The police chief has thrown his support behind the scheme rewarding traffic police who refuse to accept bribes, saying he wants to expand it to reward motorists who report corrupt police, too.
Under the scheme, announced on Oct 7, traffic police will get a 10,000 baht reward each time they arrest someone who tries to bribe them into not writing a ticket.
Somyot: Reward motorists too
However, the national police chief says motorists should be eligible too, should they come across officers who demand payment when they shouldn't.
"If someone has evidence that can convict a police officer of trying to extort money or asking for a bribe, that person will get 10,000 baht, too," said police chief Pol Gen Somyot Pumpanmuang yesterday.
Where bribes are concerned, both the giver and the taker are at fault, he said. The new measure would encourage both sides to be careful.
The police chief said he would raise a 1-million-baht fund from donors for the reward.
"We'll extend the campaign nationwide and have it cover all types of crime, not just traffic-related ones," he said.
"It could help root out the entrenched culture plaguing our society," he said.
Shortly after the campaign was announced on Oct 7, police were told they could not use stealth cameras or secret recording devices on people.
Opponents argue the campaign creates mistrust between the public and the force, and that police should not be rewarded for performing their duties.
Since the campaign started, two drivers have been arrested. A motorcycle rider tried to give an officer 100 baht after he made a turn where he should not have on Oct 7. A pickup truck driver was caught the next day for trying to give police 50 baht after he made a U-turn at a prohibited spot.
Offering bribes is a criminal offence under Section 144 of the Penal Code, punishable by five years in prison and a fine of 10,000 baht or both.