Wanted: Patong police volunteers, foreign language required

By The Phuket News

 

The notice calling for applicants, now posted at Patong Police Station, does not ask for international language skills. Photo: Supplied

 

PHUKET: Patong Police are now accepting applications for the new contingent of volunteers to assist police officers in communicating with tourists, and are seeking people with international language skills despite the public notice calling for applicants omitting that fact.

 

The notice calling for applicants, now posted at Patong Police Station (see in full below), asks applicants to be conversant in Thai language only.

 

However, Patong Police Chief Col Anotai Jindamanee confirmed to The Phuket News this morning (Sept 10), “We want people who have a good heart to serve people and tourists. This announcement calls for applicants. We are open to applications today (Sept 10), for Thais and foreigners.

Read more at https://www.thephuketnews.com/wanted-patong-police-volunteers-foreign-language-required-68573.php#dIS3yvzTa34wVoDV.99 

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2018-09-10

“I don’t want tourists and other people to confuse them with police. The uniform will look different.” he said.
 

Are there any benefits from being a police volunteer? 

 

It's kind of funny that they put 45 years age limit for the positions. I would assume that some pensioners would like to fill their time with this kind of volunteering.

In order to avoid exploitation of tourists from operators in the area. 

 

tell them their dreaming LMFAO

I have a lot of respect for someone willing to give back to their community in such a support role. 

 

That said, there is such a back-lash against Police Volunteers amongst the ex-pat and foreigner community who in general for some unexplained reason can only see those who undertake such roles as seeking some form of power, that the position would become so thankless only the most giving of characters would entertain the idea....

 

Either that, or it is a role sought out by power hungry expats, in which case I hope they get weeded out. 

 

But for the time being, I see most of the reports involving Police Volunteers to be positive, I see most of the comments on ThaiVisa.com regarding these Police Volunteers to be ridiculing, bitter and highly bias against them... unfairly so in my opinion and perhaps more telling of those dishing out the negative opinions in the first place. 

"With the Royal Thai Police the policy to promote knowledge to understand tourists. To know about the legal knowledge. The case of being charged with a criminal offense. He is a victim of a criminal case and is constantly giving advice.

..."

 

any questions? The good news is, it passed the spell check.

My general sense of these programs is they are good, but prone to Mission Creep and poor management; moreso with a 3rd/Developing World police force where the leadership and management acumen isn't high to begin with, corruption, etc.  

 

Hats off to volunteers who maintain perspective and do it well, and to RTP station chiefs who manage things properly.

if i could parade around with a badge and a gun i would but they just want the language. So much for fighting crime. Sounds boring....

I've spoken to the tourist police in different provinces about their foreign volunteers, and also the volunteers. They didn't want to recruit foreigners, they were just following orders from Bangkok. 

The ones in my province can't even speak Thai. If they could, they wouldn't take the job.

Amazing Thailand ...yep...quite an AMAZING ASK.

 

With all those requirements, not over the age of 45 and having just Booted-out the previous batch of, presumably Dedicated, Long Serving  and Qualified VOLUNTEERS,  this fellow has rather high hopes!

 

One supposes he’ll wave his Magic Wand and get WORK PERMITS for them, assuming he finds any folks under 45, who have time on their hands and an inclination to invest it in volunteering for a job, that just saw their predecessors, rather unceremoniously  dumped from.  

 

 

Perhaps this recruitment notice should be written in Mandarin.  ?

There is a farang who works with cops in CM, wears a full Thai uniform too.... I remember a swedish cop who worked Nana Plaza for years...... Doing what god only knows, he used to freeze when he saw me as I knew who he was............... errr metaphorically .... I would have never frequented nana for drug fuelled 3sums in my younger days

What Ph.D have to do with it ?

Walts-R-Us.

45 years  old limit??

 This is ageist!!!!!!

On 9/10/2018 at 5:32 PM, jacknorman said:

What Ph.D have to do with it ?

Why would a

Painter/house/Decorator want part time work anyway?

On 9/10/2018 at 4:15 PM, Neeranam said:

I've spoken to the tourist police in different provinces about their foreign volunteers, and also the volunteers. They didn't want to recruit foreigners, they were just following orders from Bangkok. 

The ones in my province can't even speak Thai. If they could, they wouldn't take the job.

A specialist knowledge of drunkenese speak might be handy.

 

“Definitely, foreign language ability is required in their own language. They need to able communicate in English {as the international language],” Col Anotai explained.
Read more at https://www.thephuketnews.com/wanted-patong-police-volunteers-foreign-language-required-68573.php#hHHLwAYIrTm4xMte.99

16 minutes ago, happy chappie said:

I thought he was great...…………...and lived not far away in Sussex.

On ‎9‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 4:16 PM, Torrens54 said:

With all those requirements, not over the age of 45 and having just Booted-out the previous batch of, presumably Dedicated, Long Serving  and Qualified VOLUNTEERS,  this fellow has rather high hopes!

There is a lot more behind this than "we" will ever know about through the normal channels and the reason it won't become known is...……..think about the second name of a retired female tennis world champion whose first name is Steffi, for the clue.

5 hours ago, overherebc said:

A specialist knowledge of drunkenese speak might be handy.

Working experience with/understanding drunks would definitely be beneficial.  

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

Working experience with/understanding drunks would definitely be beneficial.  

 

 

 

The lip-reading course for drunkenese is probably the most difficult.

There are plenty of Police in Thailand, they just need to brush-up on their language skills.

Having foreigners as volunteers is a cop-out (sorry for the pun) 

Do I get to wear my old uniform? 

 

There should be a Psych test involved for anyone wanting to do this type of work... too many nutters around these parts these days!!

So you need to be under 45 "and" have permission to live/Certificate of residence, good luck with that. that pretty much leaves it open to a couple of people already working in Thailand. Seriously, anyone under 45 doesn't have a long stay visa/ certificate of residence, except a couple of teachers or married to Thai maybe. I am sure they will want to teach all day then volunteer at night.

 

2. Qualifications of Applicants

2.4 Male or female age not over 45

2.6 is a person who is permitted to enter and live in the Kingdom properly.
4.2 Resident Certificate of Immigration Bureau

 

Whats more concerning is this one

4.4 In the case of applicants conducting business in the area of Patong

the name of the business establishment

Bar owners etc, policing themselves. Have an issue with a bar owner or manager and he pulls out his police volunteer badge.

 

3 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

So you need to be under 45 "and" have permission to live/Certificate of residence, good luck with that. that pretty much leaves it open to a couple of people already working in Thailand. Seriously, anyone under 45 doesn't have a long stay visa/ certificate of residence, except a couple of teachers or married to Thai maybe. I am sure they will want to teach all day then volunteer at night.

 

2. Qualifications of Applicants

2.4 Male or female age not over 45

2.6 is a person who is permitted to enter and live in the Kingdom properly.
4.2 Resident Certificate of Immigration Bureau

 

Whats more concerning is this one

4.4 In the case of applicants conducting business in the area of Patong

the name of the business establishment

Bar owners etc, policing themselves. Have an issue with a bar owner or manager and he pulls out his police volunteer badge.

 

 

"So you need to be under 45 "and" have permission to live/Certificate of residence, good luck with that." - my thoughts exactly.  That narrows the field down to very few.

 

In true Thai style, they are basically getting rid of farang police volunteers, without actually getting rid of them, officially. 

 

I can only see a lot more Consular assistance being requested because there will be no basic advice given to tourists, who come under police notice, by a fellow countryman, with experience of living here and "the system."  

 

When I use the term "come under police notice" I am not really talking about serious crime.  It could be something simple like finding out the hotel of an intoxicated tourist who is asleep on the footpath. 

 

Then, there are the usual problem causing events here such as a tourist who has had a motorbike accident and doesn't understand the "mediation" process, a tourist arguing the bill because drinks have been added, a tourist arguing with a tuk-tuk driver because the driver changed the price on him, the well known scratched jet-ski beach performance  etc etc etc etc.  Many times it's actually the tourist who is the victim here. 

 

Whilst history shows there have been some dodgy farang police volunteers, the tourists will soon be left alone to deal with dodgy and corrupt Thai's, so I can only see the phones of the various Honorary Consuls ringing more, and for even more slightly serious incidents, like an accident with injuries, the Consulate phones.  Trouble is, once that process starts, it's hard for the tourist to "mediate" their way out.