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.
"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