A South Korean drug offender who was arrested in Thailand sparked controversy after live-streaming from a police transport vehicle and a detention center.
According to the Bangkok Post, the Thai Immigration Bureau announced that it would discipline two immigration officers for allowing the 44-year-old South Korean suspect to conduct the live stream while in custody.
The individual was arrested on October 3 in Chonburi Province, eastern Thailand, on drug trafficking charges. At the time, he had overstayed his visa by 373 days.
The Pattaya Court sentenced him to probation and imposed a fine of approximately $90. Authorities also prepared for his deportation back to South Korea. After being held at Banglamung Police Station in Chonburi, he was transferred to an immigration detention center in Bangkok for deportation.
The controversy erupted while he was being transported to the immigration facility. He used his smartphone to stream live on YouTube from inside the transport vehicle.
Later, he also conducted multiple live broadcasts from within the detention center.
The suspect did not hide his identity. His live streams showed him smoking cigarettes in the detention center and arm-wrestling with other foreign detainees, all of which were broadcast online. He also joked with viewers, saying he was tempted to escape because of the beautiful view of Pattaya Beach.
He boasted about being the wealthiest person in Thailand and claimed that he had bribed officials to gain access to his smartphone. “I gave enough money to the police. There isn’t a police officer who didn’t take money from me,” he reportedly said.
After news spread about his live streaming from both the transport vehicle and the detention center, the Immigration Bureau suspended the two officers responsible. It formed a disciplinary committee to investigate the incident.
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