One million cameras will spy on future Bangkok criminals

An ambitious crime-fighting project would flood the streets of Bangkok with 1,000,000 surveillance cameras within three years. Residents will have to pay between 100 to 200 baht a month to help finance the “Miracle Eyes” project.

BANGKOK – September 6, 2012 [PDN]: at 10:00 a.m., the formal launch of a massive camera surveillance project was announced at the Thai Metropolitan Police Bureau by Pol. Lt. Gen. Kamronwit Thoopkrajang, commissioner of metropolitan police; Pol. Maj. Gen. Adul Narongsak, the vice commissioner of Metropolitan Police, administrative division; and Mr. Montchai Noosong, acting committee general manager, TOT Co. Ltd.

The innovative new crime prevention model will install 1 million cameras in Bangkok’s public areas, said Pol. Lt. Gen. Kamronwit. It would be similar to a system in London, England.

When crimes occur in that city, police officers rush to examine CCTV footage for evidence to obtain information and shorten the duration of investigations.

The “Miracle Eyes” project is a cooperative venture of the Bangkok Metropolitan Police and TOT Public Co, Ltd. But the Miracle Eyes project needs time and co-operation from Bangkok residents to establish the CCTV system, officials said.

An important part of the preliminary work is to spread information and support for the project. For the setup and maintenance costs, people would have to pay 100-200 baht per month.

The payoff would be the added protection against criminals — as if police officers were literally standing in front of everyone’s house for protection.

The police commissioner said the police will do their part to carry out the project. “I would like all the police officers who are stationed in the center to prepare for the Miracle Eyes project, with cooperation from across 88 police stations.”

Full story: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2012/09/07/one-million-cameras-will-spy-on-future-bangkok-criminals/

-- Pattaya Daily News 2012-09-07

What are the chances of them buying cameras that actually work.

(Or are of good enough quality to identify anyone)

They'll buy Chinese crap that stops after 40 mins.

Implimentation is delayed until the contract for the atm scanner to be atached to each is fixed.

hopefully those cameras will show also corrupted cops so that is good news .

The BiB are really getting creative with their tea funding projects these days....1 million cameras/ 3years....suppose there is only one response to that plan....

Although cant find an exact number of CCTV camera's in London, there are estimates of 400,000, so once again Thailand is going to go one better than a farang country...

A new hub perhaps ?.....a regional hub for CCTV camera ?

Edited September 7, 201213 yr by Soutpeel

HUB of CCTV System's

Whats the point? them asians all look the same.....LOL.

Well London will no longer be the hub of CCTV

Edited September 7, 201213 yr by Mosha

If they want to catch the biggest crooks,

they should put half the cameras in Gov''t house

DNA database maybe?

How in the hell do the Thai Police intend to monitor 1,000,000 CCTV cameras effectively??

This idea is delusional

If they want to catch the biggest crooks,

they should put half the cameras in Gov''t house

Exactly what I wanted to say. Put the rest in police stations and the city will be that much safer.

This is a GEM of a comment. Have to tag this as....

Whats the point? them asians all look the same.....LOL.

How in the hell do the Thai Police intend to monitor 1,000,000 CCTV cameras effectively??

This idea is delusional

Nobody mentioned monitoring 1 million screens. The plan is to check the footage after an event.

When crimes occur in that city, police officers rush to examine CCTV footage for evidence to obtain information and shorten the duration of investigations.

and how will they go about collecting this "100 or 200b per person per month" money?

They can take a long run off a short pier if they think i will be handing the money over to a police man....

people would have to pay 100-200 baht per month.

Did the Bangkok citizens get to vote on this?

people would have to pay 100-200 baht per month.

Did the Bangkok citizens get to vote on this?

Come on, when do we get to vote on anything?

This won't solve anything. Buy more bomb scanners instead.

One million cameras..... are they serious?

This makes the computer tablet for every child scheme look like... well, childsplay.

Edited September 7, 201213 yr by bigbamboo

A large proportion of CCTV cameras in London are monitored & can be controlled from central locations, this means criminals can actually be tracked from one camera to the next & so-on, while information is passed to the police on the ground.

They are not all stationary cameras only to be used for viewing footage after the criminals have left the area.

Never happen not in their wildest dreams because who is going to benefit cash wise with 1000,000 camera’s installed.

The parliment building and meetings will be televised!!

Edited September 7, 201213 yr by Tywais
Profanity removed

Can I see the breakdown - total cost of cameras, total installation costs, total ongoing costs, so I can work out what 10M Bangkokians need to pay 100-200 Baht a month for?

The BiB did not think this one thru well, already their boys are on footage at intersections collecting payoffs, yet nothing is being done. Selective editing will also be done to protect themselves in their misdemeanours and those willing to buy anonymity where having 'the connections' pays off.

And the cameras already installed were all but useless after the Red Shirts hoodlums smashed them so not much point at ground level 'cause they will be back!

Nope no way would I put 10 baht into this sc(am)heme.

people would have to pay 100-200 baht per month.

Did the Bangkok citizens get to vote on this?

Come on, when do we get to vote on anything?

Well, whereas you and I may not be eligible to vote, but January 2013 are the new elections for Bangkok Governor. Mind you the OP seems to indicate the Metropolitan Police as responsible, a unit which may or may not fall under the Bangkok Governor. The 'surcharge' per month suggests, but only suggests a 'government' is responsible, but not which one. Maybe some public input is required on this 'proposal' before the budget is gone?

Great idea, it should help crime levels drop dramatically. After all, it's not like you can walk up to a police officer in a nightclub, shoot him in the head, while on video camera, then skip off to Malaysia for 6 months while the video footage goes 'missing' and then return as one of the family's drivers turns himself in for the crime, is it? Purely hypothetical, of course.

It's not enough, surely 2 million is preferable!

How in the hell do the Thai Police intend to monitor 1,000,000 CCTV cameras effectively??

This idea is delusional

The idea is to check them after a crime as been reported, as a way of getting evidence. They are not intended for 24-7 monitoring.

Thai police offer tender for world largest single hard disk?

Who the hell is going to watch this amount of useless data? Spying on whom exactly?

Edited September 7, 201213 yr by Thai at Heart

Breakdown of cameras:

900,000 dummies (shells)

10,000 out of the remaining 100,000 still working after one month.