Thai police have arrested two officials in Phuket. They were charged with extorting money from entrepreneurs in exchange for issuing building permits.
According to local media Phuket News Center, the police detained 50-year-old head of the Department of Building Control of the Municipality of Patong (Phuket Province) Pornsak Kam-iad and 57-year-old specialist from the Department of Tax Mapping and Property Registration Prasoot Jencharoenkit red-handed.
According to the investigation, officials demanded 250,000 Thai baht (more than $7,000) from a local businessman in exchange for permission to change the construction documentation of the property. They also demanded to pay them an additional 50,000 Thai baht ($1,500) after the service was rendered.
The officials were arrested at a hotel restaurant in Patong, where the businessman brought the money in cash.
