CHIANG MAI — A traffic police officer who extorted money from a foreign motorcyclist has been dismissed from service just days before his scheduled retirement on September 30, losing all pension and retirement benefits.
The incident occurred near the Night Bazaar in downtown Chiang Mai on September 24 when a bystander filmed a traffic officer accepting what appeared to be money from a foreign motorcyclist. The video quickly went viral on social media, sparking widespread criticism of police corruption.
Police Lieutenant General Yutthana Kaenchan, Provincial Police Region 5 Commander for Chiang Mai, immediately ordered a fact-finding committee to investigate the incident with instructions to take decisive action if wrongdoing was found.
On September 27, the investigation committee concluded that the deputy inspector, a traffic police officer seen in the video accepting what appeared to be money from the tourist, committed extortion, which constitutes serious disciplinary violations.
The committee forwarded the case to Chiang Mai Provincial Police with a recommendation for dismissal from service. Police Lieutenant General Yutthana is expected to issue the dismissal order shortly.
The timing of the offense has drawn public attention, as the officer was just days away from retiring on September 30. The dismissal means he will forfeit all retirement benefits, including pension and healthcare subsidies typically granted to retired government officials.
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