Phuket Police to target foreigners at night

[pomchop]

No time to target tuk tuk mafia from holding tourists captive at their hotels during the day or gouging the piss out of everyone under threat of a beating...no time to remove the tuk tuk mafia from utilizing public parking as their own....no time to go down to the beach and arrest a few jet ski thugs....But plenty of time to target falangs at night who "might" be carrying some burglar type tools because TWO ATM's got robbed?

Apparently this makes perfect sense to the Phuket police and Governor...try and shine the spotlight on those falangs but never ever ever mess with the rice bowl of the criminals and the crimes that take place in broad daylight day after day after day.

[Neeranam]

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

The last time I went there it was called Bang Saen 2. Pattaya 2 is in another location in Isarn.

Edited December 18, 2013 by Neeranam

[Bluetiger]

No worries! Just get your Thai friend to carry the blow torch and crowbar.

[smileydude]

I can understand these kind of announcements from the local BIB will invoke an outcry of racial profiling from the expat community here and I don't think these kind of public statements do any good. Criminal profiling based on body language, explanations to questions etc. are second instinct for good cops. Racial profiling is not.

I think cooperation among local and foreign law enforcement departments regarding criminal record databases e.g.. Interpol, FBI etc. that could be accessed at entry checkpoints would be a better place to start. With all the advancement in computer information systems I would have thought it would be much more effective but the crooks are still slipping thru.

[falangadang]

"Crime not stated: 11"

....the justification for these being "well they were walking around Phuket and looked guilty so we arrested and charged them anyway just in case!"

[notmyself]

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

Advanced warning of a shakedown is all it is.

[venturalaw]

Yet another brilliant scheme which negatively impacts tourism.

[culicine]

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.

How many foreigners will be travelling around Puket after 6pm? Thousands probably....and many, especially expats, don't carry passports/wp with them everywhere they go. Looks like a nice little earner for the BiB !

When will they start on the jet-ski/tuk tuk scammers???

[Emdog]

Farangs are not guests in Thailand. They are hosts, as in the "host-parasite" relationship. These insane PR stunts have ability to provoke tears and laughter at the same time....

[LivinginKata]

Post removed. Forum rule 8) Not to post extremely negative views of Thailand or derogatory comments directed towards all Thais.

[mogo51]

This site has no rating

Well I wish to nominate the genius who thought this one up, as Minister for tourism Thailand. what a co.....head. Lets see the stats for Thais ripping off toursts, assaults etc. Zenophobia is indeed alive and well in Phuket. By the way, Pattaya is far more friendly than Phuket will ever be and not a rip off like Phuket.

[Arkady]

The percentage of foreigners arrested for crimes in Phuket is astonishing low, especially if you adjust down for the fact that most are not in Thailand for the entire year. The percentage of Thai criminals must be far higher and the total number of Thais is also much higher.

Conclusion: police should ignore foreign criminals and concentrate solely on Thai criminals who make up by far and away the vast majority of Phuket's criminal population. A crack down on Thai crime might earn these guys some more medals.

[PaullyW]

'

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

to be fair, NYC cops have been doing that to black guys for decades

Based on conviction rates, Blacks in NYC are disproportionately responsible for certain crime (particularly violent crime) there.

I don't believe the same is true of foreigners (read: White foreigners) in Phuket.

[lostmebike]

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.

Why would you want to bring down Pattaya's good name, No keep it as Phuket so people can be clear and avoid the ghastly over rated, over priced, over policed, over pseudo posh place,

FYI there is a village already using that at Nong Kung Soen, Khon Kaen 40150, Thailand.

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=pattaya2&ie=UTF-8&ei=oxqxUv_ILY_RrQezsoDABw&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAg

FYI there is a village already using that at Nong Kung Soen, Khon Kaen 40150, Thailand.

There are also 'Pattaya Nois' all over the country. River bank, somewhere to sit, 'Pattaya Noi'

[NamKangMan]

The percentage of foreigners arrested for crimes in Phuket is astonishing low, especially if you adjust down for the fact that most are not in Thailand for the entire year. The percentage of Thai criminals must be far higher and the total number of Thais is also much higher.

Conclusiong: police should ignore foreign criminals and concentrate solely on Thai criminals who make up by far and away the vast majority of Phuket's criminal population. A crack down on Thai crime might earn these guys some more medals.

"The percentage of foreigners arrested for crimes in Phuket is astonishing low" - but the percentage of foreigners having money demanded from them by police is atonishingly high.

Hence, the targeting of foreigners at checkpoints. It's just another money grab.

[lostmebike]

@NKM

But that's what Phuket is all about, grabbing money. The exact reason I stopped visiting the s**t hole.

Last time I was there, 2001 I think, every man and his dog seemed to have their hands open or devious little minds working over time on how to extract more Baht from the tourists to the point where they just looked sad and desperate. I shudder to think of how desperate they are now.

Shame really, cos some parts are beautiful.

[techboy]

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.

Racial profiling? Nothing said here about using race or ethnicity as a criteria for anything and not being Thai does not target any specific country of origin. Even as an effort at being highly sarcastic this overshot into the absolutely absurd.

[stevenl]

'

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

to be fair, NYC cops have been doing that to black guys for decades

Based on conviction rates, Blacks in NYC are disproportionately responsible for certain crime (particularly violent crime) there.

I don't believe the same is true of foreigners (read: White foreigners) in Phuket.

Why white foreigners? The article specifically mentions Vietnamese for example, hardly 'white foreigners'.

[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.

Racial profiling? Nothing said here about using race or ethnicity as a criteria for anything and not being Thai does not target any specific country of origin. Even as an effort at being highly sarcastic this overshot into the absolutely absurd.

What is it about "Phuket police to target foreigners" that you do not understand????

It's either random searches at the check points, or EVERYONE searched at the check points.

The "targeting" of one particular minority in society is racist, and when done by law enforcement officers, is "racial profiling."

[Sam Gold]

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...!!

Yep, I left the place over a year ago - Good riddance to the apple rotting from the inside.

[techboy]

The percentage of foreigners arrested for crimes in Phuket is astonishing low, especially if you adjust down for the fact that most are not in Thailand for the entire year. The percentage of Thai criminals must be far higher and the total number of Thais is also much higher.

Conclusiong: police should ignore foreign criminals and concentrate solely on Thai criminals who make up by far and away the vast majority of Phuket's criminal population. A crack down on Thai crime might earn these guys some more medals.

Yeah. Why should foreigners be held accountable for breaking laws in somebody else's country?

[noikrit]

The Police might as well Target Foreigners at night because everyone else is !!

[SoiSam]

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

Ha, ha, ha, ha; but you're welcome to carry this stuff from Dawn-to-Dusk ! ! ! ! !

I'm going back to my lab. and attempt to invent something like Viagra-for-the-Growing-of-Brains ! ! ! ! I'll make millions in Thailand alone ! ! !

'Ordinary' Viagra works perfectly well on what most men think with anyway does it not??

[stevenl]

The "targeting" of one particular minority in society is racist, and when done by law enforcement officers, is "racial profiling."

If based on race, yes, but there is no connection between 'foreigners' and 'race'.

[Tboy928]

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?

what Taxi drivers ? Patong is not any Meter taxi , TUK TUK mafia make shure that everyone do not get a Normal taxi ,that y can get in any countrys in the world.. Thats Anarchy

[tropo]

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.

Let's hope Pattaya doesn't become Phuket 2.

[NamKangMan]

The "targeting" of one particular minority in society is racist, and when done by law enforcement officers, is "racial profiling."

If based on race, yes, but there is no connection between 'foreigners' and 'race'.

"Phuket police to target foreigners." - seems race related to me. Foreigners = anyone who is not Thai. :)

[bubblegum]

The "targeting" of one particular minority in society is racist, and when done by law enforcement officers, is "racial profiling."

If based on race, yes, but there is no connection between 'foreigners' and 'race'.

"Phuket police to target foreigners." - seems race related to me. Foreigners = anyone who is not Thai.

Race related is racism, foreigners related is xenophobia. There is a difference you know :-)

[stevenl]

The "targeting" of one particular minority in society is racist, and when done by law enforcement officers, is "racial profiling."

If based on race, yes, but there is no connection between 'foreigners' and 'race'.

"Phuket police to target foreigners." - seems race related to me. Foreigners = anyone who is not Thai.

I'm surprised, I would have thought you'd know the difference between a nationality and a race. But I guess not now since it does not suit your purpose.

[jpeg]

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!!!!

Bit telling that when you've lived in SE Asia for a while you're unable to distinguish between the differing nationalities. I can, am pretty sure the plods can. What? They just all w*** to you then? But I do cede you're point that we show up more in the dark