Two senior immigration police officers have been transferred to inactive posts pending an investigation for suspected involvement in the drug network of Lao drug kingpin Xaysana Keopimpha.
They are Pol Lt Walaisak Intarak, deputy chief of Loei immigration office, and Pol Capt Patarapol Thuaythong, deputy chief of the immigration office at Suvarnabhumi airport.
Pol Lt Walaisak was one of the three police officers who appeared in a picture with Mr Xaysana. The picture had been posted in the Lao social media.
Pol Maj Gen Patiphan Suban Na Ayutthaya, commander of the Immigration Police Division 4, said Pol Lt Walaisak had initially explained to him that the picture was taken about two years ago and was taken during a cross-border car rally. The crossing point on the Thai side was Loei province.
Pol Lt Walaisak said he did not know Mr Xaysana was a drug dealer.
Pol Lt Walaisak has been transferred to the operations centre of Immigration Police Division 4, pending the result of an investigation.
The other officer, Pol Capt Patarapol, has been similarly transferred to temporary duty at the operations centre of the Immigration Police Bureau.
Pol Capt Patarapol is suspected of having contacted a member of the Xaysana drug network on the telephone to arrange for some of the drug gang's vehicles to be kept in a Suvarnabhumi airport car park building.
Pol Lt Gen Natthaporn Prohsunthorn, the Immigration Police commissioner, on Tuesday went to see Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda, the police chief, at the Royal Thai Police head office to discuss this matter.
He said he had ordered the chiefs of Immigration Police Divisions 2 and 4 to set up committees to investigate the two officers. If found guilty as suspected, they would face both disciplinary and criminal action, he added.