With much fanfare, the Thai police had offered an $84,000 reward for tips leading to arrests in the Bangkok bombing. On Monday, they handed out the cash – to themselves.
They arrested a suspect on Saturday, though the man has not been charged. He may not even be the prime suspect in the August 17 bombing at Bangkok’s Erawan Shrine, which killed 20 and left more than 120 injured.
However national police chief Somyot Poompanmoung said he was taking the unusual step of redirecting the 3 million baht reward to highlight that Thailand’s police are good at their job.
It is the ability of Thai officials that led to the arrest. This money should be given to officials who did their job.
— Somyot Poompanmoung, National Police Chief, Thailand
The decision quickly attracted criticism on social media. Many Thai people have expressed doubt that the bombing will be solved, citing the reputation of Thai police for corruption and forcing confessions.
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