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Last week was a busy one for the police. Apart from dealing with criminals, the officers ended up starting the Year of the Snake having to clarify their colleagues' villainous behaviour.

Apart from corruption related to the construction of new police stations and officers' flats, the police are also facing allegations of robbing and sexually harassing an actress.

Then came the video clip of police officers trying to extort Chinese New Year tips from the owner of a tailoring shop in Bang Rak district. They did not realise that Nation TV journalist Banjong Cheewamongkonkarn was right there.

And when the sergeant learned about Bangjong's presence, he quickly said: "My boss gets more money than me and other [officers]. The money I am collecting is for the boss - we have been given a very small sum."

However, the officers ended up leaving empty-handed and the incident was recorded on the shop's security camera. This clip went viral on social media and ended up dealing another blow to the reputation of the police bureau.

Another blow came in the form of a report that the Metropolitan Police had been ordered to issue 100 tickets daily. Though their boss tried to quash the "rumour", not many people believed him. Besides, a video clip of traffic police taking cash from a car driver did not help matters.

Obviously, people are once again being reminded of how corrupt Thai police officers can be, and this sentiment has brought their attention to the popular "Hate Thai Police" Facebook page. The page, which was set up in 2011, now has more than 115,000 likes, while its Twitter account (@hatethaipolice) has more than 400 followers.

The page, featuring images and video-clips of police officers violating the law, comes with one edict - there can be no mention of good police officers.

To counter this hatred another Facebook page has been set up called "Anti-Hate Thai Police", which has so far won about 700 likes.

Though the two pages seem to be rivals, both appear to be sharing the same aim - protecting good police officers and exposing bad ones for the sake of the public.

On the other hand, both Facebook and Twitter have accounts set up especially for political purposes and to attack and counterattack opponents.

Among the many players, "SiamLeaks" is clearly pro-government, while "Nak Khao Pak Sanam" (journalist on the field) is against it. Both sides just provide one side of the story, leaving it up to the consumer to decide who they want to believe.

Of course, it is the mainstream and professional media's job to find the truth, but social media allows ordinary people to also help share information. This way, everybody can hunt for truth.

The best example of this is the campaign launched by Elisabetta Polengi - the sister of an Italian photographer killed during the 2010 crackdown in Bangkok. She has set up a Facebook page "Who is this man?" which features the image of a man picking up the camera on her brother Fabio's body. Finding this man, and more importantly, finding the camera and the images it contains can perhaps help open another chapter of truth.

Check out the page. Maybe you can help.