PHUKET: Hundreds of additional police will be stationed on Phuket within months, the Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Police said yesterday on his first visit to the international holiday island.
Deployment of the extra officers will begin from July 1 and conclude in October with the grand opening of the newly built Region 8 Police Headquarters, near the Tachatchai Checkpoint in northern Phuket, General Soyot Pumpanmujang told a large gathering at the Royal Phuket City Hotel.
In a keynote address to officers from various branches of the police force and to senior police from Region 8 and Region 9, General Soyot, making his first visit out of Bangkok, made the following points:
.. Corruption in government organisations will not be tolerated under under circumstances.
.. Police have to prepare for the arrival of the Asean Economic Community by upgrading English-language skills.
.. Security of tourists and residents remains the main priority for police on Phuket and in the Andaman region.
Consideration is being given, he said, to creating a separate police station to oversee Phuket International Airport and the surrounding area, including Nai Yang beach, relieving the pressure on Tachatchai Police Station.
The intention is to also upgrade police posts on Phi Phi island and at Ao Nang in Krabi to full police stations because of the pressure of work generated by tourism.
''Drugs, the continuing arrival of Rohingya boatpeople and human trafficking remained major issues for police in the region'', General Soyot said.
The moving of Region 8 headquarters from Surat Thani province to Phuket will provide the island with police who could be deployed as part of training exercises and in the event of special needs.
The general made special mention of a complaint made by the management of Tiger Pub in Patong, Phuket's west coast nightlife hub, to the highest level of the force in Bangkok.
The Tiger management had complained about the number of visits paid to nightclubs and bars under the well-known brand.
''There is no cause for complaint about police visits at any establishment,'' he said. ''The visits have all come up empty-handed, which is surely a good thing.
''Good nightlife operators should welcome police visits because those visits help ensure the safety of patrons. Tourists are hardly likely to be disturbed by officers whose main concern is their safety.''
The general said that whether a person was powerful or not, the laws of Thailand should apply to them all equally.
''We don't care how big you are,'' the general said. ''There will be no greng jai [special respect for the powerful] in the Thai police force. Our priority is to put law enforcement first.''
Deployment of the extra officers will begin from July 1 and conclude in October with the grand opening of the newly built Region 8 Police Headquarters, near the Tachatchai Checkpoint in northern Phuket, General Soyot Pumpanmujang told a large gathering at the Royal Phuket City Hotel.
In a keynote address to officers from various branches of the police force and to senior police from Region 8 and Region 9, General Soyot, making his first visit out of Bangkok, made the following points:
.. Corruption in government organisations will not be tolerated under under circumstances.
.. Police have to prepare for the arrival of the Asean Economic Community by upgrading English-language skills.
.. Security of tourists and residents remains the main priority for police on Phuket and in the Andaman region.
Consideration is being given, he said, to creating a separate police station to oversee Phuket International Airport and the surrounding area, including Nai Yang beach, relieving the pressure on Tachatchai Police Station.
The intention is to also upgrade police posts on Phi Phi island and at Ao Nang in Krabi to full police stations because of the pressure of work generated by tourism.
''Drugs, the continuing arrival of Rohingya boatpeople and human trafficking remained major issues for police in the region'', General Soyot said.
The moving of Region 8 headquarters from Surat Thani province to Phuket will provide the island with police who could be deployed as part of training exercises and in the event of special needs.
The general made special mention of a complaint made by the management of Tiger Pub in Patong, Phuket's west coast nightlife hub, to the highest level of the force in Bangkok.
The Tiger management had complained about the number of visits paid to nightclubs and bars under the well-known brand.
''There is no cause for complaint about police visits at any establishment,'' he said. ''The visits have all come up empty-handed, which is surely a good thing.
''Good nightlife operators should welcome police visits because those visits help ensure the safety of patrons. Tourists are hardly likely to be disturbed by officers whose main concern is their safety.''
The general said that whether a person was powerful or not, the laws of Thailand should apply to them all equally.
''We don't care how big you are,'' the general said. ''There will be no greng jai [special respect for the powerful] in the Thai police force. Our priority is to put law enforcement first.''
It's difficult to believe in it.
As THE PIE is just one , the same, but a number of eaters will grow twofold?
Or, the pie will grow?
Posted by Sue on February 8, 2015 16:10