Although no official reason has been given, Col Chote was relieved of command of Phuket City Police after a raid by Phuket Provincial Police on the JS2 night pub in Phuket City on April 21, where 11 underage staff were caught working.
On May 7, he was transferred to Phuket Provincial Police Office pending further investigation of the case. Now he is back in harness, but in Phang Nga.
Replacing Col Chote is the Superintendent of Kathu Police Station, Pol Col Sermpan Sirikong. This is the second move for Col Sermpan in the space of two months. Until mid-April he was Superintendent of Investigation Police in Chumphon Province.
His place will, in turn, be taken by Pol Col Jirapat Phoachanapan, transferred from Bangkok.
Col Jirapat, too, has had his difficulties. On June 5 was relieved of command of Samranrat Police Station in Bangkok and given a temporary posting at the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB).
Sources say that the order came after anti-government posters were found in the area under Col Jirapat’s responsibility.
The Acting Commissioner of the MPB, Maj Gen Karomwit Thupkrajang, told Bangkok-based media that there was no particular significance in Col Jirapat’s transfer to Kathu beyond the fact that he had requested the posting.