Testing Phuket's Tourist Assistance Centres

[webfact]

Testing Phuket's Tourist Assistance Centres
Prapaporn Jitmaneeyaphan


The Tourist Assistance Centre (TAC) at Phuket International Airport showed its value in May when it reunited an Australian tourist and his wallet, after he left it in an airport limousine.

PHUKET: -- There are few ways to report complaints to the relatively new Tourist Assistance Centre. However, Pol Lt Col Somboon Sarasit, commander of the Bureau of Special Crime Section 3 explained to The Phuket News, “People should first call the local police to settle a dispute.'

“We [the DSI] can't just rush out and catch criminals right away after someone reports an issue. We can only take care of some cases, which are been specifically approved by our committee.

“That said, people can still seek help by walking into our centres. One is in Phuket Town at Phuket Provincial Police Headquarters, and the other one is at Phuket international Airport. Or people can call us via the main Bangkok office on 02 575 4306.

“When it comes to looking into cases, representatives of the DSI, police, AOT [Airports of Thailand], Department of Land Transport, and other relevant departments have a meeting every Tuesday in the afternoon. Assignments are then dispatched to the relevant departments.”

To test responses, The Phuket News first called the phone numbers listed for the centre at the Phuket Provincial Police Headquarters: 076 217 144 and 076 217 145.

A female officer answered, and said, “This number works from 8am to 5pm on work days [Monday to Friday], though occasionally the centre can be closed on a working day when there is an important event – such as yesterday when a deputy minister came.

"However, the centre at the airport is open for 24 hours, every day.”

The Phuket News then tried calling 076 327 100, the phone number listed for the centre at the airport.

Another female officer answered, and told The Phuket News, “This centre is open for 24 hours every day. There are two shifts – day and night – and two to three officers are here in each shift.

"When people call us, or come in person to report their problems, we will record them, and give them to our boss.

“Our boss will then decide where each case should be sent to – for example, tourist police, local police or another department.”

So far, it seems the system is working.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/testing-phukets-tourist-assistance-centres-42993.php


-- Phuket News 2013-11-23

[somchaismith]

Looking at the photograph I thought they must be there to test food.

[Estrada]

Assisting tourists to lose weight?

[hellodolly]

they say

“We [the DSI] can't just rush out and catch criminals right away after someone reports an issue. We can only take care of some cases, which are been specifically approved by our committee.

Now I could be wrong or I might be just facetious. But if I witness a murder there and report it to them they will have to get a committee to OK doing some thing about it. or

[sirchai]

"When people call us, or come in person to report their problems, we will record them, and give them to our boss.

“Our boss will then decide where each case should be sent to – for example, tourist police, local police or another department.”

So far, it seems the system is working.

The tourist police will make good money out of a foreigner's problem. The local police will only ask for some tea money. And the other departments are non existent.

My hamster just died laughing on its wheel......

Edited November 23, 2013 by sirchai

[deecee10]

So it's just another level of bureaucracy and red tape to deal with.

[dighambara]

With the numbers of foreigners on long stay visas - some extimates say over 6 million (not counting border runners) - being the true 'breadwinners' of all foreigners here, one would expect there was a Ministry of Foreign Residents.

For any who disbelieve this, check the numbers.

For only 3 million Western residents - THE LOW FIGURE - income requirements - BY IMMIGRATION LAW - are close to 200 Billion Baht ($6.7 Billion) PER MONTH.

That figure does not include businesses, automobiles, motorbiles and Houses bought or paid for by foreigners.

IMHO - The Thai government puts too much effort into assisting tourists and not enough effort into helping those who live here.

[Carl64]

So if you report a crime on Wednesday you have to wait a week??

That's great and should really speed up the justice system . Hope the criminals don't know about this!