Soldiers for debt collectors

Soldiers for debt collectors

BANGKOK (AP): Thailand's army commander in chief will investigate reports that a colonel and 50 military policemen were hired to collect a 100 million baht ($2.1 million) debt from a wealthy businessman.

Gen. Chetta Thanajaro said he had appointed a panel to investigate the incident and its findings would be submitted to Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai, who is also defense minister, the Bangkok Post reported.

The 50 military policemen were engaged in a tense, armed standoff with about 100 Bangkok police on Wednesday night at a nightclub in the capital owned by the unidentified tycoon as they tried to collect the debt.

No one was arrested in the incident, and the reports did not identify who had hired the military police.

Chetta warned army personnel when he became commander in chief two years ago to stop moonlighting as bodyguards, nightclub bouncers and enforcers for wealthy businessmen or criminal godfathers.