7-Eleven Joins Thai Police In Fighting Crimes Against Foreign Tourists

[alexth]

Wonder what are they smoking...

[reggaebkk]

I'm not very clever to understand the reasons and the consequences of such a crazy solution.

But to me it just proves that, as usual, Thai authorities try to find the easy way out.

There are police booths at every corner, but they're too busy hunting for under-table money from busted motorists. (1 to 200 baht for a red light or a forgotten helmet... if you paid more you've been ripped-off, corruption has its standards).

Now they delegate tourist security to 7/11? it's not a joke right?

Instead of keeping the force doing their job at their station and training them properly (doing something constructive that is), they are going to delegate police work to low-level staff of a private corporation?

7/11 is handling your phone bill, your electric bill, your water bill and god knows what else... now tourist security... soon they'll become voting booth... 7/11 is going to end-up replacing the whole government soon.

It all smells fishy to me... I'd rather the old communist way of creating a militia... it'd make more sense and at least power stays with the people.

Edited November 5, 2010 by reggaebkk

[tlongdon]

great... so now thousands of us will be caught "dropping cigarette butts" in 7-11's across Thailand and fined accordingingly.

Whether we're smokers or not.

[cup-O-coffee]

Won't know until we get some crime stories, and feedback about response time and to what extent the 711 staff were involved.

Basically, it sounds like the Thai staff are only going to call and request for a police officer to come to the scene, but not be able to explain why, and then the seriousness will dilute from there on. I have never personally known, or even heard of, the police to show up in a timely fashion.

There are more motor taxi drivers around than 711 staff. Perhaps it would be better to license these guys, and reward them for apprehending and detaining criminals they catch in the act of violating the law. These drivers are on the street, and a lot closer to the action than the 711 staff during a grocery rush hour. I can see some tiny 711 check out girl handling a drunken tourist that has just been accosted by Thais at 4am in the morning.

Better to hand this over to the motor taxis. Let them wear special reflective vests. They are more visible too. They also have wheels and are organized for a quicker response, and can lead the police to the criminal's doorstep. They are the eyes and ears around town.

[HakimKlunker]

Considering that I take this news for serious:

I would be interested if minor heart or brain surgeries will soon be carried out by Tuk Tuk Drivers,

Or if there is a house on fire somewhere, a local fisherman will be in charge to coordinate rescue work.

I further wonder if Nok Airlines will be in charge to issue tickets for wrong parking.

If the answer is 'yes':

I reckon that it is time to run

Considering that in fact I don't take this news for serious:

I am looking forward to 1st April, if the issue can be topped.

[bloody tiger]

This is how it may well play out:

The police will arrive almost instantaneously.....

WHY??????????

Because the poor bugger will be misinterpreted and the 7-11 will phone the police and inform them that some crazy looking farang has just threatened to rob the store and will bash them if they don't comply......he tried to tell them he was mugged and robbed!!!!!!

After another few hundred thousand or even million baht, the farang will now be free to return home.

[chaoyang]

"Yes, I'll have a Sgt-Major Somchai Wisetsing big bite special with a hot cup of Sgt Uthai Dechawiwat."

For readers who don't know those cases of infamy - police executing tourists over trivial matters - do a google search.

Our friendly 7-Eleven cashier could ask then if you would like anything else with your slaughter.

Edited November 5, 2010 by chaoyang

[g00dgirl]

How will it be advertized ? by sticking a talking, waving, man sized dummy outside 7/11 saying " report your mugging here" ? But seriously though, how many short stay tourists would know about this, and who would opt to go to a police station, just like in every other country in the world.

Never heard such nonsense !!!

I was going to post exactly the same the sentences as you bkklife.

Same thinking, did you work in advertising as well?

How would tourist even get the idea to go to 7/11 for reporting a crime. How would it be advertised. I was going to design a window sticker "report your crime here". A red logo with a knife, white border, sticker to go on the door? Probably cheaper than setting up little manned tourist police booths at the beaches and tourist areas.

[crazymoon]

I think it is a bloody good idea.

The 7 eleven's are a farang's 1st thai home when he finds his away around the out backs of Thailand by themselve for the 1st time. So there may be teething problems like drunk Russians trying to talk English but it is at least making an attempt to allowing English speaking falang to make contact with an English speaking police link when you need most to be to have some one understand you.

Hi guys do somebody thought yet we are living in Thailand and we shd speak Thai instead to complain Thai people can not speak English?

[Brewsta]

Sawasdee kha, can I help you sir.

Sawasdee Khrap. Yes, I would like 2 boxes of Marlborough, one Pot Noodle, 2 Bottles f Chang and 12 Policeman please as I have just been mugged by 20 Thai's just sitting outside.

Of course sir. That will be 290 Baht and the Police will be there tomorrow. Sawasdee Kha, next please.

Give this man a Chang. Why .... Humour + Reality = Priceless!!

Ta for the Friday Laugh and Happy Guy Fawkes Night to All, whoe'er or where'er you are.

Rgds

Brewsta

[kuffki]

I think it is a bloody good idea.

The 7 eleven's are a farang's 1st thai home when he finds his away around the out backs of Thailand by themselve for the 1st time. So there may be teething problems like drunk Russians trying to talk English but it is at least making an attempt to allowing English speaking falang to make contact with an English speaking police link when you need most to be to have some one understand you.

Hi guys do somebody thought yet we are living in Thailand and we shd speak Thai instead to complain Thai people can not speak English?

Clearly English is not your first language, but i did not know that tourists should speak or learn Thai and not other way around

[surayu]

Being tourist police, one would expect that all tourist police speak English.

Last one i personally meet, was good in speaking english, at the moment it's still being wanted for selling to tourists and residents alike, including many fellow countrymen, services and goods he never provided, also borrowed a substantial amount of cash from "friends" before finally disappearing..... :ph34r:

[kuffki]

How will it be advertized ? by sticking a talking, waving, man sized dummy outside 7/11 saying " report your mugging here" ? But seriously though, how many short stay tourists would know about this, and who would opt to go to a police station, just like in every other country in the world.

Never heard such nonsense !!!

Most likely it will be advertised in Thai, ie Thai writing sticker on the window, because all tourists can read and understand Thai.

Just the other week, tourist police put a sticker on my friends shop all in Thai and it translates into something like "Tourist safe house"

But again the whole sticker is in Thai

PS. They never asked him or spoke to him in this regard

[kuffki]

Being tourist police, one would expect that all tourist police speak English.

Last one i personally meet, was good in speaking english, at the moment it's still being wanted for selling to tourists and residents alike, including many fellow countrymen, services and goods he never provided, also borrowed a substantial amount of cash from "friends" before finally disappearing..... :ph34r:

May be can report him in 7-11 and he wil come to arrest himself-LOL

[waighty]

How typically tragic when people ho berate others abilities cannot even spell the brand of cigaette they buy. It's MALBORO.

[Tonto21]

Two thing, with this being Thailand. First there will be a minimum purchase, to make a report, say 100baht and every staff member will want to hear what your complaint is……..It may be a good story to tell their friends later.

Just a suggestion regarding the language barrier, 7/11 could employ a flip chart, (hung where the fags are) and one of the staff slowly turn the pages, each page depicting a different scenario, theft, stabbing, con, bar girl related incident, buggery! 7/11 could make a killing, they could get all the shoppers involved, a bit of a game show, they could call it; “What’s your complaint” The best one (in a 24 hour period gets there complaint passed to the BIB.

[jeanpierre]

the bib rip me of for 400bht

can i go to 7/11?

[Id68]

I can see the logic behind the idea....a franchise 7/11 working with a franchise police force.

[Cuchulainn]

.................The only thing that 7-11 employees and Police have in common are that they probably make about the same income..................

and have the same IQ!!

[trainman34014]

Presumably 7-11 will have to have a scale of charges because if they call the Old Bill to come out, they will want tea money. I guess if it's a simple mugging it could be as low as 200 Baht but for a knifing or some other form of attempted murder it could run as high as a couple of thousand! Of course; if you need water or beer to help you overcome the Shock and Trauma of it all the price of those commodities would be added on the bottom of the bill.

[katana]

Sawasdee kha, can I help you sir.

Sawasdee Khrap. Yes, I would like 2 boxes of Marlborough, one Pot Noodle, 2 Bottles f Chang and 12 Policeman please as I have just been mugged by 20 Thai's just sitting outside.

Of course sir. That will be 290 Baht and the Police will be there tomorrow. Sawasdee Kha, next please.

lol

[jonclark]

To all the Pattaya and Chonburi guys and gals, Its friday night, so how about giving this whirl and see how it works out,

Half a dozen pints down walking street, stagger into the 7-11 and say someone stole your wallet - see if they have any idea what your blabbering about. Let everyone at Thai visa know how it went.

Lets see how well this works (or doesn't) before we kill ourselves laughing.

As far as i knew 7-11 were franchise stores, so if this goes national does every franchise have to include this 'tourist assistance' in its training (are 7-11 staff trained anyway). If so who trains them and who picks up the bill. I'd imagine there are more 7-11 than police stations and nearly an equal number of staff.

Imagine being the poor PC who's job it is to train 7-11 staff in say Bangkok, talk about never ending.

The logistics of this make it almost impossible to do.

[Kilgore Trout]

I think the police are losing the plot. After basically an endless stream of bad press, they are fighting back by telling tourists to tell the ladyboys working at 7/11 about the crime that just happened to them ???

Here is a free tip. How about stopping crime in the first place, instead of a new bizarre way to report it. Instead of the police taking all their time blocking traffic so VIPs can rapidly whiz around and stopping Thais at the endless checkpoints to steal  their money, they need to follow western policing. Meaning the police are cruising around everywhere looking for crime. 

Somebody asked me one time if they would get stopped by the police at night. I said no, they are all at the Karaoke bars spending the money they stole that day....

They need to follow Western policing eh? Hope they dont follow Chicago's example.

My link

[bangon04]

Basically this is a good idea.

7/11 staff do know the word for police.

There are not many tourist police stations, so 7/11 should have the

number for the nearest one and get an English speaker or some equivalent

to show up from there.

.

As for understanding "police help, police help" for starters i would not be so sure it will be understood(it always takes 3 go's IN THAI to buy 500 baht phone card, and while my Thai may not be the best, but speaking in Thai and showing 5 fingers and hearing words like DTAC, i would of thought would be enough to get the idea, but sadly it is not and i always need to repeat myself and show my fingers minimum 3 times) So to understand "police help" may be little harder then you imagine.

It's easy to arrange. All you need is to stick a photo of a Thai policeman on the wall at every 7-11 shop, with a big barcode under it. So in a emergency you grab the barcode scanner and point it at the photo. Of course you will have to wait your turn in the queue behind the guy who is trying to pay his phone bill by using sign language, and the guy trying to buy a phone card.

[kuffki]

How typically tragic when people ho berate others abilities cannot even spell the brand of cigaette they buy. It's MALBORO.

Its much more tragic when those who try to appear smart come out looking like total ass.

IT IS MARLBORO

See the official website

[kuffki]

Basically this is a good idea.

7/11 staff do know the word for police.

There are not many tourist police stations, so 7/11 should have the

number for the nearest one and get an English speaker or some equivalent

to show up from there.

.

As for understanding "police help, police help" for starters i would not be so sure it will be understood(it always takes 3 go's IN THAI to buy 500 baht phone card, and while my Thai may not be the best, but speaking in Thai and showing 5 fingers and hearing words like DTAC, i would of thought would be enough to get the idea, but sadly it is not and i always need to repeat myself and show my fingers minimum 3 times) So to understand "police help" may be little harder then you imagine.

It's easy to arrange. All you need is to stick a photo of a Thai policeman on the wall at every 7-11 shop, with a big barcode under it. So in a emergency you grab the barcode scanner and point it at the photo. Of course you will have to wait your turn in the queue behind the guy who is trying to pay his phone bill by using sign language, and the guy trying to buy a phone card.

Thank GOD, funny man have arrived

[Brewsta]

Thank you Thailand for bringing a smile to my face. Today has been a tough day in the office, i can always count on thaivisa at the expense of the thai police to cheer me. funny story! i feel so much safer now....

BTW when i get pulled over by some traffic cops doing an illegal road stop.... do i also report that to 7-11or should i report that to the post office... tesco.... 55555 ....i love this country!!!!

A natural development of this could be that 'non-natives' do their visa runs/applications/extensions, etc at 7-11 at the same time - no?

Trial run starting in Chiang Mai? Go on, you know it makes sense !!!! :lol:

My early weekend just gets better all the time.........

Brewsta

[pattayabuggy]

One of the most effective ways Thailand can fight crime is disband the police.http://www.upiasia.com/Human_Rights/2008/03/27/thai_police_are_best_organized_criminals/2369/

[bkklife]

How will it be advertized ? by sticking a talking, waving, man sized dummy outside 7/11 saying " report your mugging here" ? But seriously though, how many short stay tourists would know about this, and who would opt to go to a police station, just like in every other country in the world.

Never heard such nonsense !!!

I was going to post exactly the same the sentences as you bkklife.

Same thinking, did you work in advertising as well?

How would tourist even get the idea to go to 7/11 for reporting a crime. How would it be advertised. I was going to design a window sticker "report your crime here". A red logo with a knife, white border, sticker to go on the door? Probably cheaper than setting up little manned tourist police booths at the beaches and tourist areas.

Or maybe the flight air hostesses will issue a business type card, with your immigration card, detailing information such as " if you get mugged in Pattaya, report to your nearest 7/11". That would be far to easy to implement and not to mention the corruption written all over it.

[aussiejosh]

It would be interesting to know how much 7-11 staff are paid compared to police.

I wouldn't goto a 7-11 in an emergency, I can't see how they are going to explain this to tourists.