RTP set to actually do their job at New Year 2023! But what about the rest of the year?

[webfact]

Picture: Thai Rath

 

OPINION

 

Thai Rath faithfully reported on the comments of Pol Maj-Gen Achayon Kraithong about what the Royal Thai Police intend to do at New Year to prevent crime and road accidents.

 

Though they didn't say what it really amounted to.

 

Doing their job.

 

Every New Year and Songkran it is the same, crackdowns and the mention of "seven deadly days". A weary Thai public could be forgiven for calling this Groundhog Day once again.

 

The Maj-Gen was flanked by fellow spokesman Lt-Col Thathep and spokeswoman Lt-Col Naphawan. 

 

If the RTP thought that would give the press conference extra "oomph", think again.

 

He said that the RTP would be pulling out all the stops to prevent and solve crime over the New Year period.

 

He trotted out English phrases like "Area Approach" and "Action Plan" to give an air of authenticity.

 

But it sounded like every pre-New Year or Songkran briefing since the year dot. Crime must be tackled.

 

Safety and convenience of the public and protection for tourists were key.

 

All this would be done by pro-active policing and setting up checkpoints.

 

But when it comes to the roads - Thailand has some of the most dangerous on earth with perhaps 20-25,000 fatalities annually - they were also doing exactly what they do every year.

 

Their job for once, even if it was tinged with a Thai "laissez-faire" approach.

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

1st -21st December they had been warning drivers to behave themselves.

 

22nd to 28th they were starting to get serious.

 

29th to 4th January were the seven days - they would be really serious then.

 

In subsequent days they wouldn't be quite so serious.

 

My mid-January it appeared everything would be back to normal, until the process is repeated at Thai New Year in April.

 

So how do the RTP intend to keep accidents down?

 

Simple; make sure the Thai public are not speeding, not drinking alcohol and driving, wearing helmets and seatbelts, not using their phones behind the wheel, not going the wrong way and maintaining their vehicles in good condition.

 

This will be done by checkpoints and making sure everyone in authority was on the same page.

 

The spokesman could have summed it up in a few pithy words.

 

Yes, we'll actually be doing our job.

 

Before going back to normal. 

 

 

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[ikke1959]

That is correct working 2 weeks a year.. Who don't want a job like that??? Make a schedule for working 24 hrs a day 7 days a week and do what they do with the holidays, and not only checking for traffic tax, but real do their job, black smoke, speeding, drugs and alcohol checks, driverslicense check, no helmet checks, driving the wrong way, sound polutions, drugsdealing, weapon use/possesions, and the list can be continued....

[Tropicalevo]

????????

[2baht]

30 minutes ago, webfact said:

So how do the RTP intend to keep accidents down?

Can I suggest amulets for every driver and mocy rider! ???? ????

 

 

[yeahbutif]

If there is a damformation law. That say you cant complain about somone or thing. Why is there not a law that says when someone says they going to do it or included why is that not damformation...as it's a dam nuisance..

[HuskerDo2]

"He said that the RTP would be pulling out all the stops to prevent and solve crime over the New Year period.".... it's absolutely mind boggling that these folks can make statements like this and feel good about themselves. IF they were competent and showed so over the years there would be no reason to make such a statement as the public would already trust them to do their jobs. 

 

"This will be done by checkpoints and making sure everyone in authority was on the same page.".....  I wonder which page that is and if they are all using the same book.

 

The incompetence is absolutely incredible.

[Orinoco]

Ok, All sorted then.

[Dmaxdan]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

1st -21st December they had been warning drivers to behave themselves.

 

22nd to 28th they were starting to get serious.

 

29th to 4th January were the seven days - they would be really serious then.

 

In subsequent days they wouldn't be quite so serious.

As John McEnroe famously once said;

 

"You cannot be serious!!!"

[finnomick1]

So, from the 29.12.22 to 4.1.23 the RTP would deal with anyone breaking the laws " really seriously  " but anyone breaking these same laws from the 5.1.23 onwards would be dealt with " not quite so seriously  ". Hmmmm.

[mikeymike100]

20 minutes ago, finnomick1 said:

So, from the 29.12.22 to 4.1.23 the RTP would deal with anyone breaking the laws " really seriously  " but anyone breaking these same laws from the 5.1.23 onwards would be dealt with " not quite so seriously  ". Hmmmm.

Thai logic??

[Snig27]

The same police force that were given more powers to deal with road offences on 1 September, announced on the 4th they would delay implementation until 1 December to allow people to "get used to the new rules", then promptly forgot about them and hoped everyone else had.

 

Clowns, the whole lot of them. But I guess when you have a broken, crooked and corrupt "civilian" government, having a force of equally corrupt clowns to underwrite your rule is important. 

[Bangkok Barry]

4 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

That is correct working 2 weeks a year.. Who don't want a job like that??? Make a schedule for working 24 hrs a day 7 days a week and do what they do with the holidays, and not only checking for traffic tax, but real do their job, black smoke, speeding, drugs and alcohol checks, driverslicense check, no helmet checks, driving the wrong way, sound polutions, drugsdealing, weapon use/possesions, and the list can be continued....

If they actually had to work then no-one would take the job. Now, they get paid whether they work or not. Not entirely unlike weather forecasters, who get paid no matter how many times they get the forecast wrong.

[thailand49]

Overtime Overtime. Sitting under a tent playing with the phone.  

How do they fix the problem when they have no training and can't be taught alternatives to address the problem. 

So yeat after year getup in front of camera as soon as lighs are off back to the same oh. 

[terryofcrete]

Is there much about Christmas or New Year that isn't like Groundhog Day everywhere ?

[ronster]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

29th to 4th January were the seven days - they would be really serious then.

“ Why so serious ! “

[Tarteso]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

He trotted out English phrases like "Area Approach" and "Action Plan" to give an air of authenticity.

Can not be true, Are these people serious? ????

[Orinoco]

Wow is this the last Hub for Thailand 2022.

The Hub of,  Doing their job.

 

That's one hub,  that will never be true.  

 

[khunjeff]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

This will be done by checkpoints and making sure everyone in authority was on the same page.

 

The spokesman could have summed it up in a few pithy words.

 

Yes, we'll actually be doing our job.

As long as they do "enforcement by checkpoint", the problems will never go away, even during these "seven days" exercises.

 

How do you crack down on speeding, erratic and dangerous driving, etc, when you crowd 20+ people into a tent with a snack table, and only look at drivers when they've slowed to a halt to pass through the gauntlet? It's probably the least effective use of traffic enforcement personnel possible, which is why it isn't used in other countries. Scatter the officers out all over the roads in ones or twos, and you might actually have a chance of reducing the mayhem. 

[bangon04]

"and spokeswoman Lt-Col Naphawan."  who is making a good effort at keeping a straight face...  and hoping that she will not be asked any questions.....

[Elkski]

In other words, just  stay off the road because that are so deadly here. 

[Orinoco]

Oops, too much red wine again. 

 

 

 

 

 

[MrJ2U]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Yes, we'll actually be doing our job.

 

Before going back to normal.

Funny. 

 

Lot's of tents set up along the pot holed highway.  Usually manned by bored looking boy scouts and the odd police man playing on his phone. 

 

If you can avoid the roads especially at night next week. Try to do any shopping around 11:00 -2:00 while the hard core drunks are sleeping it off. 

 

Merry Xmas and Happy New Year. 

[hotchilli]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

Every New Year and Songkran it is the same, crackdowns and the mention of "seven deadly days". A weary Thai public could be forgiven for calling this Groundhog Day once again.

To be honest it's the Thai people that bring this upon themselves.

They except the risks, they except that training is sparce and what is available is cheap, they except that roadside fines are better than court actions.

They except that drinking and driving is wrong but it's a way of life here.

This is Thailand, get used to it because it's never going to change.

[spidermike007]

1. We will be working the franchise as usual.

2. You will only get pulled over for drunk driving at a road block, and never, ever while on the highway, as the road blocks are more convenient for us, and patrolling the highways takes real police work.

3. we care very little about your safety and welfare, but if we can earn a buck, we will show up.

4. Happy New Year to all!

[NoshowJones]

19 hours ago, khunjeff said:

As long as they do "enforcement by checkpoint", the problems will never go away, even during these "seven days" exercises.

 

How do you crack down on speeding, erratic and dangerous driving, etc, when you crowd 20+ people into a tent with a snack table, and only look at drivers when they've slowed to a halt to pass through the gauntlet? It's probably the least effective use of traffic enforcement personnel possible, which is why it isn't used in other countries. Scatter the officers out all over the roads in ones or twos, and you might actually have a chance of reducing the mayhem. 

It only takes a little brains to figure that out, but brains are not exactly plentiful here in Thailand.

[Andycoops]

The one excellent thing the BiB are very adapt at is being totally unprofessional and ineffective.

Trotting out this sort of meaningless drivel on a constant basis is absolutely all they can do to stay in the job.

[mikebell]

23 hours ago, Andycoops said:

Trotting out this sort of meaningless drivel on a constant basis is absolutely all they can do to stay in the job

They get to stay in the job even after convictions for drug trafficking and prior to killing children with a machete.