PHUKET: The force of Phuket expat police volunteers in Patong will return to regular patrols to protect tourists on Friday after ''positive'' negotiations with senior police today.
A Region 8 volunteer spokesman, Canadian Matt O'Connor, said that police were keen to resolve problems and to work more effectively with the 35 expats in future.
About 10 expats attended the meeting today at Kathu Police Station with Superintendent Colonel Chaiwat Auikam.
It was the first time police and the volunteers had met for four months, despite regular requests from the volunteers.
The colonel said he hoped that meetings would occur at least once a month in future or even every fortnight if there was a need for more frequent meetings.
Some police have tended to ignore the volunteers, possibly misunderstanding their key role in being the first line of protection for tourists in Soi Bangla and other busy parts of Patong.
''Regular patrols will return on Friday but we can be called upon in emergencies if necessary at any time,'' Mr O'Connor, 33, who has been a volunteer for a year, told Phuketwan after the meeting.
As well as some regular issues - jet-ski scams, security cameras and beach fireworks at night - the volunteer delegation alerted the colonel to problems with touts for bars appearing to drink alcohol while working in and around Soi Bangla.
Wal Brown, the volunteers' coordinator, said that there were about 100 Thai touts who worked in Bangla, drawing customers to bars and ping-pong shows.
''They have been told not to drink on the job and they mostly follow the rule,'' Mr Brown said.
''It's different with the 40-60 foreign touts who can be seen in Bangla.''
Time share touts tend to finish about 11pm, Mr Brown said, but those trying to draw customers into bars and nightclubs sometimes carried buckets containing what appeared to be alcohol.
''After midnight some of these touts can get fairly unruly,'' Mr Brown said.
Although tailors' touts are traditional, tourists often find approaches from touts an annoying turn-off. It's not clear how foreigners are able to work as touts in Soi Bangla,
A Region 8 volunteer spokesman, Canadian Matt O'Connor, said that police were keen to resolve problems and to work more effectively with the 35 expats in future.
About 10 expats attended the meeting today at Kathu Police Station with Superintendent Colonel Chaiwat Auikam.
It was the first time police and the volunteers had met for four months, despite regular requests from the volunteers.
The colonel said he hoped that meetings would occur at least once a month in future or even every fortnight if there was a need for more frequent meetings.
Some police have tended to ignore the volunteers, possibly misunderstanding their key role in being the first line of protection for tourists in Soi Bangla and other busy parts of Patong.
''Regular patrols will return on Friday but we can be called upon in emergencies if necessary at any time,'' Mr O'Connor, 33, who has been a volunteer for a year, told Phuketwan after the meeting.
As well as some regular issues - jet-ski scams, security cameras and beach fireworks at night - the volunteer delegation alerted the colonel to problems with touts for bars appearing to drink alcohol while working in and around Soi Bangla.
Wal Brown, the volunteers' coordinator, said that there were about 100 Thai touts who worked in Bangla, drawing customers to bars and ping-pong shows.
''They have been told not to drink on the job and they mostly follow the rule,'' Mr Brown said.
''It's different with the 40-60 foreign touts who can be seen in Bangla.''
Time share touts tend to finish about 11pm, Mr Brown said, but those trying to draw customers into bars and nightclubs sometimes carried buckets containing what appeared to be alcohol.
''After midnight some of these touts can get fairly unruly,'' Mr Brown said.
Although tailors' touts are traditional, tourists often find approaches from touts an annoying turn-off. It's not clear how foreigners are able to work as touts in Soi Bangla,
So , they are tricked into petty assignment of watching "foreign tours carrying buckets, with, what is suspected, to be alcohol"? - and mind their business not to put their noses into fellow enforcers business.
And what their function? To cover gaps and be go-to boys for functions that police should be able provide themsekf, like quality(!) translations, as per Criminal procedure code? And yes, stare should pay for interpretators/translators.
No bdg for this?? Just enforce provincial hotel tax , as it was reported, half of hotels in Phuket (not guest houses) are not registered as hotels and don't pay these dues.
I'm puzzled why these people are not on payroll.
They are not community volunteers keeping law&order in their neighborhood, in effect billion dollars tourism industry is supported by them, there is no case for charity, there is a very strong case for professional service in what they're doing or supposed to do.
They hardly have any enforcement rights now.
If there would be half-decent payroll , then potentially people with proper qualification could be attracted, and yes, overhauling legal framework of what're their rights and area of competence - and protocol vis a vis fellow police, would be highly helpful.
Otherwise, voiceless rightness presence of volunteers when some officers are engaged in ambiguous acts, actually has an effect of cover up.
Posted by Sue on March 11, 2015 16:10
Editor Comment:
Better to have the volunteers patrolling than not, Sue. There have been no accusations on Phuket of volunteers being involved in corruption - quite the opposite. If you have some evidence, produce it or cease making your foolish remarks. Not everyone responds to money. Please don't attribute your own motivations to others.