A widely shared Facebook post publicly accuses the wife of Koh Samui's tourist police commander of coming to the station every day, managing the finances and giving orders to officers as if she were in charge. She is even said to have already been reprimanded without any change. Meanwhile, ZoneSamui.com reveals that volunteers are allegedly facing local pressures.
The post published by the page เพื่อนตำรวจ (“Police Friends”) denounces an unacceptable situation within the Koh Samui Tourist Police Station.
According to the author, the commander’s wife “comes every day from morning to evening, manages all the files like a station chief, takes care of the financial system and all other work”. Subordinates expect orders from the commander, not from his wife, who does not hesitate to insult them “like dogs” when she is displeased.
“At the Koh Samui Tourist Police Station, the commander brings his wife to work with him at the station. She comes there every day, from morning to evening, and manages absolutely everything as if she were the station chief: she takes care of the financial system and all other files. Subordinates would like to receive their orders directly from the commander, and not from his wife. On days when she is not happy, she scolds them like dogs and pigs. She has already been reprimanded once by the commander, but she continues to behave this way nonetheless,” the Facebook post states.
Several comments come from people presenting themselves as members of the unit and dispute the veracity of the facts, claiming that the post damages the reputation of the service. Other internet users demand clarification or make ironic remarks about the situation.
ZoneSamui.com also suspects that volunteers at the Koh Samui tourist police are currently facing direct pressure from influential local powers.
A comment posted in English by a French-speaking volunteer of the “Tourist Police” on our Facebook page illustrates these suspicions:
“Instead of always attacking the same people, dare to finally show yourself as you really are. You go after Pi Gone, but even back then you were already nit-picking. So, if you have the courage, say who you really are. You criticise Samui, etc., but when you lived there, you were happy. Besides, I remember you well: you tried several times to call me to get information that you never received.”
Besides the fact that this message was written by an illiterate person, the translation of the term “Pi Gone” can only be obtained by using an automatic translator from Thai to English, a clear sign that this message posted by the French-speaking volunteer of the tourist police was in fact written by a local. She was then ordered to publish it.
It is also public knowledge that this woman’s partner, also a volunteer in the same service, is a resident DJ in one of the clubs belonging to “Korn” (the famous “fearless chao pho”), which would explain the link with this post but raises further questions about the neutrality of the Koh Samui tourist police…
This message (and others) follows a smear campaign launched by Tinnakorn Poolsawad against the editorial team of ZoneSamui.com, at a time when tensions are at their peak on the island after the mafia-style assassination of a taxi driver a few days ago.