Just last week, my girlfriend sister's bike was stolen.  A witness who saw it told them who it was -  it was actually a boy her sister knew.Any way, this thief immediately traded the bike in for $8000 bahts to an illegal gambling house, which he promptly lost.   So he ran off and disappeared.But before he did, he provided details and telephone number of my gf's sister.So the owner of the illegal gambling den, decided to call up my gf's sister demanding repayment of $8000 bahts plus interest of 10% per day.And when my gf and her sister went to the police for help (with the recording of the conversation on the phone).The police's response was: why don't you just pay the money so you can get the bike back?!?Yup, the boys in brown certainly know who they work for!!!Apparently, the police were receiving tea money from the illegal gambing owner.

they drink a lot of tea in Thailand...

I think they're all self employed...

I think this is more of a case for CSB than the local police especially if a recording of a conversation with the local police has been made. CSB will be interested and more discrete.

However, at the end of the day is 8000 baht worth the serious personal blowback and threats that such a complaint would eventually result in? Nah.

Which is why nothing ever changes.......

8k is worth the bike, and another 8k to the guy who is demanding the money to chop the Balls off the kid that stole it.