PHUKET: Some suspects wanted for arrest in a crackdown on Patong's allegedly corrupt underbelly of tuk-tuk and taxi drivers have probably already fled the holiday island, The Region 8 Police Commander, Major General Panya Mamen, said today.
He was speaking as hundreds of police from Bangkok, soldiers, tax revenue officials, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering officers descended on Phuket's west coast holiday haven of Patong, where the notorious taxi ''mafia'' has enforced their own law for years.
The massive Phuket dragnet that began before dawn this morning has been endorsed and made easier because the military has been in charge of Thailand since taking control on May 22.
At the large home of former Patong Mayor Pian Keesin, built for 20 million baht many years ago, the major general was told today by Khun Pian's first wife Srikam, 60, that she did not know the whereabouts of her former husband.
''We've been leading separate lives for 10 years,'' she said. She was kneeling in a prayer room, having returned to Patong for Phuket's annual Vegetarian Festival next month, when armed soldiers and police arrived on her doorstep.
Her eldest son Prab Keesin, she said, was at a seminar on military reforms elsewhere in Thailand. Another son, Peun, is also among the 82 people for whom Major General Panya and his colleagues have already obtained arrest warrants.
Around the corner in Phrabaramee Road, tax officials were already looking for documents at the headquarters of the family business, the Pisona Group. The documents are being seized under orders from the courts.
Elsewhere around Patong, teams of officers were in hot pursuit of those on the long list of people earmarked for arrest.
The hunt for those on the wanted list in Patong is believed to extend beyond the taxi and tuk-tuk drivers to the entertainment nightlife industry, but the former mayor and his two sons are thought to be the most prominent names on the list.
The Keesins have known for months that such an operation was likely. A year ago, members of the Department of Special Investigation descended on Phuket waving a list of 11 names for investigation that included Pian and Prab Keesin.
The former mayor, now in his 70s, has been both admired and denigrated in a long political career that appears to have ended when he lost an election re-run to new female mayor Chalermluk Kebsub in April.
Just around the corner from the Pisona offices, a huge beaming portrait of Khun Chalermluk occupies one entire side of a three-storey building. Elsewhere in Patong it's possible to find giant images of Prab Keesin, who ran the family business while his father was mayor.
A media conference this afternoon is expected to summarise what the task force has found on Day One. In early June, police and the Army staged the first task force strike on taxi drivers in Kata-Karon, arresting more than 100 drivers and officials accused of being their sponsors.
For years, tourists visiting Phuket have complained about rough treatment at the hands of taxi and tuk-tuk drivers, excessive fares and occasionally, violent reactions.
Many of the drivers also collect large commissions for taking passengers to Phuket venues and accommodation facilities that play ball with them.
Phuket taxi fares are about six times the fares charged in Bangkok because passengers are forced to pay for the driver's journey back to base, empty.
Like the Kata-Karon drivers, charges of intimidation and extortion are likely to be brought against the drivers arrested in Patong.
But Major General Panya pointed out today that ''Operation Patong'' differed from ''Operation Kata-Karon.''
''We collected as much evidence as possible in the past few months before making today's arrests,'' he told journalists, many of whom had come from Bangkok for the raid today.
''So we have many officials with us who are looking for corruption, and the latest swoop is more in line with international standards.''
Major General Panya said there were four types of alleged offences being investigated today:
.. The group of taxi drivers who earlier this year staged a blockade of Patong's main roads in protest at police actions, forcing island officers to back down;
.. Taxi and tuk-tuk drivers who claim public parking spaces as their own;
.. The management team of one particular company (now known to be Pisona;
.. The network of people who support the Patong drivers and who benefit from their activities.
''That last group constitutes the 'taxi mafia,'' Major General Panya said. ''Now we have the arrest warrants already.''
Helping about 500 police from all over Thailand today were a special commando team from Region 8, he said. ''The Commander of the Royal Thai Police has been kept informed of this project and the team from Bangkok will show local police how to carry out this type of work.''
Former Australian honorary consul Larry Cunningham welcomed today's action and said he hoped the purge would include the Patong jet-ski operators as well.
With more than 200 people arrested or being hunted for on Phuket, Major General Panya has said the purge isn't yet complete and similar raids are already being planned.
He was speaking as hundreds of police from Bangkok, soldiers, tax revenue officials, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering officers descended on Phuket's west coast holiday haven of Patong, where the notorious taxi ''mafia'' has enforced their own law for years.
The massive Phuket dragnet that began before dawn this morning has been endorsed and made easier because the military has been in charge of Thailand since taking control on May 22.
At the large home of former Patong Mayor Pian Keesin, built for 20 million baht many years ago, the major general was told today by Khun Pian's first wife Srikam, 60, that she did not know the whereabouts of her former husband.
''We've been leading separate lives for 10 years,'' she said. She was kneeling in a prayer room, having returned to Patong for Phuket's annual Vegetarian Festival next month, when armed soldiers and police arrived on her doorstep.
Her eldest son Prab Keesin, she said, was at a seminar on military reforms elsewhere in Thailand. Another son, Peun, is also among the 82 people for whom Major General Panya and his colleagues have already obtained arrest warrants.
Around the corner in Phrabaramee Road, tax officials were already looking for documents at the headquarters of the family business, the Pisona Group. The documents are being seized under orders from the courts.
Elsewhere around Patong, teams of officers were in hot pursuit of those on the long list of people earmarked for arrest.
The hunt for those on the wanted list in Patong is believed to extend beyond the taxi and tuk-tuk drivers to the entertainment nightlife industry, but the former mayor and his two sons are thought to be the most prominent names on the list.
The Keesins have known for months that such an operation was likely. A year ago, members of the Department of Special Investigation descended on Phuket waving a list of 11 names for investigation that included Pian and Prab Keesin.
The former mayor, now in his 70s, has been both admired and denigrated in a long political career that appears to have ended when he lost an election re-run to new female mayor Chalermluk Kebsub in April.
Just around the corner from the Pisona offices, a huge beaming portrait of Khun Chalermluk occupies one entire side of a three-storey building. Elsewhere in Patong it's possible to find giant images of Prab Keesin, who ran the family business while his father was mayor.
A media conference this afternoon is expected to summarise what the task force has found on Day One. In early June, police and the Army staged the first task force strike on taxi drivers in Kata-Karon, arresting more than 100 drivers and officials accused of being their sponsors.
For years, tourists visiting Phuket have complained about rough treatment at the hands of taxi and tuk-tuk drivers, excessive fares and occasionally, violent reactions.
Many of the drivers also collect large commissions for taking passengers to Phuket venues and accommodation facilities that play ball with them.
Phuket taxi fares are about six times the fares charged in Bangkok because passengers are forced to pay for the driver's journey back to base, empty.
Like the Kata-Karon drivers, charges of intimidation and extortion are likely to be brought against the drivers arrested in Patong.
But Major General Panya pointed out today that ''Operation Patong'' differed from ''Operation Kata-Karon.''
''We collected as much evidence as possible in the past few months before making today's arrests,'' he told journalists, many of whom had come from Bangkok for the raid today.
''So we have many officials with us who are looking for corruption, and the latest swoop is more in line with international standards.''
Major General Panya said there were four types of alleged offences being investigated today:
.. The group of taxi drivers who earlier this year staged a blockade of Patong's main roads in protest at police actions, forcing island officers to back down;
.. Taxi and tuk-tuk drivers who claim public parking spaces as their own;
.. The management team of one particular company (now known to be Pisona;
.. The network of people who support the Patong drivers and who benefit from their activities.
''That last group constitutes the 'taxi mafia,'' Major General Panya said. ''Now we have the arrest warrants already.''
Helping about 500 police from all over Thailand today were a special commando team from Region 8, he said. ''The Commander of the Royal Thai Police has been kept informed of this project and the team from Bangkok will show local police how to carry out this type of work.''
Former Australian honorary consul Larry Cunningham welcomed today's action and said he hoped the purge would include the Patong jet-ski operators as well.
With more than 200 people arrested or being hunted for on Phuket, Major General Panya has said the purge isn't yet complete and similar raids are already being planned.
Soon we may face the problem of which parking spot to use. Maybe even enough spaces to park the odd sun lounge!
Posted by Manowar on August 28, 2014 20:48