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Colonel Ngo Minh Chau (left) meets Phuket police in Phuket City today

Phuket Crime Levels Dip Despite Lack of Extra Police

Wednesday, October 24, 2012
PHUKET: Crime on Phuket has gone down in the past five years, the Deputy Commander of Phuket Police, Colonel Peerayut Karajedee, said today.

''Not only that,'' he said, ''we catch more of the perpetrators these days because of better data bases and security cameras.''

He said that in many ways, having a low ratio of officers to residents and tourists had proved to be a positive.

''We can always use more police officers,'' he said. ''But it's quite surprising how well we do with the number we have.''

Phuket has just 1100 officers for an island with a population that ranges as high as one million in some high season months.

The surprising ratio was commented on today by Special Colonel Ngo Minh Chau, who came to learn from Phuket police as part of a delegation from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

He met with Colonel Peerayut, Phuket Police Commander Major General Chote Chawanwiwat and other officers to exchange ideas at Phuket Provincial Police Headquarters in Phuket City.

The colonel said he was very interested in the ''1000 eyes of the pineapple'' concept of involving residents in basic police work.

The idea had been adapted in each of the six areas that constituted the Patong Safety Zone, a concept that will be used across the whole of Phuket and then the whole of Thailand.

''We chose Phuket for this visit because we wanted to learn from a prime holiday destination,'' Colonel Ngo Minh Chau said.

When asked whether he was concerned about the deaths in Vietnam of tourists American Kari Bowerman, 27, and Canadian Cathy Huynh, 26, in a mystery that mirrors the deaths of Canadian sisters Audrey and Noemi Belanger on Phi Phi, the colonel said the case wasn't his area.

The colonel aims to try to find time for a swim at Patong this afternoon.

Comments

Comments have been disabled for this article.

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Sounds good in statistics, but traffic stats and drowning stats are not reported at all for now, or just from some local hospitals. So how much is reported in crime stats? Has the bar for petty and serious crimes been lowered or even higher at this time?

Posted by HeppHepp on October 24, 2012 18:18

Editor Comment:

All good points, and we'd really like to see TRANSPARENCY become part of the equation more regularly on Phuket. Compiling and posting updated statistics would be the first sign of Phuket becoming genuinely international.

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why you never bring facts? where are the crime figures? looks like you believe everything they told you ...

Posted by mike on October 24, 2012 19:06

Editor Comment:

If you have compiled reliable statistics, please give them to us, mike. Otherwise, we are obliged to accept that the police may have a little more knowledge. Even without figures, we'd rate their assessment as better than your guesswork.

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It probably is lower because most people don't bother reporting anymore, there is no point.
I have been burgaled twice in 4 years my ex wife had a prowler in her house and beat him off, now she is subject to a terror campaign because the burglar " lost face'. Police response, No farang woman should live in Phuket alone.
Its all a sham and no matter what spin people try to put on it we all know. Only the self interested deny it.

Posted by stuart on October 24, 2012 23:38

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guesswork? you do the same.
my view is from 8 years living here. working all over thailand and reading in thai as well. just read the other newspaper and sources better and you get a very good view on everything. thai goverment like to talk white lies if you know what i am talking about...

Posted by mike on October 25, 2012 19:42

Editor Comment:

One thing we don't do is employ guesswork, mike. if all your news comes to you from other sources and not from your own research, you are a reader, nothing more.


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