PHUKET police are marking the festive season with a series of surprise checks for drugs, weapons, helmets, seatbelts and licences.

Motorists and motorcycle riders can expect to encounter unexpected checkpoints right through until after New Year.

Last night was the third night for a checkpoint in a new spot, not far from Tesco Lotus, towards the Sam Kong intersection in Phuket City.

Police were being helped by volunteers from the local sub-district who, dressed in camouflage fatigues, could have been confused with the army.

Motorbikes were thoroughly searched by torchlight.

Among the cases:

..a drug-taker who arrived at the checkpoint as a passenger in a pickup, clutching yaa bah (methamphetamine) tablets in his clenched fist.

..three girls on a motorcycle, all aged about 14, not wearing helmets and too young to have licenses.

..flick-knives, clearly not working implements, taken from inside a motorcycle seat.

A police officer at last night's checkpoint said the crackdown was primarily aimed at encouraging people to wear helmets for their own protection.

As phuketwan left the scene, we spied a motorcyclist by the side of the road, putting on his helmet, ready to head through the checkpoint.