extortion involving police and a Taiwanese actress and her companions in Bangkok, and a Chinese tourist in Pattaya. Both cases involved a vaping device, which is prohibited under Thai law but is also widely available and considered a potential bribe trap for unsuspecting tourists. (NNT)
