A rescue volunteer who waited for more than six hours for police to collect a body has been transferred to take care of a shrine after the story went viral, sparking social media criticism of police.
The Ruam Katanyu Foundation on Friday ordered Noppadol Seethongkham, code-named "Nakhon 71", to temporarily stop working in the field and assigned him to take care of a shrine at the foundation's office in Samut Prakan's Bang Phli district from Saturday.
The transfer order came a week after his story went viral on social media, sparking numerous comments critical of the police.
On Feb 23, Mr Noppadol -- a member of the foundation's rapid deployment unit -- waited for police to collect a man's corpse retrieved from the Chao Phraya River near Rama VII bridge. It was a long wait, he said -- from 1.30am to 8am.
The delay was due to confusion over which of three police stations had jurisdiction over the body: Prachachuen, Bang Pho or Bang Kruai.
After he posted the picture, sympathy for "Nakhon 71" poured in -- along with criticism of police for making him spend the night with a dead body on a pier. Several police patrols came and went until officers from Bang Kruai station eventually conducted an autopsy and sent the body for further examination.
Rescue workers are forbidden to remove bodies from crime scenes until police come to conduct a preliminary autopsy and collect evidence.
"The foundation has been negatively affected by police and related agencies" after Mr Noppadon did not come out to "correct" the story, said the order.
A five-member panel has been set up to review his performance, according to the order.
