Hello Kitty: Emasculating Thai Police Since 1974*

08. Aug, 2007 Comments

Hello Kitty

It seems the question was posed in the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok recently: What better way to teach our law enforcement officials a lesson than through public humiliation? And, truly, what greater shame could be inflicted on a staunch, over-bearing asian man than to having to wear a hot-pink accessory depicting Hello Kitty, Ambassador of All Things Cute and Girly? It seems that when the Thai want to teach you a lesson, they really get you where it hurts.

Naughty PolicemanStarting this month, police officers guilty of minor offenses (such as littering, being late to work, or parking in an off-limits area) will be forced to wear Hello Kitty armbands for a day. Sadly, while wearing the armbands they will not be made to go out in public, instead they will be confined to their division office for time-out.

The goal of all this, of course, is to ensure the officers feel suitably ashamed of their actions to not repeat them again. “[Hello] Kitty is a cute icon for young girls,” says the policy’s mastermind, Pongpat Chayaphan, “it’s not something macho police officers want covering their biceps.” Well done, sir, well done.

Apparently, they tried this trick earlier, but instead of the armbands being pink, they were in a sort of manly plaid. They didn’t work, though, as the police officers they were issued to took them home as keepsakes (which boggles my mind). Only one of the original ten given out was returned afterward. That’s when the Crime Suppression Division decided to bring out the big guns, I suppose. Maybe they figured, If it worked for Darth Vader, it can work for us. Sound logic, if you ask me.

Source (and photo): CNN and The New York Times

* Not really. Pretty much just since this month.

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  • Maybe if they had to wear an entire hello kitty uniform . . .
    Though, pretty ironic that the police are stealing plaid clothes. Kind of doesn't make sense if you ask me.
  • its an ironic decision, they maybe looked cute, but the truth is the policemen who wear that kind of stuff had committed an offense.
  • Now that’s something you don’t see everyday. I think Koichi is right, an entire hello kitty uniform is much more humilating. Stealing plaid you say? interesting………Maybe they were just sick of seeing the same old colors and thought "hey, this looks pretty [dang] cool" haha
  • Maybe they're in love with Oregon / Canada. All they need is Birkenstock shoes to round their outfit off.
  • ahha. When I think of plaid, I imagine Clark Kent from Smallville. The classic farm boy, and yet, I don't think the police were going for that look.
  • Onimusha Nosferatu
    it's kinda pointless if they're not humiliated. make them walk the streets. psychological torture.
  • Fredy
    They should make them wear it outside. They should. HAHA.

  • Onimusha Nosferatu and Freddy:


    While I agree that it would be funny to make them wear it on patrol, the rational side of me recognizes that it probably wouldn't be good to have the community start disrespecting or teasing them. A loss of authority probably wouldn't be worth it.

  • Am I the only one that finds it not that humiliating to wear a Hello Kitty armband?

  • Viet:


    Quite possibly, yeah. I like Hello Kitty, but I wouldn't want to wear that.

  • Kurisu
    In return, if your a good example to other, they should make you wear Keroppi or Batz Maru.. lol ^_^

  • @Erin


    I wouldn't want to wear one also. But I can think of more humiliating things they could employ instead. The armband is like a slap on the wrist.


    But then again.. We are talking about macho Thai man.

  • sa wat dee.

    @Erin
    Yeah, that is reasonable. Go rationalizing!

    @Viet
    Depends on the machoness I suppose. But if they were really macho, wouldn't their machoness just distract everyone from the armband?

    Also, unless there is a lowered percentage in crime or whatever and an increase in police effectiveness, I kind of see this thing as useless. But if I worked for Hello Kitty, I'd be very happy, assuming they somehow make a profit from this, if not some type of advertising.

    I should ask my FES friends who went back to Thailand if they've seen this. haha.
  • Daniel
    lol this is humiliating? Well, actually, I wouldn't want to be caught wearing that thing on my arm. :(
  • Immelmann
    I gotta say, the guy on the photo doesn't seem to unhappy about it :) Still, not a bad idea! I wish they'd make something like this for Russian police, but, realistically, the police force here is too corrupt, nobody ever gets caught, and, for a final counter-argument, hardly anyone knows what hello kitty is...
  • Marc
    Make them wear skirt,no, not a kilt,but a skirt,around the office. That would be humiliating!
  • Man, I didn't realize how merciless the tofugu audience is, hehe.
  • @ viet: real men wear pink!! XD

    the darth vader pic is scary.. its like proving how power full Hello Kitty is *buru*

    i guess making them wearing the armband for a day will make people to disrespect them, and all, but whats the point of making them wear it inside the office? doh!
  • Tiya
    They should make them wear it outside.
    There is really no real "humiliation" if they're all just locked up in a room together.

    lol! I think making them them wear skirt is a bit much if they we're only late to work and other tiny little offenses like that...
  • Kirby
    I lol'd.
  • Sexy Beam
    That is completely awesome.
  • Kaijiru
    I wonder if it'll work, really. Perhaps if it wasn't on the news, it might do more damage. Seeing as when people look as someone wearing it, they'd be like "oh, he was just late, he's not wearing it by choice".
  • Hah!!!! Super neat. :P
    That probably will make them even more scarier... Cutie pink thai cops that beat your as off until you regret every single thing you've done wrong in your life.
    They should make their staffs pink too, maybe with a flower/sanrio ornament in the end of it.
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