New gun, security guard laws aim to improve tourist safety

[Lite Beer]

New gun, security guard laws aim to improve tourist safety
Phuket Gazette -

Even those with permits to carry guns in public may no longer do so in tourist areas, said Lt Col Akanit. Photo: Chutharat Plerin

PHUKET: Gun owners with permission to carry their weapons in public may no longer do so in tourist areas, it was announced on Tuesday.

The order issued by the Royal Thai Police applies nationwide and is part of an ongoing effort to improve tourist safety.

Carrying guns in tourist areas or in areas where crowds gather is no longer allowed, Patong Police Deputy Superintendent Akanit Danpitaksat said, adding that plain clothes officers would be looking for firearms carried in public.

The penalty for breaking the new law is a fine of up to 10,000 baht, five years in prison or both.

“The only exception to the law will be cases where the gun owner can prove that he had a good reason for carrying the gun,” Lt Col Akanit explained.

“If someone has to carry a lot of money or is being threatened by someone, than carrying a gun may be permissible,” Col Akanit said.

It was also announced that entertainment venue security staff who face problems with customers must contact the police to solve the problem instead of dealing with it on their own.

“Tourists in Phuket have complained many times about being threatened or attacked by bodyguards or security personnel at entertainment venues,” Col Akanit said.

“They must not attack tourists,” he warned.

“If we receive a report of a guard attacking a tourist, we will charge him for assault, which carries a fine of up to 4,000 baht, two years in prison or both,” he said.

The prohibition against attacking tourists mirrored an announcement yesterday by Deputy President of the Phuket Jet-Ski Club Nucha Petchvimol, who said, “Operators are now under strict rules to just call the police [if conflicts arise], rather than trying to handle the situation themselves

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/New-gun-security-guard-laws-aim-to-improve-tourist-safety-22688.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2013-11-01

[Tycoon]

“The only exception to the law will be cases where the gun owner can prove that he had a good reason for carrying the gun,” Lt Col Akanit explained.

“If someone has to carry a lot of money or is being threatened by someone, than carrying a gun may be permissible,” Col Akanit said.

There my friends is the get out of jail card.

Q Why did you have your gun?

A Because I wanted to kill a rival who looked sideways at me.

Carry on, nothing to see here

[kblaze]

see the title and i was like, "ok be positive...this HAS to be a good thing"...and then as the post before me makes clear...the giant loophole worm climbs out of the empty promise

[Thai at Heart]

I feel safer already.

Is this thing to stop bad guys carrying guns?

[clockman]

Thailand, third in the world, for hand gun murders! and remember these are children with attitude.

[NeverSure]

Yes, the criminals will be sure to take note of this new restriction.

[stoli]

“The only exception to the law will be cases where the gun owner can prove that he had a good reason for carrying the gun,” Lt Col Akanit explained.

“If someone has to carry a lot of money or is being threatened by someone, than carrying a gun may be permissible,” Col Akanit said.

There my friends is the get out of jail card.

Q Why did you have your gun?

A Because I wanted to kill a rival who looked sideways at me.

Carry on, nothing to see here

Okay, so you are anti-gun. Your analogy makes no sense.

[Songhua]

How will these 'tourist areas' be defined? All of Bangkok or just Nana, Khao San etc, all of Phuket or just Patong?

Will there be signs prohibiting guns at entries to these special areas or will the toters simply know they can carry one, say, anywhere in Pattaya except Walking St?

[NamKangMan]

Another PR flop by the Phuket police.

Most tourists were probably unaware that many Thai's in the tourist areas are armed - now they are aware. Instead of making them feel safer - they have done the opposite.

I'm sure it will give them a nice impression of Phuket.

[JoeThePoster]

How about exchanging the guns for a really big whistle?

[sunshine51]

I'm all for "responsible" gun ownership in LOS.

That said...as for the bad guys, I reckon they'll

never get the message about the new law....

[upena]

Another "solution" that doesn't solve the problem.

[SOTIRIOS]

...but for watch thieves or watch vendors..........it's ok.....500 baht....no time in jail....

....and if they happen to kill a foreigner.......but...'didn't mean to'..........that's ok too.....

[cup-O-coffee]

Yeah, right, officer! Sure! Uh huh! Yes! I understand! Yes. Uh huh! No problem! I feel safe now because you said this. Kahp Kuhn Crap!

[madmitch]

How about removing guns in tourist areas from the biggest threat, i.e. the Royal Thai Police? Especially when off-duty!

[dennisgb45]

As in everywhere in the world, it's not the licensed gun owners who are a crime problem. Criminals don't register their guns.

[LivinginKata]

How about removing guns in tourist areas from the biggest threat, i.e. the Royal Thai Police? Especially when off-duty!

especially after a few drinks (that can be on and off duty)

[Zumteufel]

“The only exception to the law will be cases where the gun owner can prove that he had a good reason for carrying the gun,” Lt Col Akanit explained.

“If someone has to carry a lot of money or is being threatened by someone, than carrying a gun may be permissible,” Col Akanit said.

There my friends is the get out of jail card.

Q Why did you have your gun?

A Because I wanted to kill a rival who looked sideways at me.

Carry on, nothing to see here

Okay, so you are anti-gun. Your analogy makes no sense.

I think he was referring to the "or is being threatened by someone, than carrying a gun may be permissible" part, in which case it makes perfect sense. Anybody can claim to be/feel threatened by someone.

[yingyo]

Pointless crap that will change absolutely nothing, in any way.

[drdoom6996]

Great, another law that will not be enforced. But a headline, story and photo op. And again I'm he got his television time as well.

[Bagwan]

I'm all for "responsible" gun ownership in LOS.

That said...as for the bad guys, I reckon they'll

never get the message about the new law....

02.jpg

Please define 'responsible'. Do remember that TIT.

Taking your contention to it's logical conclusion would only start an arms race and eventually we'd all be driving around in tanks.

[monkeycountry]

“If we receive a report of a guard attacking a tourist, we will charge him for assault, which carries a fine of up to 4,000 baht, two years in prison or both,”

The actual sentence for assaulting a tourist is a 500 baht fine, no prison - or both!

It is good to see the jetski mafia has now decided no longer to attack tourists right away, but instead call their fellow gang members, the police, before the attack/extortion commences.

As for guns - how about a law prohibiting everyone but the police from carrying guns? Some countries have laws like that, such as scandinavia - and magically those countries have very low gun crime rates

[GBK]

I'm all for "responsible" gun ownership in LOS.

That said...as for the bad guys, I reckon they'll

never get the message about the new law....

02.jpg

Please define 'responsible'. Do remember that TIT.

Taking your contention to it's logical conclusion would only start an arms race and eventually we'd all be driving around in tanks.

Except that we cannot.

I know, i tried to buy one.

[Sealbash]

Thailand, third in the world, for hand gun murders! and remember these are children with attitude.

Where might we find these statistics?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Loles]

I guess this will help a lot

[Emdog]

"The penalty for breaking the new law is a fine of up to 10,000 baht, five years in prison or both." Oh really? Will it be applied to the gang of four they nabbed here in Pattaya that likes to target tourists? Seems a perfect test of if they walk their talk. I am not holding my breath. Gang member could say "I need to carry my gun because farang bigger than me and might beat me up when I rob him."

[cup-O-coffee]

How about removing guns in tourist areas from the biggest threat, i.e. the Royal Thai Police? Especially when off-duty!

How about removing the police and letting the mafia provide security?

The ATM machines walking around the soi venues are handing their money directly over to the venues. The thugs who work for those venues understand this and want those ATM machines to spit out cash inside their venues. They understand to a certain degree that when they frighten the ATM machines, that the machines will spin off elsewhere with their lights blinking and an oil trail behind them, and they lose their job when the venue goes out of business.

On the other hand, the coppers are wasting their time when they pull night shift duty. They know this and rue the roll call for night shift duty. They have to begrudgingly hang around the soi venues, watching all the ATM machines with only that one, single hope that some Thai will scream an accusation and point at an ATM machine. That is their only opportunity to get any extra income, as they can then haul the ATM to the shop and unclog it by removing all that nasty cash inside before setting it loose again to fill back up with nasty cash.

So, to answer the question; No! we do not need police presence in a place where police presence is merely a charade; moreover it is a queue to get the leftovers. The thugs get tired of whacking around the ATM machines when they whine and whir but no money spits out, and hence the police can finally get their chance to take off the cover and see if there are any clogs that need removing.

Well, at least it sounded right when I read it and just before I clicked "submit".

[razer]

Don't insult people's intelligence talking about fines and jail terms. We know what we see from the judicial system. Even Thai people are laughing at you and the judicial system. Any expat with close relations to a Thai knows what the Thai community thinks about Thai justice.

[bangon04]

"“The only exception to the law will be cases where the gun owner can prove that he had a good reason for carrying the gun,” Lt Col Akanit explained."

How about: "My family is rich and important" or "I am friends with a Police Colonel" or "I will give you 200 Baht to stop asking me"

All very valid reasons in Thailand. Let alone the whole self-defence excuse.

[Mudcrab]

“The only exception to the law will be cases where the gun owner can prove that he had a good reason for carrying the gun,” Lt Col Akanit explained.

“If someone has to carry a lot of money or is being threatened by someone, than carrying a gun may be permissible,” Col Akanit said.

There my friends is the get out of jail card.

Q Why did you have your gun?

A Because I wanted to kill a rival who looked sideways at me.

Carry on, nothing to see here

Okay, so you are anti-gun. Your analogy makes no sense.

I'm not anti gun..just anti disturbed gun toting lunatics. Another one today in LA airport.