PHUKET: Authorities on Phuket will be better prepared for riots in future but Phuket's Governor hopes the island's people don't aim on repeating the weekend's siege of an island police station.
''Before we build a world-class city we have to build world-class citizens,'' Governor Jamleran Tipayapongtada said today.
He said the riot would become a case study for Phuket and other provinces.
There would definitely be a faster reaction next time, Governor Jamleran said of the 15-hour protest that was only resolved by the arrival of 200 Army troops who were trucked in from the province of Nakkon Si Thammarat, a five-hour road trip.
It's not clear why an armed force took so long to assemble and despatch but the Phuket governor says that the lesson has been learned and changes mean delays are unlikely to happen in future.
Two separate investigations are underway.
An independent panel is looking into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of two young men when their motorcycle crashed during a police pursuit on Saturday, triggering the protest. Four police have been transferred off the island as a result.
Police meanwhile are aiming to arrest the perpetrators who threw rocks through windows at Thalang Police Station, torched nine cars and damaged other vehicles, and injured nine police officers.
''Before we build a world-class city we have to build world-class citizens,'' Governor Jamleran Tipayapongtada said today.
He said the riot would become a case study for Phuket and other provinces.
There would definitely be a faster reaction next time, Governor Jamleran said of the 15-hour protest that was only resolved by the arrival of 200 Army troops who were trucked in from the province of Nakkon Si Thammarat, a five-hour road trip.
It's not clear why an armed force took so long to assemble and despatch but the Phuket governor says that the lesson has been learned and changes mean delays are unlikely to happen in future.
Two separate investigations are underway.
An independent panel is looking into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of two young men when their motorcycle crashed during a police pursuit on Saturday, triggering the protest. Four police have been transferred off the island as a result.
Police meanwhile are aiming to arrest the perpetrators who threw rocks through windows at Thalang Police Station, torched nine cars and damaged other vehicles, and injured nine police officers.
I ask one question, why weren't the many other Phuket police called in, it appears the "less than brave" Thalang police, could have used some help, hopefully from more "heroic" brothers in arms.
Posted by Laurie Howells on October 15, 2015 18:18
Editor Comment:
Police were called in from other stations. Indeed, some of the injured were from other stations. As the police were vastly outnumbered - at least 10 to one - and up against a volatile and aggressive mob, confrontation would have been plain stupid. There is no question that police did the right thing. Watch the videos, Laurie.