A young Cambodian worker is deeply distressed at the end of the month, left with only 200 baht. He claims that police from Samut Prakan City Police Station extorted 8,000 baht to avoid prosecution for drunk driving. He was then taken to a police outpost, negotiated the amount down to 4,000 baht, and was threatened with deportation if he did not pay. Recently, police at the station said they were in a meeting and unable to provide information.
On 22 July 2026, a reporter reported that at 5:30 p.m. on 21 July, they met with Rath Jeal, a 44-year-old Cambodian national and factory worker in Phraek Sa Subdistrict, Mueang District, Samut Prakan Province. He showed the reporter a banking app displaying his transactions and balance from a Thai bank and recounted the incident that occurred.
Rath Jeal said that around 10 p.m. on 20 July, after finishing overtime work, he went to eat with friends at a shop in Bo Din Alley near Phraek Sa Road. He admitted drinking 1.5 bottles of beer. After separating, he rode a motorcycle home to his residence in Crocodile Farm Alley, Samut Prakan.
While riding near Siwa Market, two police patrol officers on motorcycles approached and signaled him to stop. One was believed to be a volunteer policeman. Both officers got off, searched him, and asked if he had used drugs or consumed alcohol. He admitted to drinking 1.5 bottles of beer. The officers then rode his motorcycle while he sat behind them and took him to Samut Prakan City Police Station to measure his blood alcohol level, which was 60 milligrams percent, exceeding the legal limit by 10 milligrams percent.
The officers then took him to the Kilometer 30 outpost on Sukhumvit Road, about 5 kilometers from Samut Prakan City Police Station. Inside the outpost, they told him that to avoid prosecution, he needed to pay 8,000 baht. He said he did not have that much. They then lowered the demand to 6,000 baht and threatened to prosecute him and deport him if he did not pay. Fearful, he called a Thai friend to negotiate with the officers, who then agreed to reduce the amount to 4,000 baht.
He had only 3,292.85 baht in his bank account and borrowed 1,000 baht from his Thai friend, totaling 4,292.85 baht. He withdrew and paid the two officers 4,000 baht, leaving only 292.85 baht in his account. Before releasing him, the officers asked to check his and his friend's mobile phones to see if any photos or recordings were made.
The next morning, he withdrew another 200 baht for daily expenses, leaving 92.85 baht in his account. This incident caused him great hardship, forcing him to borrow money from friends to get by until his next salary on 1 August.
He advised drinkers as a cautionary tale: if you know you have been drinking, do not drive. It's better to take a taxi and pay a few hundred baht than risk being extorted like he was.
Meanwhile, the reporter tried to contact Samut Prakan City Police Station for the facts, but the relevant officers said they were in a meeting and could not provide information.