A retail clerk is facing charges of filing a fake police report after claiming he was extorted out of 4,000 baht by police impersonators.
Sanjorn Khamvilai, a Unilever Corp. employee who works in the computer section of the Big C supermarket in North Pattaya, filed his complaint with Pattaya police Nov. 30 claiming four men on motorbikes framed him for illegal possession of a handgun and held him at gunpoint for 5,000 baht.
He told police he was on his way home from work when he was stopped on Sukhumvit Soi 36/1 and the suspects’ motorbikes all had police logos on them. The fake officers demanded to search his bike, but when they found no drugs or weapons, one tossed a handgun in front of his bike and said it was Sanjorn’s.
Fortunately, Sanjorn said, a friend drove by and settled with the four men for 4,000 baht and they let him go.
Sanjorn’s story, however, quickly fell apart after police began investigating. CCTV cameras in the area not only didn’t show the encounter, they didn’t show Sanjorn on Sukhumvit Soi 36/1 at all.
Police then checked with the friend who supposedly drove by and he denied any involvement or having paid any money to anyone. Finally, police found out Sanjorn wasn’t even at work the day he supposedly left Big C to go home.
Police rolled out a variety of theories as to why they think Sanjorn made up the story, ranging from suppositions he owned people 4,000 baht or he spent the money on something else and was afraid to tell his strong-willed wife.
When confronted, Sanjorn did appear to fear his spouse and threatened to kill himself if he was arrested for filing the fake report.
Police are still considering what to do.
