Does Pattaya still have those expat guys acting as sort of cops or has it all died off?

Talking about it last night and no one knew yes or no.

I've never seen any expat cops anywhere in Thailand. Bro, they are all Thai. Go to the cop shop and ask, they'll tell you the same :)

I've never seen any expat cops anywhere in Thailand. Bro, they are all Thai. Go to the cop shop and ask, they'll tell you the same :)

They always had ‘Tourist Police’ western wanna-be cops in Walking Street a few years ago.


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They're still there; volonteers at traffic police, highway police, city police and tourist police. 

I know a few personally and one of them is translator at Soi 9.

A couple weeks ago there was a man flashing some kind of ID around a Rhom Pho Complex bar. He claimed he was a volunteer cop and he could arrest anyone he wanted.

49 minutes ago, GaryB1263 said:

A couple weeks ago there was a man flashing some kind of ID around a Rhom Pho Complex bar. He claimed he was a volunteer cop and he could arrest anyone he wanted.

What a plonker !

59 minutes ago, GaryB1263 said:

A couple weeks ago there was a man flashing some kind of ID around a Rhom Pho Complex bar. He claimed he was a volunteer cop and he could arrest anyone he wanted.

Obviously as a non-Thai he doesn't have powers of arrest.

12 hours ago, bbi1 said:

I've never seen any expat cops anywhere in Thailand. Bro, they are all Thai. Go to the cop shop and ask, they'll tell you the same :)

Actually there are a few farang in uniform at a police station in Chiang Mai. Not sure what rank they hold but mainly used for translation purposes. I know at least one American and one Australian. Have also heard there is a French guy. I have had dealings with the American guy. 

56 minutes ago, phantomfiddler said:

What a plonker !

Not really....there is such a thing  called a "citizen's arrest" in a lot of countries....don't even need a uniform to make one.

 

 

 

 

Its hard enough to understand all the various types of Thai police, traffic police (white helmet), general police (gold helmet) , provincial police, crime investigation police (Dark blue uniform). Railway police, immigration police, border police.

 

Then there are tourist police, part of the police force but they apparently dont have the same powers of arrest as normal police, dont investigate crime etc. More like the translation and PR arm of the normal police. Anything beyond an insurance claim or help finding your hotel and they call the regulars.

 

Then there are police volunteers, expats etc who accompany and assist the regular and tourist police with translations etc. A quick background check and a lecture and you get a police volunteer badge etc. Absolutely no police powers beyond that of a normal citizen, ie: citizens arrest etc

 

I think some of the confusion arises because there are westerners who are fully signed up Thai police.

 

There are police volunteers who take it far to seriously, dress up like they are in a swat team, act independently to the real police they are supposed to be accompanying etc. 

 

People tend to confuse tourist police and police volunteers, often referring to the volunteers as tourist police.

 

Given that every second security guard also dress's like the police , it gets very confusing.

 

 

Edited October 20, 20178 yr by Peterw42

I have an elderly Farang neighbour in Chiang Mai who likes to dress up as a policeman

 

You are wrong on a few points above. But actually if its confusing to you, and doesn't affect you personally then why care about it, or comment. Then you make it confusing for others. Let westerners do what they like in their volunteer/assistant/translator roles, if it's their thing. Why worry about what others do.

2 minutes ago, couchpotato said:

You are wrong on a few points above. But actually if its confusing to you, and doesn't affect you personally then why care about it, or comment. Then you make it confusing for others. Let westerners do what they like in their volunteer/assistant/translator roles, if it's their thing. Why worry about what others do.

Happy to be corrected.

I didnt realise that you can only comment on forum topics if it directly affected by it.

 

See some expatriate wannabe donut munchers around Chiang Mai.  Have also noted some coming into Immigration in their wannabe uniforms so they can get processed faster.  Disgusting.

 

Dont know about police uniforms, but i used to like my girlfriends dress up as nurses etc.

Still do looking at girls in nurses uniform.

Edited October 20, 20178 yr by colinneil

Yes there are. In Pattaya, Phuket and Bangkok. Foreign Police Volunteers have not a specific police training, but help to ease contact between foreigner and thai police.

50 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

 

 

I didnt realise that you can only comment on forum topics if it directly affected by it.

 

 

Well now you know, so... don't do it again!!

 

;-)

 

14 hours ago, bbi1 said:

I've never seen any expat cops anywhere in Thailand. Bro, they are all Thai. Go to the cop shop and ask, they'll tell you the same :)

You are completely wrong or have never been to Walking Street in Pattaya, they are there every night and have been for many years. There are also Foreign Police Assistants in Chiang Mai and other cities.

 

 

3 hours ago, GaryB1263 said:

A couple weeks ago there was a man flashing some kind of ID around a Rhom Pho Complex bar. He claimed he was a volunteer cop and he could arrest anyone he wanted.

 

Hope that you replied him that you exactly know what he is and that you are dropping one in your toilet every morning.

 

 

16 hours ago, bbi1 said:

I've never seen any expat cops anywhere in Thailand. Bro, they are all Thai. Go to the cop shop and ask, they'll tell you the same :)

What are you talking about , they have them Mall Cops in Pattaya, no authority except to grass you to Thai Cops

Why do you care , why don't you just carry on with your lives. The expat cops are here to assist in translation when needed, they are not paid well for the job. Maybe tired of retirement and want to contribute.   

Edited October 20, 20178 yr by balo

Disgusting or smart? I know a farang tourist police volunteer; he does in-outs at Danok and has for several years now. He doesn't seem to worry about immigration hassles; he knows them.

What people want to do in there spare Time is entirely up to them ...At least they are trying to assimilate and give something back to there adopted country .....To many bar stool bar flies like to  criticise  well meaning people because that is the  only way they can justify there meager existence and life's .... I respect people who want to help and make a difference ......just sitting on a bar stool drinking and being negative about everything(out of there narrow minded comfort zone)  does not make Thailand a richer place ..

 

Peace

6 hours ago, GaryB1263 said:

A couple weeks ago there was a man flashing some kind of ID around a Rhom Pho Complex bar. He claimed he was a volunteer cop and he could arrest anyone he wanted.

He could try...

 

What he probably meant to say was that IF he had a bunch of his Thai buddy cops with him and IF they were bored enough to want to indulge his witlessness, he could MAYBE HAVE somebody arrested if they were doing something terminally stupid and the actual cops found it entertaining to have a farang banging up another farang.

 

Yes, yes, yes.  I know I know.  There's small print here & there.  I'm talking real world here.  Once upon a time a few years back I had one of these clowns sort of wave me over on WS.  I was minding my own business, completely sober, not a smoker so not dropping butts anywhere, and up to absolutely nothing, so I just pretended I didn't see him and just kept walking.  I caught him turning to follow me but he was out of my field of view and well behind me almost immediately, I didn't look back, and nothing came of it.   His intentions might've been completely harmless or even friendly, but it's been my policy for years to just play by the rules and give police a wide berth, and that includes these volunteer cops (or whatever they are).

 

 

 

 

17 hours ago, bbi1 said:

I've never seen any expat cops anywhere in Thailand. Bro, they are all Thai. Go to the cop shop and ask, they'll tell you the same :)

They are still around Pattaya and I have met Austrian and Brit plastic cops here.  Male and female.

Most foreign Tourist police assistants and foreign police volunteers adhere to a pretty strict code of conduct and direct supervision but with any group there are always some who over act and take themselves too seriously. But when on duty alongside a Thai officer they do have powers of detention and anything else they asked to do by such a Thai officer. Actual arrests are done at police station if necessary. Any off duty volunteer parading around in uniform, flashing ID's and acting the big shot should be reported.

Some off tpic and troll posts have been removed

7 hours ago, dotpoom said:

Not really....there is such a thing  called a "citizen's arrest" in a lot of countries....don't even need a uniform to make one.

 

 

 

 

 

But you do need a valid reason. And being pissed in a bar and pleasing yourself by showing off isn't one.

10 hours ago, GaryB1263 said:

A couple weeks ago there was a man flashing some kind of ID around a Rhom Pho Complex bar. He claimed he was a volunteer cop and he could arrest anyone he wanted.

That was Richard Cranium, there's quite an extended family of them over here.  I don't know if they are ex-coppers from their home countries or just a bunch of wannabees. If they are ex cops, then the way some act they ought to be ashamed of themselves.  Sound like Richards back home, Richards here.  And I am a fair dinkum ex cop.

For what it is worth the number to call for tourist police is 1155.
Phuket has a good page outlining the requirements to be a Tourist Police person there:
http://www.phuket-tourist-police-volunteers.com/join.html
There does not seem to be a similar page for Bkk.