Three of the four men
arrested for illegally collecting parking fees along Second Road near
the Dolphin Roundabout.
Boonlua Chatree
Four men impersonating Pattaya traffic police were arrested
after a real officer thwarted their alleged plot to extort motorists out
of illegal parking fees.
Suriyan Khongdai, 29, Montree Khetjai, 30, Akhrawat Rungruangkit, 28,
Saenrak Meesutha, 46, were taken into custody on Second Road near the
Dolphin Roundabout Aug. 17 after an urgent call for assistance from Sen.
Sgt. Maj. Somsree Seema.
Somsree said he had gone to the area to write tickets for cars parked in
clearly visible “no parking” zones. As he did, he said he was confronted
by the four men wearing traffic-police uniforms.
Somsree said the four tried to intimidate him into stopping his
ticket-writing, as they’d been charging motorists 60 baht each to park
in the illegal zones. When Somsree refused, he said the four, believed
to part of an organized crime gang, threatened him and he called for
backup.
Deputy Suppression Division commander Lt. Col. Kiattisak Srathongoil
said the four men were charged with obstructing police actions,
disrespecting a uniformed officer, and impersonating police. He said he
also would have charged the four with theft, but none of the people who
paid the illegal-parking fees complained to police.