A traffic police officer has been temporarily suspended following a viral TikTok video that raised concerns about his conduct. The video, shared by TikTok user “Talk with the police,” allegedly showed the officer facilitating a traffic fine payment through a tuk-tuk driver. The incident took place at the Pratunam intersection and was captioned, “Whatever you do, don’t think no one is watching. Calling a car over and having the tuk-tuk driver bring the phone for scanning… What’s going on here?”
In the video, the officer pulls over a sedan for a traffic violation and instructs the driver to move to the bus lane. He then appears to speak with a tuk-tuk driver, who approaches the sedan with a mobile phone, seemingly to facilitate payment via scanning. The unusual scene led many online viewers to question whether a new “tuk-tuk payment system” had been introduced.
A similar incident was captured in another video at the same intersection, where a black sedan was stopped in the bus lane. After the officer interacted with the driver, an object was handed through the car window, followed by the officer reaching into his pocket before allowing the car to proceed.
The most recent video shows a white BMW stopped in the same manner. The officer calls over a tuk-tuk driver, who hands a mobile phone to the BMW driver for scanning. After the transaction, the car is allowed to leave.
Following the videos’ widespread attention on December 5, the superintendent of Phaya Thai Police Station ordered the officer to submit a written explanation. The officer has been temporarily relieved of duty pending the investigation. If his explanation is deemed inadequate, a disciplinary and criminal inquiry may follow.
In his initial statement, the officer denied any intention of personal financial gain.
