Three policemen in Pattaya have been transferred to inactive posts for allegedly collecting unofficial traffic fines from Kuwaiti motorcyclists.
Pol Lt Col Kosala Ngampong, the acting Pattaya police chief, has sidelined a senior sergeant major, a sergeant major and a sergeant pending further investigation, according to local reports.
The moves followed a complaint from a group of Kuwaiti tourists who said they were frequent visitors to the tourist city in Chon Buri.
They told reporters on Tuesday that they often visited Pattaya and rode motorcycles in ways that they admitted could violate local traffic rules.
When they were caught, the same group of three policemen usually arrived to fine them at high rates of 2,500 to 5,000 baht, the visitors said, adding that there were two to five such arrests each night over the past month.
The Kuwaiti tourists said they had to pay the fines; otherwise, their motorcycles would be confiscated.
They said the policemen usually fined them in deserted areas and had another man receive the money from them. The officers accepted cash only and prohibited them from paying fines at the police station.
The Kuwaitis also said they were surprised to find out later that the “receipts” they were given were nothing more than generic cash-receipt forms used by shops.
Public complaints about Kuwaiti motorcyclists in Pattaya have been a recurring issue, mostly regarding reckless driving, stunts, street racing at all hours and loud modified exhaust systems.
The frequency of violations prompted Pattaya City Police to hold meetings with Kuwaiti Embassy representatives to curb the disturbances and educate visitors about local traffic laws.
