No Golf Please, We Are On Duty

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- With crime surging as hard times hit Thailand, Bangkok police have been ordered to take a drastic measure to combat mayhem on the streets.

The directive: Stop golfing while on duty.

Police Gen. Wannarat Katcharak said no officer, including superintendents, will be allowed to hit the links unless their neighborhood is absolutely crime free, the Bangkok Post reported today.

The general said policemen caught driving in the rough instead of driving around town will be transferred to an inactive post.

Losing one's job in the Thai civil service, police or military for wrongdoing is extremely rare. Instead, wrongdoers are shifted to jobs with no responsibilities, where they still pick up a government paycheck but have less opportunity to pocket bribes.

Courtesy Associated Press