PHUKET: Police in a southern Phuket holiday district are seeking a restoration of good fortune by calling on traditional Buddhist and Hindu spirits for help.
June was a depressing month for law enforcement in the south of Phuket with the shocking murder of Australian travel agent Michelle Smith followed by a brutal rape and murder of a 17-year-old in her Chalong home, plus a nasty shooting.
Chalong Police Superintendent Colonel Sirisak Wasasiri, who arrived in March, has even changed his first name to Kritipas in an effort to shake off the sense that southern Phuket is somehow out of luck.
Today, in a traditional ceremony with Chalong police picking up the 70,000 baht bill, the two most significant Buddhist-Hindu symbols at the Chalong station were changed.
Nine monks chanted and a table food of food of all kinds was blessed as the police station's old spririt house - provided for spirits to reside in rather than in other buildings - was removed and replaced in another part of the property.
A large golden buddha statue was moved out entirely, transferred to a Chalong community station nearby, where volunteers go for training.
It was felt that the old position of the spirit house meant it was overlooked by a four-storey block of police apartments, and that having washing hanging above the spirit house was probably unlucky.
Today's ceremony came at precisely 9.29am, considered the most propitious time on Saturday, a ''strong day.''
Now, with a new spirit house erected and blessed and closer to the entrance rather than the exit, Chalong police hope their beat will be easier.
That beat includes the well-known west coast destinations of Karon, Kata and Kata Noi, where Mrs Smith was murdered on June 20.
Security around the popular holiday island is also being ramped up with a proposal to provide a network of security cameras at all popular Phuket spots and increased surveillance.
Australian Ambassador James Wise also suggested on a visit to Phuket soon after Mrs Smith, 60, was slashed to death in ''bad luck June'' that getting rid of knives, guns and other weapons on the holiday island would be a good idea.
June was a depressing month for law enforcement in the south of Phuket with the shocking murder of Australian travel agent Michelle Smith followed by a brutal rape and murder of a 17-year-old in her Chalong home, plus a nasty shooting.
Chalong Police Superintendent Colonel Sirisak Wasasiri, who arrived in March, has even changed his first name to Kritipas in an effort to shake off the sense that southern Phuket is somehow out of luck.
Today, in a traditional ceremony with Chalong police picking up the 70,000 baht bill, the two most significant Buddhist-Hindu symbols at the Chalong station were changed.
Nine monks chanted and a table food of food of all kinds was blessed as the police station's old spririt house - provided for spirits to reside in rather than in other buildings - was removed and replaced in another part of the property.
A large golden buddha statue was moved out entirely, transferred to a Chalong community station nearby, where volunteers go for training.
It was felt that the old position of the spirit house meant it was overlooked by a four-storey block of police apartments, and that having washing hanging above the spirit house was probably unlucky.
Today's ceremony came at precisely 9.29am, considered the most propitious time on Saturday, a ''strong day.''
Now, with a new spirit house erected and blessed and closer to the entrance rather than the exit, Chalong police hope their beat will be easier.
That beat includes the well-known west coast destinations of Karon, Kata and Kata Noi, where Mrs Smith was murdered on June 20.
Security around the popular holiday island is also being ramped up with a proposal to provide a network of security cameras at all popular Phuket spots and increased surveillance.
Australian Ambassador James Wise also suggested on a visit to Phuket soon after Mrs Smith, 60, was slashed to death in ''bad luck June'' that getting rid of knives, guns and other weapons on the holiday island would be a good idea.
I feel safer already. Not!
Posted by larry on July 21, 2012 13:15