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Major General Chalermkiat (left) and Khun Songsak tour Patong

Bangkok Officials Check Patong Safety Zone as a Thailand Wide Project

Thursday, October 17, 2013
PHUKET: One of Thailand's top police officers and a senior public servant visited Phuket on Wednesday to check on the progress of the Patong Safety Zone.

The idea will be rolled out throughout Thailand if Patong's experience proves it's a worthy pilot model.

Major General Chalermkiat Sriworakan and Songsak Wongpoomwiwat, President of the Subcommittee of the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission, talked to officials, businesspeople and police volunteers.

Officers at Kathu Police Station, which oversees Patong, reckoned that the safety zone project had helped to reduce crime in the popular west coast tourist hub.

The concept was adopted as a pilot project for Patong last year after the knife murder of Australian travel agent Michelle Smith at Kata Noi, south of Patong.

Her two killers were quickly arrested and sentenced to life in jail and there hasn't been a case of that seriousness on Phuket since.

Major General Chalermkiat, Assistant to Thailand's Police Chief, has been assessing the success of the Safety Zone project.

Back in October, he said: ''We have noted a drop in crime since the project began in Patong. That's something we can use throughout the whole country.

''Once we can confirm the success in Patong, we will spread the concept nationwide.''

With Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra aiming at maximising the income from tourism, the project is a priority for police.

Officers in Patong have divided the city into six zones, each protected by police working with local volunteer residents. Security cameras have also been rolled out in greater numbers through Patong.

A former Governor of Phuket, Wichai Praisa-ngob, used the term ''thousand eyes of the pineapple'' to apply to help gained from community networks.

Comments

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"each protected by police working with local volunteer residents. Security cameras have also been rolled out in greater numbers through Patong".

Are they the same people that protect and hide scammers, touts and boys with lorisis and iguana in Bangla Road? And may be the same cameras that can't see and record anything about that??

Posted by richard on October 18, 2013 12:35

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Pity they didn't go:

1. At night time
2. In plain clothes

This is more farcical than the "raids" on Pantip Plaza in Bangkok where "no porn DVDs were found".

Posted by Buster on October 18, 2013 15:40

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@Richard

It seems like this is a concerted effort aimed at major crimes...you seem to be focused on the small matters best left to local police.

The approach as described seems like professional law enforcement tactics and it also indicates that the importance of the tourist community to The Thai economy is recognized.

Seems like a good thing, no?

Posted by Concerned & Impressed on October 18, 2013 17:53

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@ Concerned...
every big improvement start with a small step... http://phuketwan.com/tourism/injured-loris-raises-rihanna-issue-treatment-animals-phuket-19035/

Posted by richard on October 19, 2013 19:09


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