Pattaya City suspended six officials yesterday, August 10, after witnesses reported that they collected fines from foreign tourists without issuing official documents.
The incident was reported at a parking area near the Bali Hai Pier, where tourists, business operators and tour guides saw a group of men dressed in clothing resembling Pattaya City officials suspiciously collecting money from foreign motorists.
Photographs shared by witnesses showed the men wearing navy uniforms with reflective green vests. The group appeared to be supervising the parking area and was described as resembling officers from Pattaya City’s Law Enforcement Department.
According to witnesses, the group stopped motorists, particularly foreign visitors riding motorcycles, and issued fines. Some foreigners were also reportedly fined for smoking in the area.
Witnesses said the amounts demanded ranged from 2,000 to 3,000 baht and that no official fine documents were provided. The reports prompted questions over whether the men had legal authority to issue fines for traffic violations or breaches of public rules.
The case was subsequently reported by TMN Cable TV Pattaya on Facebook. A journalist monitoring the area reportedly saw members of the group escorting foreign tourists to a small tent, where the tourists handed over cash before leaving.
The journalist approached one foreign tourist who had reportedly paid money to the group. The tourist said he and his friends had been fined 2,000 baht over loud noise caused by their motorcycle exhaust pipes.
Pattaya City Permanent Secretary Kiattisak Sriwongchai addressed the reports yesterday, saying he had been aware of the issue since August 9.
Kiattisak said six people had been identified in connection with the incident, and they were suspended from duty while the investigation was conducted. They included three law enforcement officials and three officers employed by an outsourced company hired to supervise the area.
Kiattisak also acknowledged that issuing penalties for traffic violations and smoking in prohibited areas was outside the responsibility and authority of the six people involved. Further investigation will examine the financial transactions involving money received from foreign tourists.
The case remains under investigation, and no official conclusion has been released on whether any wrongdoing or unlawful collection of money took place.
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