Two police officers in Nakhon Pathom face a probe after a video showing one of them kicking two handcuffed teenagers, stomping on their heads and beating them with a belt went viral online.
Police authorities in the province adjacent to Bangkok ordered the officers transferred to inactive posts pending the outcome of an investigation.
The incident occurred on April 30 but only came to light when the video surfaced on social media on Friday. Netizens said the police over-reacted.
Pol Maj Gen Chomchawin Prathananon, chief of Nakhon Pathom police, and Sam Phran district police chief Pol Col Songwut Charoenwithayadet yesterday expressed regret over the incident.
The video was posted on the popular Facebook page Yak Dang Diew Jadhai Return Part 2.
It described the situation the three young men faced by quoting the Thai proverb nee sua pa chorakhae (escape the tiger, meet the crocodile), an English equivalent being "out of the frying pan and into the fire".
According to the accompanying post, the teenagers had ridden to seek help from the two Sam Phran police claiming a rival group was chasing them with plans to attack.
"But it turned out that the three were handcuffed and forced to take off their shirts. Worse still, (one officer) stomped on the head of one lad, kicked and beat them with a belt.
"They weren't treated like humans. It's humiliating," the poster wrote.
The incident happened on April 30 in front of Pruksa Ville 44 housing estate on Boromratchonnanee Road in Sam Phran.
The officers found one teen had a gun. One officer then used his foot to stomp on the heads of two of the young men.
The teens were later charged with illegal possession of a weapon and carrying it in public without permission.
The actions of the officers drew a barrage of criticism after the video showing the incident went viral.
The pair in question, Pol Capt Chaiyapoj Khotsamrarn, deputy crime suppression chief at Sam Phran station, and Pol L/C Phanadorn Changkhian, have been moved to the Nakhon Pathom police operations centre.