I heard from the Lt. Col. in charge of the Chiang Mai Tourist Police that all the farang volunteer police officers had been sacked for misusing their uniforms, id cards and authority. I may have misunderstood some of what he said but I think I got the main points. However, he's looking for new volunteers but just doesn't want garbage again.

About time

What, all of them??

My mind boggles with what kind of mass infringement they could all have participated in. Uniforms, you say....

One of the stories that I'm sure I understood correctly was that two of them had a fight with each other in public while wearing the VP uniform.

Well certainly a good reason for a reprimand but sacking the lot? Anyway, my impression is that they weren't well regarded by the regulars probably for much the same reasons that the part time civilian police support staff in the UK have a tough time - possibly not very fair but they're seen as not paying their dues by going through the full training I guess.

I've never had cause to use their services but I'm sure that many have helped tourists in lots of situations.

I have only been here since the end of last year and had never seen a police volunteer in uniform or otherwise until the day before yesterday. I was driving along the moat when I noticed a falang in a blue uniform walking up the street by himself, I did not stop or talk to the man but it stuck me a bit strange that he was on his own and not with a partner or a Thai officer. My next thought was that without any supervision these guys could create some liability issues for the tourist police. By what has happened, I guess I was right on the count.

Have they always let these guys out on their own or was that just a rare time?

BB

I think that all they are really supposed to do is answer questions and help lost tourists and such. There is probably no need for them to be in teams.

I have only been here since the end of last year and had never seen a police volunteer in uniform or otherwise until the day before yesterday. I was driving along the moat when I noticed a falang in a blue uniform walking up the street by himself, I did not stop or talk to the man but it stuck me a bit strange that he was on his own and not with a partner or a Thai officer. My next thought was that without any supervision these guys could create some liability issues for the tourist police. By what has happened, I guess I was right on the count.

Have they always let these guys out on their own or was that just a rare time?

BB

They were seldom supervised mostly on their own.

Thanks God in Pattaya they are still going strong.

The word I know is that many good ones resigned en-mass. They were not sacked mate check your fac.ts

The word I know is that many good ones resigned en-mass. They were not sacked mate check your fac.ts

yes officer

The word I know is that many good ones resigned en-mass. They were not sacked mate check your fac.ts

yes officer

Thats a good boy ( girl)

The word I know is that many good ones resigned en-mass. They were not sacked mate check your fac.ts

yes officer

Thats a good boy ( girl)

were you the guy misusing his Thai Police ID?

or

the guy with a big volunteer police sticker on the side of his white Toyota Fortuner who parked wherever he wanted to?

or

were you one of the hooligans brawling in uniform?

Like, the real Thai police never misused their ID (to extract tea money)

Like, the real Thai police never misused their ID (to extract tea money)

'like'

I didn't know the farang VP were also extracting tea money but thanks for the update.

The word I know is that many good ones resigned en-mass. They were not sacked mate check your fac.ts

yes officer

Thats a good boy ( girl)

were you the guy misusing his Thai Police ID?

or

the guy with a big volunteer police sticker on the side of his white Toyota Fortuner who parked wherever he wanted to?

or

were you one of the hooligans brawling in uniform?

No, no and no because I am not a volunteer.

Like, the real Thai police never misused their ID (to extract tea money)

'like'

I didn't know the farang VP were also extracting tea money but thanks for the update.

Be sure to tell the Lt. Col at TPD

Did he really call the volunteers " Garbage" ?

The word I know is that many good ones resigned en-mass. They were not sacked mate check your fac.ts

yes officer

Now I know why you get up Blinky Bill's nose so much

All a bit of a joke really. Isn't it?

Dad, you been sacked?

Maybe I only met the good ones, but I never had any problem with the tourist police and they were always polite to me. Maybe it's the people's attitude towards authority. It's more than I can say for a lot of RCMP in Canada.

I know a few of them. The ones I knew seemed to be a stand up group.

The word I know is that many good ones resigned en-mass. They were not sacked mate check your fac.ts

yes officer

Thats a good boy ( girl)

were you the guy misusing his Thai Police ID?

or

the guy with a big volunteer police sticker on the side of his white Toyota Fortuner who parked wherever he wanted to?

or

were you one of the hooligans brawling in uniform?

hmmm. Someones a little jealous of others helping out and being part of the community I reckon. Oh well no shortage of anti-social, anti authority, farang misfits in LOS so plenty of company to sit around and gripe instead of getting out and doing something. As a previous poster said probably best to get your facts straight before you post.

Hope to see the volunteers out and about again very soon doing their stuff. Good job. well done.

...As a previous poster said probably best to get your facts straight before you post...

My information is from the Thai police officer responsible for the volunteers.

Could one of the 'ex' volunteers posting on this thread give their side?

I have only been here since the end of last year and had never seen a police volunteer in uniform or otherwise until the day before yesterday. I was driving along the moat when I noticed a falang in a blue uniform walking up the street by himself, I did not stop or talk to the man but it stuck me a bit strange that he was on his own and not with a partner or a Thai officer. My next thought was that without any supervision these guys could create some liability issues for the tourist police. By what has happened, I guess I was right on the count.

Have they always let these guys out on their own or was that just a rare time?

BB

..they do have to walk from A to B...cause they have to provide everything including shoes..

At least two of them are members here...

The only Tourist Police Volunteers I have met/know, have been perfectly decent people trying to do their bit for the community.

In UK they get called 'Hobby Bobbies' which is a bit unfair as they do fullfill a useful function in helping tourists - not that we have any at the moment!

It does occur to me that they couldn't exist in almost any other country in the world: can you imagine foreign coppers on the streets of London - Americans, Russians, Dutchmen, heaven forfend, even Frenchmen telling us what to do!!

Did he really call the volunteers " Garbage" ?

I called the volunteers who were sacked for misusing their uniform and authority garbage.

It does occur to me that they couldn't exist in almost any other country in the world: can you imagine foreign coppers on the streets of London - Americans, Russians, Dutchmen, heaven forfend, even Frenchmen telling us what to do!!

They don't tell Thais what to do, do they. One parallel is the Chinese who ran with the Olympic flame in several cities around the world and beat the shit out of anyone that came too close.