Phuket Launches Intensive Operation to Crack Down on Foreigners Breaking the Law

[webfact]

 

As part of the "White Accommodation for Foreigners" project, Phuket is launching a comprehensive clean-up operation to increase the scrutiny of foreigners who break the law.

 

This move aims to bolster confidence and increase the safety potential of Phuket as a tourist destination. This activity is part of the regular May 2023 programme.

 

On May 26th, at 15:00, the Phuket Province initiated the operation at the Provincial Hall. Over 65 officials were involved in the operation to enhance confidence and increase Phuket's potential as a safe tourist city, following the "White Accommodation (ที่พักสีขาว) for Foreigners" programme for May 2023. The event was presided over by the governor of Phuket, Mr. Narong Woonciew.

 

Picture: 77kaoded

 

Colonel Thanes Sukchay, the Phuket Provincial Police Commander, and the Secretary of the White Accommodation for Foreigners project in Phuket, reported that today's operation involved 65 personnel from various units, including the Phuket Provincial Police, Tourist Police Division 3, the Administration division, the Immigration Bureau, and the Phuket Provincial Employment Office.

 

The White Accommodation for Foreigners project is led by the governor of Phuket and collaborates with all sectors to search for cooperation from homeowners in Phuket to monitor foreigners and prevent lawbreakers from living in their properties, thus preventing foreigners from using the area for illegal activities. The operation is carried out monthly.

 

Picture: 77kaoded

 

General Damrongsak Kittiprapas, the National Police Chief, inspected safety measures for foreign tourists at the Phuket Immigration Office and gave directions to Phuket to serve as a model for the country in implementing the White Accommodation for Foreigners project.

 

The project is seen as a means of controlling and checking the safety of foreigners living in Phuket in terms of crime, drug abuse, and illegal activities, by seeking cooperation from accommodation providers in monitoring and checking the behaviour of foreigners who may be behaving inappropriately, breaking the law, causing danger, disturbing peace, and jeopardising the safety of life and property of citizens or tourists. They might even be international criminals using Thailand as a base for illegal activities.

 

Currently, over 800 accommodation providers have joined the project, with another 2,000 plus set to join, covering about 3,000 properties across the island. Previous operations have succeeded in apprehending foreigners who have broken the law, causing disturbance and unresolved cases, providing a clear benefit to the country.

 

Picture: 77kaoded

 

However, foreigners who have committed minor offenses and whose actions disrupt community peace will receive a yellow card (warning) for their first offense.

 

The accommodation provider will be invited to record a warning, and a letter will be sent to the consulate of each country, granting the right to stay in the kingdom as appropriate to the behaviour.

 

For repeated offenses or offenses that pose a clear danger to society, a red card will be issued (revoking the right to stay in the kingdom), and procedures to deport will be initiated.

 

This move is designed to boost confidence for citizens and tourists alike and to raise the profile of Phuket as a safe tourist city for people around the world.

 

77kaoded contributed to this report

Top Picture: 77kaoded

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2023-05-26

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information.

 

Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

[flyingtlger]

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

"White Accommodation for Foreigners"

Really?

[ikke1959]

There are less foreigners to check than Thai people.. Easier to do. but attractive for tourists??Surely no soft power

[smedly]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Phuket is launching a comprehensive clean-up operation to increase the scrutiny of foreigners who break the law.

can someone reword that so that we all know exactly what they mean

 

 

$...................ooops typo

[smedly]

things must be pretty bad in Phuket when they openly declare their war on whites lol

 

my advice to anyone - take phuket off your bucket list, it is an expensive rip off and the local authorities are targeting you

 

do yourself a favor and go somewhere else

[ezzra]

what a load of hooey, the use of the word crackdown has been used too often to describe a nonsense act by several law enforcement agencies just to show that they do something, infect, get Thai law breakers first before you turn on the foreigners. 

[daveAustin]

Hey, here's a thought; why not crackdown on EVERYBODY that breaks the law, colonel?! Get these people out of office!

[Geoffggi]

How about curtailing the Taxi Driver Mafia first.

[ChipButty]

They should start at the airport 

[OJAS]

Maybe this "initiative" could explain why long waits at that particular office are now commonplace as a result of officers being presumably diverted en masse from processing extension of stay applications, 90-day reports, etc to gleefully conducting witchhunts against foreigners.

 

 

[OJAS]

1 hour ago, smedly said:

take phuket off your bucket list

Unless, of course, you are a retiree who originally entered Thailand on the basis of a non-OA visa prior to October 2019 (assuming, of course, that Phuket hasn't by now fallen into line with each and every other office in LOS by insisting on a suitable 3m THB health insurance policy as a condition of granting annual retirement extensions for such original visa holders).

[Kenny202]

Maybe should start by cleaning up their own backyards. Foreigners tarnishing Pkukets reputation lol. Was it a foreigner meth head that drove the speedboat into the pier injuring 30 tourists? Are forigners paricipating in the taxi wars? Is it foreigners doing home invasions robbing Chinese tourists? You have to laugh at the childlike mentallity

[SoilSpoil]

How many villains are lining up in that photograph?

[hellohello123]

Foreigners who use too much toilet paper are going to be in trouble

[Taboo2]

Hey, wait a minute, is  the Yellow/Red Card system not working?

[steevjee]

7 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

Really?

sup whitey !!

[Bangkok Barry]

I might be wrong, but aren't there a lot more Thai lawbreakers in Thailand than foreigners? Shouldn't they 'crackdown' on those first? Especially in Phuket, hub of rip-offs.

[steevjee]

6 hours ago, smedly said:

things must be pretty bad in Phuket when they openly declare their war on whites lol

 

my advice to anyone - take phuket off your bucket list, it is an expensive rip off and the local authorities are targeting you

 

do yourself a favor and go somewhere else

why you say this thing Comrade? we are most happy here in Little Moscow 

[Smokey and the Bandit]

4 hours ago, Kenny202 said:

Maybe should start by cleaning up their own backyards. Foreigners tarnishing Pkukets reputation lol. Was it a foreigner meth head that drove the speedboat into the pier injuring 30 tourists? Are forigners paricipating in the taxi wars? Is it foreigners doing home invasions robbing Chinese tourists? You have to laugh at the childlike mentallity

You speak the empirical truth!

[khunjeff]

It's a great relief to know that from now on I'll only be victimized by Thai criminals, not foreign ones. Thanks!!

[newbee2022]

It's high time to do something! All these foreign law breakers everywhere, Pesty farangs. 

Better to hunt them than to reduce the law breaking deadly Thais on the roads.

Good decision RTP.

[IamNoone88]

Pity the UK does start the same initiative. Just add a few more colours to the already long winded operational title.

[Ironmike]

I was stopped at Chalong circle the other day and there were police everywhere and unbelievable but only pulling over us whiteys farangs wearing helmuts etc but as I was sitting there I noticed at least 6 motorbikes with thais with no helmets and were just waved through,,, how dare the Farangs come here and obey the laws,, just to pay off the coppers,, if you Thais don't want us to come here or live here just put an ad in the local paper and we can all just pack up and leave,, no problem 

[AustinRacing]

This is an initiative targeting a specific matter. Why do you guys bring out a host of other issues. Thailand/phuket are seen as a soft target by foreign criminals. Give it a break. 

[2baht]

Damn foreigners!

[Pdavies99]

Welcome to Thailand, step out out of line and you are out!

 

But only if you are white!

[shackleton]

Good they are now Proactive rather than Reactive 

Find the trouble makers and overstayers  and take the appropriate action 

There no doubt will be quite a few around ????

[bob smith]

Phuket...

 

What a hell-hole. 

[BestB]

Last time i checked, jails and police cells were filled with Thai not the foreigners but to have accommodation management  now also spy on foreigners is borderline totalitarian  whats next? concentration camps? only place where foreigners can stay? Because 1 out of 100 000  might be doing something illegal?

[Aussie999]

Seems someone needs to explain, to the cops, exactly what racism is, surely only scrutinising "whites" and not any others, including Thais, is breaking a few UN conventions.