Tourism police launch 'Tourist Buddy' app to help foreigners

By Coconuts Bangkok

Tourist Buddy App

BANGKOK: -- Yesterday, tourism police debuted the Tourist Buddy Application in an effort to portray Bangkok as a safe, tourist-friendly destination for foreigners.

The application is available on iPhone and iPad and will soon be available in the Android market as well. It provides users with tourist destinations, special events, police station locations and emergency contact numbers.

“This app acts like your Buddy,” the app’s description read. “When you are lost or need to find travel places, you can use this app for searching.” [more...]

Source: http://www.coconutsb...elp-foreigners/

-- COCONUTS Bangkok 2013-02-12

only available for KaiPhone 55555

'Provides tourists with police station locations'

So you can get to that destination quicker to be grunted at and treated like a second class citizen.

A positive step although I thought there were already quite a few similar apps?

One click to call in an emergency would be handy.

Talk about a killer app.

A positive step although I thought there were already quite a few similar apps?

One click to call in an emergency would be handy.

Similar apps? All you need is GPS, if that.

10 years ago, when I first hit these shores I got lost and asked a Policeman. He looked at me like I was dog sh**, grunted and they said; "How much you pay me?" I didn't take the conversation any further, that was my first and only lesson I needed in respect of how useful the Thai Police are.

On that note, credit where credit is due. I took a walk to my local Villa Mart. On the way back the traffic was heavy and a Policeman came up and helped. He stopped the traffic, saluted me and said have a good day. I was more than a little shock, said thank you, to which he replied, in perfect English, "It's my pleasure sir."

They are not all bad as we know and it is nice to know that someone will help you when needed.

It probably tracks you with GPS and sends your location to muggers.

The Highway Police has such App already in place - at least for Android

In Thai and English it has access to Map, CCTV, Police Stations, drop emergency calls, direct links to the insurances and hospitals etc.

So it might be worth a try...

Bye,

Derk

10 years ago, when I first hit these shores I got lost and asked a Policeman. He looked at me like I was dog sh**, grunted and they said; "How much you pay me?" I didn't take the conversation any further, that was my first and only lesson I needed in respect of how useful the Thai Police are.

Pink flip flops are OUT. ........................

I am here on a retirement visa.Do I qualify to use the tourist police? Or are they only for people on tourist visas? After all,people like me who are here for a long time are not tourists.

I am here on a retirement visa.Do I qualify to use the tourist police? Or are they only for people on tourist visas? After all,people like me who are here for a long time are not tourists.

Tourist Police are for ALL farang with a problem regardless.

Correct, Tourist Police or more appropriately the FTPA ( foreign tourist police assistant are there to assist the police and the foreigner with problems and communication as we have people that can converse in almost any foreign language and assist you in any language.

Do as the Thais do; stay well away from the Police at all times and whenever possible.

When you do a search for directions to someplace. It returns with.

"Up to You"

I downloaded this app. Its free and worth every baht.

Even though it has an "Emg/Thai" lanugage button, with Eng(lish) selected, all of the News and Promotion section is written in only Thai.

Most features require the user to register. Why? So the Thai government can track us and/or send us spam? There's absolutely no reason a user should have to register in order to receive information. The info that is available without registering it is basically just a list of phone numbers, and dull info easily found doing a web search.

The one useful feature is a map showing the location of the local tourist police station, which of course, one could also find by just calling them at 1155.

Overall, C-

I downloaded this app. Its free and worth every baht.

Even though it has an "Emg/Thai" lanugage button, with Eng(lish) selected, all of the News and Promotion section is written in only Thai.

Most features require the user to register. Why? So the Thai government can track us and/or send us spam? There's absolutely no reason a user should have to register in order to receive information. The info that is available without registering it is basically just a list of phone numbers, and dull info easily found doing a web search.

The one useful feature is a map showing the location of the local tourist police station, which of course, one could also find by just calling them at 1155.

Overall, C-

Have you ever tried calling 1155? Did someone answer?

"BANGKOK: -- Yesterday, tourism police debuted the
Tourist Buddy Application in an effort to portray Bangkok as a safe,
tourist-friendly destination for foreigners."

Unbelievable!

In the last 6 months - I have personally witnessed 2 handbag snatches, (police refusing to assist claiming "its not his job"), 2 cases of 'groping' on the BTS, a pedestrian falling in the road caused by a vehicle making an illegal u-turn in front of a traffic police box (occupied), daily confrontations with motorbike taxis believing they have right of way on the footpaths, municipal officers around Asoke / Nana preying on tourists (only) ready to fine them for dropping litter and I have personally been stopped and questioned / searched 8 times by the BiB

Safe - Tourist friendly ? Not the same Bangkok - surely.

Crashed as soon as I open the app on my iPhone. Piece of $hit.

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

I've seen policemen being offered the obligatory tea money for traffic offences and have a near apoplectic fit for the cheek.

The lesson is is don't offer until you're certain they're on the take if you're ever in such a situation.