Phuket Police to target foreigners at night

[Lite Beer]

Phuket Police to target foreigners at night
Phuket Gazette -

Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Peerayuth Karachedi (right) has prepared his officers to target foreigners at night. Photo: Gazette file

PHUKET: Foreigners passing through checkpoints at night will be stopped and searched as part of a new effort to ensure the safety of people and property on Phuket, police announced today.

The police initiative is motivated by two recent ATM robberies perpetrated by foreigners and the fact that the number of foreign suspects in criminal cases sharply increased this year, said Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Peerayuth Karachedi.

Officers at police stations throughout Phuket were instructed last week to begin stopping and searching foreigners at night.

“If we find any equipment that could be used in a robbery, officers will question the driver in detail,” Col Peerayuth said.

“There is no need to carry around this kind of equipment at night,” he added.

Two Vietnamese men are suspected of using a blowtorch to rob an ATM at the Boat Lagoon of 1.6 million baht on November 7. Police believe they left Thailand the following day (story here).

On December 3, a Mexican and two Colombians used a blowtorch to rob an ATM in Patong of nearly 300,000 baht. They were later apprehended in Bangkok (story here).

From January to November this year, 247 foreigners in Phuket were suspects in criminal cases, Col Peerayuth noted, while the number for 2012 was 193 and for 2011 was 194.

The breakdown for 2013 is as follows:

Working without a work permit: 67

Drugs: 55

Traffic violations: 35

Expired permit to stay: 30

Offense against property: 28

Offense against life or body: 11

Crime not stated: 11

Entered the country illegally: 10

“We have to be more strict in enforcing the law as the number of tourists and expats on Phuket is increasing every year,” said Col Peerayuth.

“We have both good and bad foreigners here, and it’s our job to try to prevent the bad ones from doing criminal acts in our country,” Col Peerayuth noted.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Phuket-Police-to-target-foreigners-at-night-23052.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2013-12-17

[NamKangMan]

Well, it's official then, with these statistics, Phuket is to be renamed Pattaya 2.

I would like to personally congratulate the BiB and Phuket's influential people for their wonderful administration of the island. Job well done. Keep up the good work.

I will look forward to the racial profiling at your check points.

Edited December 17, 2013 by NamKangMan

[Slip]

Xenophobia at it's finest. Bravo Mr Deputy Commander.

[I Like Thai]

Well, it's official then, with these statistics, Phuket is to be renamed Pattaya 2.

I would like to personally congratulate the BiB and Phuket's influential people for their wonderful administration of the island. Job well done. Keep up the good work.

Why Pattaya 2 ?

I have never ever been stopped and searched in Pattaya.

[NamKangMan]

Well, it's official then, with these statistics, Phuket is to be renamed Pattaya 2.

I would like to personally congratulate the BiB and Phuket's influential people for their wonderful administration of the island. Job well done. Keep up the good work.

Why Pattaya 2 ?

I have never ever been stopped and searched in Pattaya.

Maybe the "2" after "Pattaya" because Phuket has now become twice as bad as Pattaya.

Edited December 17, 2013 by NamKangMan

[rambling]

Those amounts are small change compared to last month's bust of the gang involved with ATM skimming to the tune of 1 billion Baht. Ah yes there was also a policeman involved in that gang, maybe the police should target the police ;-)

[MoTheo]

Traffic violations: 35...............LOL, i suppose they not counting violations going in their own pockets,

[Ianatlarge]

247 foreigners, out of x million ?
Looks like a crime wave to me.

Glad to learn that the Thai cops will be out and about at night, guarding and keeping us all safe.

[bubblegum]

Lets see, traffic violations 35 criminals !

Expired permit stay 30 more real bad heavy duty bad guys

Working without a permit 67 almost murderers

Offence against property 28 drunk who pee were they should not pee

Entering the country illegal Burmese

Crime not stated 11 tourist not paying the barfine

Drugs 55 sure bad bad bad all of them are big time dealers or maybe caught smoking a joint

Offence against life or body . I say lock them up !

Thainess pffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff

[MoTheo]

Personally i count for 3 of them in 2013 for not wearing a helmet and missing international license, this country is a joke

Edited December 17, 2013 by MoTheo

[GeorgeO]

Xenophobia at it's finest. Bravo Mr Deputy Commander.

Extreme racism at its best...!! I would urge all foreigners to do what I did seven years ago, and leave Phuket for the last time...!!

[Patje]

Hide the blowtorch better !!!

[tommytitfull]

Hope any frangs don:t do a bit of plumbers work for a friend at night al tooled up. over 80% crimes are just not doing things by their passport controls.

[madmitch]

This is nothing more than legalised racism and is fundamentally wrong.

[iSabai]

Hope any frangs don:t do a bit of plumbers work for a friend at night al tooled up. over 80% crimes are just not doing things by their passport controls.

Well said. Er… what'd you say again?

[NeverSure]

Most of the serious crime in the news in Thailand is Thai on Thai. Start with the serial rapist/killer who killed a girl named Cartoon.

Others are Thai on foreigners. Why don't they check taxi drivers for knives and bamboo poles?

[holeyman1]

Weird...

How come back home we all obediently abide by the rules but when we're guests in another country, it's racial profiling? Something not right, no?

[chooka]

Take the heat off the locals who are attacking and robbing tourists and target the tourists. TAT will be impressed and those 1/2 mil tourists lost because of Suthup should start flocking to Phuket once the news gets out that they are a specific target for the local BIB.

Would it be a little less racist if they treated all people the same and targeted everyone instead of picking out the evil nasty round eyed tourists?

[chooka]

Most of the serious crime in the news in Thailand is Thai on Thai. Start with the serial rapist/killer who killed a girl named Cartoon.

Others are Thai on foreigners. Why don't they check taxi drivers for knives and bamboo poles?

Because if the farangs didn't come then there wouldn't be a problem, they are provoking and encouraging locals to act the way they are.

[Songhua]

What kind of equipment does one carry around to enter the country illegally?

[Somtamnication]

What kind of equipment does one carry around to enter the country illegally?

Dildos and atm cards.

[stevenl]

This is nothing more than legalised racism and is fundamentally wrong.

How is it racism when thai start checking e.g. vietnamese? Why do people on tv keep confusing foreigner with farang?

Sent from my D90W using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Somtamnication]

This is nothing more than legalised racism and is fundamentally wrong.

How is it racism when thai start checking e.g. vietnamese? Why do people on tv keep confusing foreigner with farang?

Sent from my D90W using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Well, at night, try to differentiate Vietnamese with Thais, sitting in car, approaching the gestapo checkpoint. They are only going for honkies!!!!

[chooka]

This is nothing more than legalised racism and is fundamentally wrong.

How is it racism when thai start checking e.g. vietnamese? Why do people on tv keep confusing foreigner with farang?

Sent from my D90W using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Well, at night, try to differentiate Vietnamese with Thais, sitting in car, approaching the gestapo checkpoint. They are only going for honkies!!!!

Yep it is a little like trying to differentiate between an Aussie and a Kiwi sitting in a car. I have to agree they will be targeting the round eyes easier to spot as a possible tourist or expat and not a citizen.

[AbeSurd]

Well, it's official then, with these statistics, Phuket is to be renamed Pattaya 2.

Pattaya 2 is in Khon Kaen.

http://www.khonkaen.com/english/attractions/ubolrat_dam.asp

[sunshine51]

Well, it's official then, with these statistics, Phuket is to be renamed Pattaya 2.

I would like to personally congratulate the BiB and Phuket's influential people for their wonderful administration of the island. Job well done. Keep up the good work.

I will look forward to the racial profiling at your check points.

Just ran outta likes so....this will have to do...

[andygunther]

Well, it's official then, with these statistics, Phuket is to be renamed Pattaya 2.

I would like to personally congratulate the BiB and Phuket's influential people for their wonderful administration of the island. Job well done. Keep up the good work.

Why Pattaya 2 ?

I have never ever been stopped and searched in Pattaya.

Maybe the "2" after "Pattaya" because Phuket has now become twice as bad as Pattaya.

Yes, right .... Pattaya is peaceful compared to Pattong. I stop to travel to Phuket 2 years ago.

[andygunther]

But I understand their interest ... From locals (Taxi, jetski etc..) They collect 100-200 bht. Farangs have to pay significantly more.

Last time I was there, they let all Thais without helmet pass, they only stop the farangs.

This is how it works here... Money talks

Edited December 18, 2013 by andygunther

[Travel Dude]

142 of those 193 cases by foreigners are petty of fences... Very little hard crime.

[TechnikaIII]

I give it the thumbs up. Go for it I say, because whoever is found to be in violation of whatever, needs to be hauled out, penalized and preferably expelled.