EXPATS in Patong are not been singled out for drink-drive offences, Kathu police superintendent Colonel Arayapan Pukbuakao said last night as he oversaw a tout crackdown in Soi Bangla.
''If we arrested every expat drunk in Patong we would have 500 people in our small station cell every night,'' he told Phuketwan. ''People come to Phuket and Patong to have fun. We have no desire to stop people having fun.''
Expat residents and tourists who have been arrested on drink-drive charges have been pulled over at regulation checkpoints, Colonel Arayapan said. Although the station has two breath-test machines, their performance left a lot to be desired, he said.
''Ninety five percent of people who come to Patong drink and drive safely,'' he said. ''We only arrest a very small number who are obviously a danger on the roads.''
However, Patong police have begun a rolling crackdown on drugs, guns and knives in advance of the high season. The crackdown campaign has been underway since November 10 and will be joined on Sunday - the Loy Kratong Festival Day - by volunteers from the Phuket Governor's office and Kathu district.
''Patong is a safe place for a holiday and we aim to keep it that way,'' the colonel said. Various video images on the YouTube online site of touts holding iguanas and elderly salespeople in Soi Bangla projected an image of Phuket that was not good for tourism, he said.
So police are aiming to make sure that Patong was free from drugs and weapons of violence, and aggressive street touts.
A leading Patong businessman recently explained to Phuketwan that the late closing of many establishments in Patong was actually because of pressure exerted on police by nightlife businesses.
The key hours for bars and nightclubs are between 10pm and 2am or later, and this is when the majority of tourists are out enjoying themselves.
Colonel Arayapan said: ''Some people think police are not doing our jobs. We have to always do what is best for Phuket. Police shouldn't join with any businesses, because if that happens, we cannot be independent and enforce the law.
''Officers should also not act as spies or informers to let businesses know when there are raids and crackdowns,'' he added.
Patong Police Nab Busload of Vendors''If we arrested every expat drunk in Patong we would have 500 people in our small station cell every night,'' he told Phuketwan. ''People come to Phuket and Patong to have fun. We have no desire to stop people having fun.''
Expat residents and tourists who have been arrested on drink-drive charges have been pulled over at regulation checkpoints, Colonel Arayapan said. Although the station has two breath-test machines, their performance left a lot to be desired, he said.
''Ninety five percent of people who come to Patong drink and drive safely,'' he said. ''We only arrest a very small number who are obviously a danger on the roads.''
However, Patong police have begun a rolling crackdown on drugs, guns and knives in advance of the high season. The crackdown campaign has been underway since November 10 and will be joined on Sunday - the Loy Kratong Festival Day - by volunteers from the Phuket Governor's office and Kathu district.
''Patong is a safe place for a holiday and we aim to keep it that way,'' the colonel said. Various video images on the YouTube online site of touts holding iguanas and elderly salespeople in Soi Bangla projected an image of Phuket that was not good for tourism, he said.
So police are aiming to make sure that Patong was free from drugs and weapons of violence, and aggressive street touts.
A leading Patong businessman recently explained to Phuketwan that the late closing of many establishments in Patong was actually because of pressure exerted on police by nightlife businesses.
The key hours for bars and nightclubs are between 10pm and 2am or later, and this is when the majority of tourists are out enjoying themselves.
Colonel Arayapan said: ''Some people think police are not doing our jobs. We have to always do what is best for Phuket. Police shouldn't join with any businesses, because if that happens, we cannot be independent and enforce the law.
''Officers should also not act as spies or informers to let businesses know when there are raids and crackdowns,'' he added.
PATONG police swooped on vendors in Soi Bangla last night, arresting a busload of people and taking them back to Kathu police station. Among them was one 76-year-old flower seller.
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95% of people who come to Patong Drink and Drive safely LMFAO
Posted by Michael on November 20, 2010 04:06