Three police officers in Pattaya, are set to face legal action after two suspects, a German and an American, escaped. The suspects were arrested on charges of buying sex from underage girls. The case gained attention after a documentary alleged that the German suspect bribed Thai police officers with 1 million baht to avoid charges.
Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn revealed that a former chief of Pattaya police station, a deputy station chief, and the officer in charge of the case would be disciplined for failing to follow regulations. The investigation found that the officer failed to inform the Foreign Division of the Royal Thai Police and the Immigration Bureau about the arrests, allowing the suspects to escape.
The disciplinary probe has been completed, while the bribery allegation is still under investigation. Surachate has sought help from the German Embassy in arranging for the Thai police to interrogate the German suspect. Red arrest warrants have been sought from Interpol, but it remains uncertain if Germany will agree to extradite the suspect.
The case has sparked concern about police integrity and the handling of foreign suspects in Thailand. The authorities are working on improving protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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