As expected, Police Commander Suwat Jangyodsuk has transferred four senior officers to inactive posts following the gambling den saga in Rayong that is being blamed for a cluster Covid-19 infection in the eastern province.
Being transferred are the Rayong police commissioner, Pol Maj Gen Paphatdet Ketphan, and his team.
Pol Maj Paphatdet previously dismissed a report which claimed at least 36 people contracted Covid-19 from the city centre den. As of Sunday, that has grown, and at least 85 infections are now said to be related to the gambling den.
Instead, the officer argued that only seven people had caught the virus at the venue, which he termed as "more of an underground operation" than a casino operating in the open.
However, many people challenged his statement, among them his supervisor at the Royal Thai Police.
But moving officers to inactive posts, a typical reaction from those on top at the RTP, will not solve any problems. It's seen as a way to ease the pressure on the RTP -- that's that. In fact, it's well known that local police tend to turn a blind eye to illegal casinos and gambling dens and other venues with illicit activities until those places are exposed when bad things happen or become crime scenes.
A case in point is the Rayong outbreak. Had there not been a cluster infection, the gambling den might still be operating as usual. This is unfortunate, as the new outbreak has caused enormous damage to the province, a tourist hub, and to the country.
Another notorious case was the Rama III casino in Yannawa district which became a crime scene with four deaths in August, among them a police officer. That the casino operated almost openly is a slap in the face of those at the RTP. Worse, there were allegations that police investigators dragged their feet in getting to the venue that fateful night following the shooting, as if to allow time for the evidence to be cleared. As public attention in the case faded, the investigation went nowhere.
Casino raids have occupied media headlines before. Few have any hope that the RTP will tackle this problem. This has cast a bad light on the agency as it's believed that some officers may benefit from ill-gotten gains, having established links with influential people.
There is a theory that some officers' need for ill-gotten gains has something to do with its rotten system, including position-buying. The issue was raised years ago by veteran politician Wittaya Kaewparadai, who exposed irregularities in the institution.
Many remember a case in 2019 that involved six police in Nakhon Phanom. They attempted to buy promotions in what appeared to be scam concocted by a taxi driver who faked his Line identity to pose as the-then immigration police boss. If anything, the scam proved position buying does indeed exist in the RTP.
Even amid deafening complaints about position-buying at the RTP, police reform attempts have evaporated, despite promises by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha since he led the military regime. He must be reminded of this noble goal, make it happen and bring back trust and dignity to this important institution.