Corruption in Thailand

Hat tip Frank

When I was a DEA agent stationed in Bangkok, Thailand from 1975-1978, I worked daily with our Thai counterparts trying to stem the flow of heroin out of Thailand and into the United States. There were many successes and many frustrations. Corruption is a fact of life in Thailand, and sadly, that extends to the police as well. I did have the fortune to work with some honest cops who did their job as best they could, but they were themselves swimming against the tide.

Today, the situation is much the same as evidenced by this latest documentary featuring one brave and honest cop who was forced to flee the country for his life. It is the story of Paween Pongsirin, who was investigating the human trafficking of Rohingya Muslims being driven out of Burma and subsequently enslaved and murdered in southern Thailand with the connivance of Thai military officials and police. You can access the video here. This is an Al Jazeera production. Al Jazeera is a source I usually take with a grain of salt, but I believe in the accuracy of this particular story.

For some historical backdrop to the corruption problem, I would recommend a just-released book by my friend and former partner in Bangkok, Charles Harry Lutz. The book is entitled, "Unpopular Causes: A career in service to America", and chronicles the career of  Lutz from his time as an Army officer in Vietnam to DEA in Bangkok, later assignments, and ultimately working for TSA after 9-11. The section on Thailand recounts some of the major cases Lutz was involved in, including the infamous Leslie Atkinson case of the 1970s, which involved heroin being smuggled from Southeast Asia to the US using the military transportation system. Atkinson was the source of supply for New York-based trafficker, Frank Lucas, featured in the film, "American Gangster", a film with several historical inaccuracies when it came to the Atkinson/Thailand aspect. Contrary to what the film portrayed, Atkinson was Lucas' source of supply in Thailand not his underling. Thus, Atkinson was higher in the hierarchy, so to speak. There is also the issue of heroin being smuggled from Southeast Asia concealed in the bodies or caskets of US soldiers killed in Vietnam as portrayed in the movie. While there were rumors of this happening, it was never confirmed, and there was never any such seizure of heroin made. 

One feature of the Bangkok part of the book is the problem of corruption. Lutz describes the heroic efforts of one Thai officer who courageously went after traffickers no matter how influential they were. But the problems were eerily similar to those faced by Paween Pongsirin four decades later. Top-level traffickers in Thailand usually were able to bribe their way out of jail, and other methods had to be employed to prosecute them elsewhere.

Today, Thailand is facing unrest on the part of its youth, who are sick of the corruption and demanding change, much as they were in the 1970s. An additional issue is the monarchy. Thailand has a constitutional monarchy, and the royal family is traditionally an object of veneration for the Thai people. King Bhumipol Adulyadeh, who died in 2016 after a 60+-year reign, was widely beloved by his people, for good reason. His son, the current king, Vajiralongkorn, is quite another matter. He is a playboy and general all-around thug. As his country has struggled with the Covid issue, he has taken up residence in a Garmisch, Germany hotel with his retinue of security and girlfriends. Worse yet, he is attempting to gain more political power over his country than the Constitution would allow. It is a sad story, and most Thais are reluctant to even discuss the matter. They can't since Thailand has a strict lese majeste law.

For anyone who is seeking a good overview of Thailand and the above problems, both the above video and the book by Charles Lutz are highly recommended.