Two police officers and five non-commissioned officers at Huai Khwang station have been transferred to inactive posts over the alleged extortion of a visiting Taiwanese actress.
Pol Maj Gen Atthaporn Wongsiripreeda, commander of the Metropolitan Police Division 1, ordered the transfers on Monday.
The written order identified the transferred policemen as Pol Capt Yodrit Langkulsen, deputy inspector for crime suppression, Pol Capt Patiphan Sirichaiwathana, deputy inspector for administration, Pol Sen Sgt Maj Athiwet Julaphan, Pol Sen Sgt Maj Krisada Khammana, Pol Sgt Chalermchai Siriwangso, Pol Sgt Wacharanont Chaoyong and Pol Sgt Nanthawat Suwanna.
They were transferred to the operations centre of Metropolitan Police Division 1 ahead of a disciplinary and criminal investigation.
The transfer order referred to reports of Huai Khwang policemen extorting 27,000 baht from Taiwanese actress Charlene An in exchange for ignoring her possession of a prohibited vaping device at a checkpoint they set up on Ratchadaphisek Road in front of the Chinese embassy, about 2am on Jan 4.
Ms An was on holiday in Bangkok at the time and was travelling in a Grab taxi with friends, on their way back to their hotel.