BANGKOK, Thailand – A traffic police officer has been temporarily suspended after a viral TikTok video raised questions about his conduct. The video, shared by TikTok user “Talk with the police,” showed the officer allegedly facilitating payment for a traffic fine through a tuk-tuk driver. The incident occurred at the Pratunam intersection and was captioned, “Whatever you do, don’t think no one is watching. Calling a car over and having the tuk-tuk driver bring the phone for scanning… What’s going on here?”
The clip shows the officer pulling over a sedan for a traffic violation and instructing the driver to move to the bus lane. The officer then appears to speak to a tuk-tuk driver, who subsequently approaches the sedan driver with a mobile phone, seemingly to facilitate a payment via scanning. The unusual scene led many online viewers to question whether a new “tuk-tuk payment system” had been introduced.
A similar incident was captured in another video at the same intersection. In this case, a black sedan was stopped in the bus lane. After the officer interacted with the driver, an object was handed over through the car window, followed by the officer reaching into his pocket before allowing the car to leave.
The most recent clip, now making headlines, involves a white BMW stopped in the same manner. The officer called over a tuk-tuk driver, who handed a mobile phone to the BMW driver for scanning. Following the transaction, the car was allowed to proceed.
After the videos gained widespread attention on December 5, the superintendent of Phaya Thai Police Station ordered the officer to submit a written explanation of the incidents. The officer has been temporarily relieved of duty pending the investigation’s conclusion. If the explanation is deemed insufficient, a disciplinary and criminal inquiry may follow.
In an initial statement, the officer denied any intention of personal financial gain.
