Phuket: Patong To Get 'drunk Center'

[george]

Patong to get 'drunk center'

German Honorary Consul Dirk Naumann

asked Thai police to have more understanding

when drunken Germans swore at them.

PHUKET: -- Foreign tourists who over-indulge and get into trouble in Patong may soon be left overnight to sober up in a ‘drunk center’, according to plans revealed at the second meeting between Honorary Consuls and Phuket authorities on May 24.

Another major proposal mooted at the meeting was setting up a call center to coordinate taxi services in Patong.

Phuket Vice Governor Smith Palawatvichai chaired the meeting, held at Phuket Provincial Hall on Monday.

The meeting was attended by representatives of 16 countries: Australia, Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Korea, Norway, Netherlands, Russia, Sweden and Spain.

Phuket Provincial Police reported the number of foreigners who died or were involved in criminal cases so far this year.

To May 12, 33 foreigners died from accidents, health problems, drowning, drug overdoses and murder.

To April 26, 84 foreigners were charged with criminal offenses including drunk driving, dangerous driving, theft, drug possession, visa overstay, assault, sexual abuse, child abduction and gambling.

To April 25, 20 foreigners reported having been victims of crimes including theft, robbery, physical assault and fraud.

Phuket Provincial Administration Organization President Paiboon Upatising said he was very concerned by the statistics, as safety and security are key factors considered by tourists when choosing a holiday destination.

Those concerned needed to work harder and brainstorm ways of reducing the toll, he said.

German Honorary Consul Dirk Naumann asked for more understanding from police officers when drunken Germans swore at them.

“Thai police aren’t used to this kind of abuse,” he said. “From our side we can only request that Thai police understand that in most Western countries the police do not have the same status as Thai police.”

V/Gov Smith said that many tourists came to Patong to get drunk, which meant security measures there should be different to other areas.

“In future, a special area for drunk tourists will be set up to hold them for a while until they sober up. There’ll be no need to go to the police station,” he said.

Phuket Tourist Police Superintendent Ekachai Pramanakul said police handled drunken tourists with understanding, but in some cases the tourists were bigger than they were, so they had to control them by force.

On the subject of Thailand’s current political crisis, Mr Paiboon said the Phuket authorities would coordinate to ensure Phuket remained safe for tourists from around the world.

Mr Naumann said that German travel advice was not to travel to Bangkok, the North or the Northeast, but that travel to Phuket was safe.

British Honorary Consul Martin Carpenter raised the subject of the island’s transport, asking how many tuk-tuks were registered in Phuket.

A Land Transport Office representative said there were 1,130 registered tuk-tuks and that this number would not be allowed to rise.

Mr Carpenter also proposed introducing a service in which people who had gone out and had too much to drink could call a local driver who would come and drive them home in their own car.

“I would be very happy to sit down and discuss ways of making this work,” he said.

Consuls also reiterated a familiar complaint, that sometimes police failed to inform them when foreign nationals from their countries were involved in criminal cases.

Every consul affirmed that police could call their offices without hesitation because their secretaries were Thai and there would be no language problems.

It was also agreed that every Honorary Consul would receive a pocket book listing the telephone numbers of Phuket’s government offices, police stations and important places.

The third Honorary Consuls' meeting is scheduled to take place August 23.

-- Phuket Gazette 2010-05-26

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[Boater]

Mr Carpenter also proposed introducing a service in which people who had gone out and had too much to drink could call a local driver who would come and drive them home in their own car.

a very good idea ! , hope they roll it out in samui... i wouldnt mind paying for this, as long as it was overpriced

[Chunky1]

Mr Carpenter also proposed introducing a service in which people who had gone out and had too much to drink could call a local driver who would come and drive them home in their own car.

a very good idea ! , hope they roll it out in samui... i wouldnt mind paying for this, as long as it was overpriced

Yes, I will only use the service if it costs 2000 baht or more.

[grumpyoldman]

Whaaaaat! No representative from the U.S.?

Aren't those our boys who come off the ships and whoop it up in Patong?

[jdinasia]

I thought the "drunk center" was Bangla Rd!

[CHdiver]

Snip

German Honorary Consul Dirk Naumann asked for more understanding from police officers when drunken Germans swore at them.

“Thai police aren’t used to this kind of abuse,” he said. “From our side we can only request that Thai police understand that in most Western countries the police do not have the same status as Thai police.”

snap

I am not sure if German Police would be much nicer to shitfaced People, they do know very well how to handle Drunks and they do put them in Prison cell to sober up.

However, if I look at the number of offence in Patong I can not see too much difference with Pattaya, actually it`s much worse if you compare the size of that Road. Phuket is heading strait to be number one with the bad Guys and Lager Louts

[mysterybkk]

Mr Carpenter also proposed introducing a service in which people who had gone out and had too much to drink could call a local driver who would come and drive them home in their own car.

a very good idea ! , hope they roll it out in samui... i wouldnt mind paying for this, as long as it was overpriced

Yes, I will only use the service if it costs 2000 baht or more.

ok, so mr carpenter is representing GB. just out of curiosity, does this service exist over there? wouldnt there be the obvious theft and taking advantage of drunk people problem? i mean, not to point any fingers here, but we all know who likes to take advantage of whom in this country......

[Scully]

To May 12, 33 foreigners died from accidents, health problems, drowning, drug overdoses and murder.

To April 26, 84 foreigners were charged with criminal offenses including drunk driving, dangerous driving, theft, drug possession, visa overstay, assault, sexual abuse, child abduction and gambling.

To April 25, 20 foreigners reported having been victims of crimes including theft, robbery, physical assault and fraud.

I would like to know how these crimes on foreigners are logged as they don't quite ring true.

[CelticBhoy]

He was representing England. Can't you read?

[gpdjohn]

Snip

German Honorary Consul Dirk Naumann asked for more understanding from police officers when drunken Germans swore at them.

"Thai police aren't used to this kind of abuse," he said. "From our side we can only request that Thai police understand that in most Western countries the police do not have the same status as Thai police."

snap

I am not sure if German Police would be much nicer to shitfaced People, they do know very well how to handle Drunks and they do put them in Prison cell to sober up.

Yep. They are actual police who do actual police work. Where I'm from most offenders would wake up bruised 'n bleedin' and have taser burns on 'em.

[richieudon]

To May 12, 33 foreigners died from accidents, health problems, drowning, drug overdoses and murder.

To April 26, 84 foreigners were charged with criminal offenses including drunk driving, dangerous driving, theft, drug possession, visa overstay, assault, sexual abuse, child abduction and gambling.

To April 25, 20 foreigners reported having been victims of crimes including theft, robbery, physical assault and fraud.

I would like to know how these crimes on foreigners are logged as they don't quite ring true.

Yes, I'm sure of read of more than 20 cases on Thaivisa!!

[bkkdave11]

"Thai police aren't used to this kind of abuse," he said.

Ha! They are NOW!

"From our side we can only request that Thai police understand that in most Western countries the police do not have the same status as Thai police."

That certainly reads very differently from how it would've read 2 months ago My guess is, in terms of status, police probably is the lowest-ranking institution in the country right now.

[centrico]

German Honorary Consul Dirk Naumann asked for more understanding from police officers when drunken Germans swore at them.

"Vy are zer no fookin towelz on ze beach for us of ze master race you stupid, ignorant pig dreeses in ze brownsh*t shirt!! Vy are you not aware ve Gereman alvays take ze number one spot for our zunbathing and for ze drinking of our premium beer!"

[souvenirdeparis]

Snip

German Honorary Consul Dirk Naumann asked for more understanding from police officers when drunken Germans swore at them.

"Thai police aren't used to this kind of abuse," he said. "From our side we can only request that Thai police understand that in most Western countries the police do not have the same status as Thai police."

snap

I am not sure if German Police would be much nicer to shitfaced People, they do know very well how to handle Drunks and they do put them in Prison cell to sober up.

Yep. They are actual police who do actual police work. Where I'm from most offenders would wake up bruised 'n bleedin' and have taser burns on 'em.

+ in court for obstruction & assaulting the PO ( he had to crack his skull out of self defense) this is for France.

What about the bars that served them that pint -too -many?

btw, a young drunk homeless was killed by the police a dozen days ago, he swore at them (nothing physical) and he got hit hard by the truncheon (""tonfa") and fell and died maybe he was kicked on the ground without the other policemen interfering but this bit I may be wrong. anyway the constable has been discharged and will be prosecuted, but just the same.

Edited May 26, 2010 by souvenirdeparis

[Crushdepth]

German Honorary Consul Dirk Naumann asked for more understanding from police officers when drunken Germans swore at them.

Cultural sensitivity works both ways - throw em in the brig! It'll make everyone else happy too.

[goldfinger]

....asked for more understanding from police officers when drunken Germans swore at them.

(maybe he should invite some thai police officers to the "Oktoberfest" to study the "drunken Germans" for a better

cultural understanding)

[souvenirdeparis]

I am upset at this German H consul's views ; Iwouldn't mind so much if he hadn' t dragged other western countries in ; not all farang are drunkards - to the point of dissing khun Tam Rouat ; he's really giving us a bad name and I hope his embassy will ask him to use his discretion more.

Pathological drunks should have their visas revoked and be expelled .

'

[NaiGreg]

Phew!

I completely misunderstood the title "Patong To Get 'drunk center' ... I thought a new go-go bar soi was opening.

[Crushdepth]

I thought Patong *was* a get drunk centre?

[shadiadi]

To May 12, 33 foreigners died from accidents, health problems, drowning, drug overdoses and murder.

To April 26, 84 foreigners were charged with criminal offenses including drunk driving, dangerous driving, theft, drug possession, visa overstay, assault, sexual abuse, child abduction and gambling.

To April 25, 20 foreigners reported having been victims of crimes including theft, robbery, physical assault and fraud.

I would like to know how these crimes on foreigners are logged as they don't quite ring true.

I am sure there are more muggings, thefts and assaults than that I am sure more than half the people don't report them because it is just a waste of time.

[Thules]

To May 12, 33 foreigners died from accidents, health problems, drowning, drug overdoses and murder.

To April 26, 84 foreigners were charged with criminal offenses including drunk driving, dangerous driving, theft, drug possession, visa overstay, assault, sexual abuse, child abduction and gambling.

To April 25, 20 foreigners reported having been victims of crimes including theft, robbery, physical assault and fraud.

I would like to know how these crimes on foreigners are logged as they don't quite ring true.

I agree ! Even if just considering farang, rather than all foreigners, these statistics appear remarkably low. How many foreigners visited Phuket from Jan 1 - May... surely tens, if not, hundreds of thousands ?! As such 140 odd cases would seem a minute percentage.

I think foreigners breaking Thai laws should be dealt with, pretty much, the same way as Thai's would be... and I'm no farang angel either.

[The Philosopher]

Great free accomodation - what times check out

[cpofc]

An area exclusively for obnoxious farang drunks! Great idea, but why not get value for money.

Properly contstructed it could double as a football stadium during daylight hours.

[VTR1000]

:D all I can say .....

[eggomaniac]

WHAT is an 'honorary' Consul?

Did he get his at KSR?

[harrymand]

An area exclusively for obnoxious farang drunks! Great idea, but why not get value for money.

Properly contstructed it could double as a football stadium during daylight hours.

Yes, a Drunk camp with barber wire for GERMANS! Last month I stay on a hotel with my wife and son. In the morning we went to the pool to relax. I find two sunbeds on the SUN side of the pool. Straight away, a big fat german with his breakfast-beer show up and demand us to go away from the beds. All the beds on the sunny side was occupied and reserved for his fellow master race friends. Some staff from the hotel show up, but was told by the Goring fellow to pi... of. We packed our things and find another "German-free" hotel. Not easy in Patong... Next time I need to go to the hospital, I stay in Phuket town.

[ALFREDO]

If the sunbeds had been not occupied by towels or anything from that German, I would have tried to go threw a confrontation.

Who punches first, pays usualy, if that is the outcome.

Maybe I was lucky until now, it never came to a fight when I insisted on my right-would be bad, I am not a fighter I think. (Only with words, so.)

I seldom had to back off, but I did, if the opponent is to drunk or crazy or both and seems to be unreasonable.

[sjjmmi]

Opps wrong thread

Edited May 27, 2010 by sjjmmi

[stuandchris]

I think you will find mystery bkk that this service is not needed in the uk as there is a decent bus, rail and taxi service.

Phuket is not BKK the infrastructure here is appaling, too much greed and lack of investment.

[Humphrey Bear]

WHAT is an 'honorary' Consul?

Did he get his at KSR?

Consulates are the out-reach arm of the country's government, for dealing with matters concerning private citizens - either citizens of the host country requiring visas and such, or citizens of the consulate's home country, requiring assistance in local matters.

The number of consulates of a country that are welcomed in the host country usually matches the number of consulates that the host country has in the other country.

Not all consuls are full-time paid employees of the foreign office (or equivalent) of the consular country. If the consular country has insufficient budget for all consulates, then it will recruit trusted local businessmen to act in a part-time capacity, dealing with visa issues, expatriate problems and so on. (Check with Barry Kenyon in Pattaya to confirm/clarify/correct this).

So if Thailand has three consular offices in UK, then UK will usually have three consular offices in Thailand.

Of these the main one (in Bangkok) will have a full-time paid Consul-General for Thailand, plus staff. The other branches may be manned by 'honorary consuls' who are local businessmen, who will devote a certain number of hours per week to the job. The FCO will provide a paid secretary and thus keep the office open for normal hours, although for part of that time only the secretary will be there.

The powers of the honorary consul are more limited than the C-G. As far as I can recall he cannot himself issue visas / passports, but can collect the documentation and pass it along to the main C-G office for further processing. However nowadays I believe that visa issuance has been farmed out to a private firm for checking and so on - only the final OK comes from the C-G's office in most countries.

You see, the Foreign Office in UK, like the rest of the government, is flat broke.