Pattaya police fleece Chinese tourists 30K baht for vapes

Another day, another embarrassing scandal involving Thai cops and their love of some tea money.

A Pattaya police officer was administratively sanctioned today after he confessed to extorting money from a Chinese tour group for carrying e-cigarettes.

In the latest scandal involving police shaking down tourists for money, officers from the Pattaya City Police Station “fined” the Chinese tour group THB60,000 for possessing vapes – which are technically illegal – which the famously frugal tourists bargained down to THB30,000 (US$900).

The police sergeant responsible for the extortion was 2nd Lt. Noppakrit Pornwatthanakit, according to an order signed by Chonburi province police chief Maj. Gen. Kampol Leelapraporn, which instructed Pattaya City police chief Col. Kulchat Kulchai to investigate the matter.

The sergeant, who police say has since admitted to…