Ex-police chief faces investigation
Chuwit files complaint about massage parlour reopening close to a school
Former Bangkok police chief Jakthip Chaijinda will soon be investigated for allegedly approving the setting up of a massage parlour across the road from a school – a repeat of a similar controversial approval given several years ago.
Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung yesterday promised that a probe would be launched after he received a complaint from MP Chuwit Kamolvisit about the reopening of the Elina massage parlour.
Chuwit, a former massage parlour tycoon and now leader of the Rak Prathet Thai Party, said that as a woman, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra should not allow the setting up of any new parlours and even revoke the licences granted to existing venues.
He added that the 1966 law legalising massage parlours should be changed because these places were just used for prostitution. Chuwit admitted that he ran a massage-parlour empire in the past, but said he regretted it and that society had forgiven him. He also challenged anybody claiming that he had secretly opened or was operating massage parlours to come out and provide evidence.
The Elina massage parlour is located on Ratchadaphisek Road near the Huay Khwang intersection, across from Triam Udom Pattanakarn Rachadaphisek School. According to law, the parlour’s location is far away enough from the school to make it legal, but Chuwit says that it was morally unacceptable for a parlour to be operated there and that it should not be allowed to reopen.
A similar incident took place a few years ago, when Elina opened and had to be closed a few days later after the owners were attacked by the media as well as parents’ and women’s groups. The parlour owner had then said a senior policeman, who at that time was Jakthip before he was transferred out of Bangkok, had approved the opening of the parlour.
Former police chief Kowit Vattana had revoked the licence of Elina, but it looked like the owner was trying to reopen the parlour earlier this week as signs had been put up advertising vacancies.
After receiving a complaint from Chuwit, Chalerm said corrupt policemen “made a living” from the tea money given to them by parlour owners and said that the number of massage parlours in the country should be dropping, not rising.
He said that people who disliked him might think that he had made a secret deal with Chuwit to take action against massage parlour owners. He said an investigation into Jakthip’s actions would be launched soon.
