Thailand’s national police chief has ordered an investigation into claims by a Chinese tourist that she received “special services” from Thai police – for a price – during a visit to Pattaya with her mother, following a video clip that went viral on TikTok.

Former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom, his ex-deputy Poom Sarapol and 16 other defendants were escorted to Bangkok Special Prison on Friday after being found guilty of offences relating to the bogus government-to-government deals under the Yingluck Shinawatra-led administration’s rice-pledging scheme.