Expat Tourist Police Volunteers....

[Ajarn]

40 expat tourist police volunteers take to the beat during Yee Peng

Preeyanoot Jittawong

Pol Lt Col Nattawut Chotikanchanawat, tourist police inspector (2nd from left) and tourist police volunteers patrol on walking street.

Forty foreign tourist police volunteers were working alongside regular Chiang Mai tourist police during the Yee Peng festival to ensure that overseas visitors are given full support in terms of information and other services.

Tourist police inspector Pol Lt Col Nattawut Chotikanchanawat said that when the idea was first mooted, it was discovered there was a large number of expatriates, many of whom had lived in Chiang Mai for a long time, who were interested in acting as volunteers. Eventually, about 40 were chosen, and they are from a variety of nationalities including American, Indian, Chinese, British, Canadian, Swiss, Dutch, German, Burmese and Japanese.

The volunteers have undergone training and wear a dark blue uniform. They help regular tourist police to communicate with people from their own backgrounds, and are also able to give information on Thai culture and events. The 40 volunteers have a love of Chiang Mai and are reported as being very happy for the opportunity to help visitors to the city.

[up-country_sinclair]

The 40 volunteers have a love of Chiang Mai and are reported as being very happy for the opportunity to help visitors to the city.....

And they are extremely pathetic.

It's only a matter of time before one these wannabes goes to far exercising their "authority".

[Ajarn]

I have no need to fear them, hence, no need to hate them, either.

I figure they're simply a new facet to the scene here....

[up-country_sinclair]

i'm a law abiding sort, so i don't plan on having any run-ins with them either, but....

[chownah]

Did the police get work permits for them? This is a serious inquiry...I really would like to find out.

[lamphun]

A wonderful family portrait, but where is Morticia ?

[jomama]

Great to see some posts from Ajarn! Hello, Ajarn!

Me, I'm ready to report for duty, but only if I can have some input on future hubs and crackdowns.

[cmsally]

A wonderful family portrait, but where is Morticia ?

Morticia was last seen down at the Night Safari, tucking into some "exotic steaks" at their new restaurant.

[Guest DragonStar]

... Forty foreign tourist police volunteers were working alongside regular Chiang Mai tourist police during the Yee Peng festival to ensure that overseas visitors are given full support in terms of information and other services...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I see two interesting implications in this:

1) Foreigners now allowed to do work previously prohibited for foreigners - work as tourist guide (common sense tells me that this is what they do - rather than actual police work).

2) Official Thailand recognizes that there actually are situations where foreigners' assistance comes in handy.

[The Philosopher]

The same thing happened in Pattaya and far from becoming aids to help tourisits they became a vehicle for the local non toursit police to gain inside information on the expat community.

[george]

Thread closed.

/admin