Phuket unveils Crime Free scheme to ensure tourist safety during peak season

[webfact]

 

Phuket has launched the Phuket Crime Free scheme, an initiative aimed at safeguarding international tourists during the peak season.

 

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on Monday, bringing together both governmental and private sector entities. Among those involved are the provincial administration, provincial police, tourism police, immigration office, and provincial land department office.

 

Private sector representatives include the Phuket Chamber of Commerce, Phuket Tourist Association, Phuket Real Estate Association, and the southern chapter of the Thai Hotels Association.

 

Superintendent of Phuket Immigration Police, Thanet Sukchai, highlighted the pressing need for such a scheme, stating that the high season typically sees the arrival of more than 200,000 visitors every month, reported Bangkok Post. A surge of such magnitude raises concerns around crime rates and illicit activities, particularly drug-related offences.

 

by Mitch Connor

Photo by Miltiadis Fragkidis via Unsplash

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-11-28

 

- 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.

 

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[it is what it is]

Phuket has launched the Phuket Crime Free scheme, an initiative aimed at safeguarding international tourists during the peak season.

 

why only safeguard tourists during the peak season? are tourists fair game for criminals outside peak season?

 

would it be too much to ask for tourists to be safeguarded against crime all the time?

[webfact]

Officials, private sector come together to launch “crime-free” Phuket

By Peter Roche

 

PHOTO: National News Bureau of Thailand

Provincial officials in Phuket are introducing a “crime-free” initiative, in cooperation with the private sector. This is all part of a knee-jerk reaction from officials in tourist hotspots around the country following overseas social media and reports about crime and trafficking in Thailand.

 

The Phuket Crime-Free scheme was launched with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding yesterday. The scheme is designed to ensure the safety of foreign tourists during the coming high season.

 

It involves provincial officials and police, immigration, tourist police, and the provincial land department office, in partnership with representatives from the private sector. These include the Phuket Chamber of Commerce, Phuket Tourist Association, Phuket Real Estate Association, and the southern chapter of the Thai Hotels Association.

 

Full story: PhuketGO 2023-11-28

 

- 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.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

[Mbolo]

That’s it then, all sorted. Plus the high vis vests 

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Phuket has launched the Phuket Crime Free scheme, an initiative aimed at safeguarding international tourists during the peak season.

24 hour open police stations to report crimes?

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, it is what it is said:

Phuket has launched the Phuket Crime Free scheme, an initiative aimed at safeguarding international tourists during the peak season.

 

why only safeguard tourists during the peak season? are tourists fair game for criminals outside peak season?

 

would it be too much to ask for tourists to be safeguarded against crime all the time?

Yes

[neeray]

Phuket will become THE HUB of tourism safety ................ for a while anyway.

[Jenkins9039]

You know in other tourist destinations, such as Zanzibar, Bali, Mallorca, Marbella, etc etc you don't have this constant noise of 'crime', 'arrest' etc and 'scheme'.

 

Almost makes Thailand/Phuket a unpleasant place going by the constant knocking off it from within its own Government/Authorities. 

[Iron Tongue]

Exactly the sort of thing criminals fear, a Memorandum of Understanding!

[spidermike007]

The criminals are likely quaking in their boots at the thought of a crime-free zone. I guess this means that the police are going to start practicing law enforcement and setting their personal franchises aside.

 

Maybe there are some geniuses in government after all. 

[LudwigK]

Phuket crime & corruption FREE 

 

Exists there a second (dream)Phuket ??

[Mavideol]

are the scams covered by that new crime free scheme

[Muzzique]

A crime free location is normally a prerequisite for tourists not a special exception. Stating that they have a problem that is out of control does not generate confidence and will not help with their tourism strategy. 

[kcpattaya]

Can you start with the taxi drivers please?

[Bill B]

Thank the lord for that..all sorted

[Ebumbu]

Just now, kcpattaya said:

Can you start with the taxi drivers please?

 Use Grab. 

[Gottfrid]

Thought everybody knew that crime free cities are just an illusion.

[Felt 35]

1 hour ago, Jenkins9039 said:

You know in other tourist destinations, such as Zanzibar, Bali, Mallorca, Marbella, etc etc you don't have this constant noise of 'crime', 'arrest' etc and 'scheme'.

 

Almost makes Thailand/Phuket a unpleasant place going by the constant knocking off it from within its own Government/Authorities. 

 

Exactly, if I sit abroad and plan to go to Phuket with a family and read this report I would think twice.

Felt

 

[lavender19]

What again .

[DjSilver]

The first thing to fix are all the Thai criminals, starting with the police, taxi mafia and Thai sellers everywhere.

[NedR69]

I did not find any meat to the 'scheme'...what exactly will they do differently?  Advertise the 'scheme' for public release will not do much.

Edited November 28, 2023 by NedR69

[Ironmike]

So does this mean the police will no longer be stopping all the tourists and shaking them down at Chalong circle????? And speaking of bent coppers what's happened to that Russian women Ireana Pavalova that drove over the two kids on a motor bike and murdered them, it's on cctv?? Haven't heard a word about where she is maybe the crime free police didn't take money to let her go back to mother Russia 

[TheFishman1]

Lmao TIT

[klauskunkel]

I thought they were crime free last year.

[cjinchiangrai]

By Private Interests, does this mean that they have deals with Jet Ski operators, Taxi bandits, Tuk Tuk thieves and Russian gangsters? I mean other than the usual arrangements.

Edited November 28, 2023 by cjinchiangrai

[wensiensheng]

7 hours ago, it is what it is said:

Phuket has launched the Phuket Crime Free scheme, an initiative aimed at safeguarding international tourists during the peak season.

 

why only safeguard tourists during the peak season? are tourists fair game for criminals outside peak season?

 

would it be too much to ask for tourists to be safeguarded against crime all the time?

Tourists are fair game all year round. Just that there is more chance of being caught when there is a crime free scheme on the go. But not THAT much more chance

[spidermike007]

First of all, the RTP at it's inception seems to have been created with a status quo from the government. We will NOT pay you a living wage, but you have a franchise, and the limit of your income is based solely on your own creativity and initiative, and you will always be protected. So, how do you get these guys to engage in real law enforcement, if they are overly focused on collection? They are engaged in protection rackets, such as the Phuket taxi mafia. Are they out finding government officials who are engaged in drug trafficking or sex slavery? No. Why? Because those goons are protected. Are they patrolling the highways to find reckless drivers? No. Why? Because they do not care one iota about traffic safety. It is all lip service. The only obscenity committed here, is the one done by the RTP. The level of pretense, the level of fake purity, the dumb and mindless application of laws here is beyond inane. Women are getting abducted, raped and trafficked at this very moment, by Thai officials, and the police are pretending to be engaged in law enforcement.

 

And even if a cop is caught committing a crime, here is his defense: Your honor, I am RTP. You and I both know I am above the law, and protected at every level. They even told us that in the academy. That is all the evidence I need. The person making the complaint is just a citizen. They don't count. You know that. I know that. The RTP are superior to citizens. We have the power and you are sworn to protect us. So, drop the charges and let me get on with my franchise. 
 

 

 

[vangrop]

who is the guy in the middle, The noodle soup vendor?

[rudi49jr]

Are they going to fire every cop on Phuket? Fire the governor for not doing his job? Ban all the tuktuk and taxi drivers? Ban all the jetski operations? Because all that would surely mean a serious blow to criminality on Phuket.

[Jenkins9039]

Well, reading this, can deduce that its going to involve some sort of crackdown on expats/property ownership.

 

involves provincial officials and police, immigration, tourist police, and the provincial land department office, in partnership with representatives from the private sector. These include the Phuket Chamber of Commerce, Phuket Tourist Association, Phuket Real Estate Association, and the southern chapter of the Thai Hotels Association.