Thread: Would you enter the witness protection system?

Well, it would seem that Thailand is soon to introduce a witness protection scheme. While this may sound like jolly good fun, I for one would never put my trust in a Thai witness protection scheme. I would prefer to take my own chances. In fact, I'm not sure I would want to join a witness protection scheme anywhere in the world, let alone Thailand.

Would you join a witness protection scheme - even if it was the missus asking?

Witness protection law coming

A new law will be passed soon to protect the public and informers who reveal information about corruption, Office of Civil Service Council (OCSC) secretary-general Preecha Watcharaphai said yesterday.



The spirit of the law will be aimed at assuring people who volunteer information about corruption, or serve as witnesses in corruption trials - that their lives, and those of their family members, will be protected.

Details on the protective measures, the scope of the law, and other aspects have not yet been specified. University law lecturers, who conducted a feasibility study, have been hired to work out the draft.

The witness protection law is part of the OCSC work plan for the next year, which also includes a career development programme to improve the performance of government officials in all offices, according to PM's Office Minister Khunying Dhipavadee Meksawan.

An ex-OCSC chief, Dhipavadee said she was confident the career development programme would be put into effect within the one-year term of the Surayud government. "It's not difficult to make government officials highly reliable, and true professionals," she said.

The average age of government officials is 43, and those in their 30s and 50s make up 70 per cent of all the state workforce. Moves being considered to enhance officials' professional skills include making career development skills mandatory when new staff are enlisted.

To mark the 80th birthday of His Majesty the King on December 5, 2007, Preecha said the OCSC was in the process of working out a decree to pardon all officials who are being penalised or undergoing disciplinary action.

Another major OCSC work plan was the setting up of a "committee on protection of officials' virtue system" that would take direct disciplinary action and impose punishments for corruption.

Piyanart Srivalo
The Nation

I agree with you William. There are a lot better ways to hide than letting some government take care of it....

Originally Posted by friscofrankie

I ain't no fuckin rat. Why would I go into some "witness protection" scheme? Seriously, why trust your safety to someone else? When that some one else is a large, leaks like a seive, Organisation?

You wanna keep a secret? Don't tell anybody. Definitely not some organisation with 9,947 underpaid, avaricious, money grubbin' employees that have access to your name address, phone number and bank account. Jumpin off a pattaya high-rise would be less effective.

Even if Thailand was completely corruption free, the country is waaaay too small to have an effective "Witness Protection" program.

I see where you are coming from FF and kind of agree with what you are saying. But what say your missus had to go in the Witness Protection Programme - would you go with her or would you say "listen love, I can take care of you waaayyy better than that bunch can"?

I think I would go with the second of those two options myself

No way.

wittness protection sinonymous with "rat" and this type of rat spends the rest of its natural life looking over its shoulder

a somchai ran wittness protection programme would be the equivalent to putting your new name and address on the Internet as a free download

I would "put my foot down" on this.
First; forbid the ol' lady to rat. This kind of an religion with me. So if the ol' lady was rat, I'd have to think long nad hard about our relationship.

Second option; she is falsely accused and considered a rat. I would not go for the WP or allow her to do so. I am pretty good at goin underground, as important as they are is to me though walking away from my kids (fully grown) would be too tough. To effectively disappear, you need to drop all past relationships, livig like some rat in cave is just NOT worth it, IMO. If no other solution was available, a pre-emptive 'defensive' move would certainly be a consideration.

Third option; she tells me, "fuck off I'm goin' in." This one would be hard to deal with. A.) she obviously does not trust/love me enough to stick it out. DO I want to stay with someone like that? B.) She is so shit scared that she feels she must trust a "higher authority" to protect her. Well, she is obviously too stupid to live but do I "cut and run?" Or, do I stick with her in hope that I can protect her when the time comes? Being under the "protective" wing of the Thai police would be like being a tethered animal in some "hunting" preserve.

Jury would be out a while on that one. Either way; I am sure I live to regret the dicision, if only a short while...

Now if I had to go into the programme in the UK and I had the option to be sent here (expenses paid), then I think it would be worth thinking about. But, I'd never trust a Somchai to do anything right, so there's no way I'd do a Thai programme.

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

...no way I'd do a Thai programme.

Is that anything like a program??

Originally Posted by friscofrankie

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

...no way I'd do a Thai programme.

Is that anything like a program??

That's another word you've learnt to spell properly!

I bet they would be selling your address after a few months to crazed gunmen for a few thousand BAht

Well I did have to have police protection here at one time.
I had 5 police officiers assigned to keep me alive long enough to testify.
I'm still here, so I guess they did their job.

I sure as hell would not want to go through it all again.

Originally Posted by Thetyim

Well I did have to have police protection here at one time.

Can you tell us more about the situation?

The 'scheme' will last until the next coup...

So you are thinking of going into hiding? This is to do with mrsQ's thread isn't it???

What one of my threads MD?



I can't see how a witness protection progam would work here. Thais are always grassing each other up or boasting about how they are better than others."Oh yes I'm in the witness protection programme"

Originally Posted by buadhai

Can you tell us more about the situation?

What you mean grass myself up on a public forum ?

I expect my testifying has been forgotten now but I am not going to test that assumption out.

Originally Posted by Thetyim

Originally Posted by buadhai

Can you tell us more about the situation?

What you mean grass myself up on a public forum ?

I expect my testifying has been forgotten now but I am not going to test that assumption out.

Think we can get any money for you???? I will split it with ya !!!

Originally Posted by Thetyim

What you mean grass myself up on a public forum ?

Well, you could be vague and non-specific.

BTW, has there been some sort of change in punctuation ethics? I noticed you put a space between the last word of the sentence and the question mark. My Mom has started doing the same thing in all her e-mail and I'm wondering if I missed out on some sort of shift in the typographical arts.

Originally Posted by buadhai

Well, you could be vague and non-specific.

Difficult to explain in a meaniful way and still remain vague.

The new punctuation trend was instigated by old people who have failing eyesight and squint at words and mutter 'what's that last character' ?

The French use that space. That's why I will never do it.

I think I would do it.

I would grow a huge stomach, shave my head and talk in a rude, loud, gutteral, accented voice then walk around the beach areas in speedos too small for me with a tiny Issan girl alongside me.

Fit right in.

Originally Posted by Bung

I think I would do it.

I would grow a huge stomach, shave my head and talk in a rude, loud, gutteral, accented voice then walk around shopping malls in speedos too small for me with a tiny Issan girl alongside me.

Fit right in, in the middle of Korat.

i think your thinking is a little flawed here, then again, perhaps not

No, you're right KingWilly, just a little flawed. Grow 18.2 stone of flab, start speaking German, and add a spectacular mullet and nobody will ever recognise you again. A tache is optional, but advised. The speedoes, alas, are essential.