Thai Tourist Police: 2000 more officers needed

[webfact]

Tourist Police say they need 2,000 more men
Bamrung Amnatcharoenrit
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Tourist Police want the government to add 2,000 new officers to the force to secure their role in meeting the country's tourism-revenue target of Bt2.2 trillion by next year.

Pol Maj-General Apichai Tiamataya, commander of the Tourist Police Division, said the current number of officers, at 700, was not enough to deal with the fast-growing number of foreign tourists coming to the Kingdom. The more the number of arrivals rises, the more problems take place.

He said it was important that the government recognises the need to bolster the division if it wants the tourism industry to keep driving the economy.

In fact, what he has requested cannot compare to what the industry has contributed to the government's coffers.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand projects that 28 million foreign tourists will arrive this year, bringing in revenue of Bt1.33 trillion.

The Tourism Council of Thailand says the number of arrivals could be even higher, at 30 million. And currently, tourism revenue accounts for more than 10 per cent of the nation's gross domestic product.

'Double number of stations to 70'

Besides adding more officers, Apichai said his agency, a division of the Royal Thai Police, needed to double the number of police |stations to 70 in order to cover the new tourism sites across the country that have been promoted in recent years.

Currently, each Tourist Police station has eight to 10 officers on average, and most of these have to take care of neighbouring provinces as well as their own. For example, officers in Phitsanulok have to look after parts of Sukhothai as well.

In major tourist centres such as Pattaya and Phuket, the workload can be overwhelming. To help reduce this burden, the division has hired 1,000 temporary employees on one-year contracts.

These are bachelor-degree holders who possess foreign-language skills.

Apichai said new permanent recruits should also be competent in language skills. Thailand is a major tourism destination attracting people from all over the world, but there are not enough Tourist Police officers who can speak Mandarin, Russian or French, to name a few.

Ranked by nationality, the highest number of complaints to the Tourist Police are lodged by Chinese, followed by people from European countries and Russia. Belongings lost on public buses and lost passports dominate the cases, followed by taxi drivers who refuse to serve people or to use the meter. There are also some complaints about tour operators who do honour their service agreements.


-- The Nation 2014-01-06

[krisb]

Is this volunteer or paying work?

[davehowden]

I would not bother recruiting just yet!!

Edited January 6, 2014 by davehowden

[CelticBhoy]

28 million tourists and 700 Tourist Police.

I think they need a lot more than another 2,000.

[Bluespunk]

"The Tourist Police want the government to add 2,000 new officers to the force to secure their role in meeting the country's tourism-revenue target of Bt2.2 trillion by next year."

And what, pray tell, will their role be in meeting the revenue target?

[noitom]

They need a hundred who speak English and are actually trained to be of help instead of figuring out all the time how much it is worth.

[LuckyLew]

Won't need them next week after Bangkok gets shut down .... hiring can be delayed ...

but I bet this comes with a big budget request fo volunteer (free) work

[willyumiii]

Considering hiring qualified farangs who can actually communicate with foreign tourist?

[Mosha]

"The Tourist Police want the government to add 2,000 new officers to the force to secure their role in meeting the country's tourism-revenue target of Bt2.2 trillion by next year."

And what, pray tell, will their role be in meeting the revenue target?

Increasing the tea money opportunities

[SNGLIFE]

The tourist police I see are pretty much just "volunteers" in it for the visa. I am not suggesting all of them are that way. I mean, really...how much are they paid? It sounds like they want more volunteers (read: free labor).

[FangFerang]

I only have needed the help of the tourist police twice in three years. Both times, they were helpful, polite and resolved my problems without tea money, influence peddling, or drama. Let's not have a Thai bashing rant here.

Many Thais are good people. The minority is the same minority in every country.

I say they should boost the force. In three years, I have talked to more than a couple visitors. I have never heard of a bad experience with the tourist police. I am sure something negative has happened, but I have not heard about it.

[55Jay]

There's some easy pickings for you and your existing Tourist Police squad operating in plain sight during day light hours on Beach Rd.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnlIWpZSPXU

[silent]

I only have needed the help of the tourist police twice in three years. Both times, they were helpful, polite and resolved my problems without tea money, influence peddling, or drama. Let's not have a Thai bashing rant here.

Many Thais are good people. The minority is the same minority in every country.

I say they should boost the force. In three years, I have talked to more than a couple visitors. I have never heard of a bad experience with the tourist police. I am sure something negative has happened, but I have not heard about it.

Hopefully being a pragmatist, (as opposed to a Buddhist and other religions), doesn't create too much of a word bashing for yourself, the Thais and police from the disagreeing persuasians.

[bushwacker]

This can only help reduce the wait time at the local offices. It gets my vote of support.

[JeremyBowskill]

I speak as I find and the ones I have encountered over the last 11 years have been about as much use as t1ts on a bull. 2000 more or 700 less, a simple translator will probably get you just as far just as quickly.

Edited January 6, 2014 by JeremyBowskill

[Cricketnut]

Would be good to see. I have dealt with the TP years ago and they were very helpful, must even mention that I have not once in 4 years been asked for tea money from a normal cop even when I have been pulled over. In fact I must be the luckiest Kontonchart living here as the Police have always been nice to me. Then again, they think I cant speak any Thai what so ever, so no use speaking to me as they just lose face.... 5555555.

[Mosha]

The ones here in Ranong can't speak English. I know cos I had them here trying to recruit me as an unpaid volunteer. Friday, and Saturday nights. No thanks.

[ginjag]

They have enough ordinary police if they got their fingers out of the trough and patrolled.

In my rural area 40 thousand inhabitants 100 police, you never see them patrolling--never see them in local villages talking to the community asking if there are any probs.

Just an incite into the type of BIB we have. When in Pattaya do you see a policeman walking around with a smile assuring the tourists all is well ???

only they appear when collecting money or are called to a scene.

Like wasps nests hardly seen until disturbed.

[Scamper]

The hilarious assumption of this announcement is that tourists have any faith in the police here.

[Noi657]

Ahhhh... I see, more tourist police brings in more revenue to the country?? Bit like bringing in Romanian pick pockets to the UK puts our revenue up too!

[chubbychops]

I went with my boyfriend, a falang, to help him become a Tourist Police Officer. My boyfriend speaks 3 languages fluently. When we went to the office we learned that he would have to pay for his own uniform, nothing given by the Thais to help encourage falang to join. We learned later that Thai Tourist Police division moved areas and all volunteer Tourist Police Officers had to pay for interior decoration such as curtains. I wonder, but do not know for certain, if the cars the Tourist Police drive had to be purchased by volunteers. It's gimme gimme gimme you rich falang. Go ahead and join if you have the word "sucker" stamped on your heads. My boyfreind and I laughed and laughed at their demands and never joined.

[Regyai]

good move

saves everyone else laughing and laughing at you had you done so

So the stamp is actually 'sucker' and not '<deleted>' you live n learn

.

[EyesWideOpen]

As near as I can tell, the job of the tourist police seems to be to assist the scammers such as

the jet ski mafia. Then later they take their cut. Lots of videos showing this. So with Russian ,

Chinese and Indian tourism down, there should be less scamming going on, and therefore

a lesser need for the tourist police to provide an illusion of authority to the scammers to assist

them in making the tourist part with his money....

[ikke]

Considering hiring qualified farangs who can actually communicate with foreign tourist?

Very hard to find qualified farangs that can communicate .....

[ginjag]

good move

saves everyone else laughing and laughing at you had you done so

So the stamp is actually 'sucker' and not 'wanke_r' you live n learn

.

even Blow er.....good for you guys anyway.

[Mosha]

I said to them

"Sorry visa says no work."

They said

"This not work, we no pay. No need visa"

H'mmm I'm from Yorkshire If you ever do owt for nowt etc,,, lol. Actually they were wrong you need a volunteer visa

[simon43]

The tourist police I see are pretty much just "volunteers" in it for the visa.

I assume you are talking about non-Thai volunteers getting a volunteer visa to perform their police work?

To the best of my knowledge, only one police volunteer ever managed to persuade his police superiors to generate the supporting letter that was needed to secure a volunteer visa for this police work. That volunteer was me (about 5 years ago), and I was able (after much effort) to get a volunteer visa for all of 3 months. The effort to persuade my Thai superiors to ensure that their volunteers were legal as far as volunteer visas (if required) and work permits (definitely required), was simply too much hassle.

IMHO, (as I stated on another thread), the Thai police should recruit a number of paid, qualified and experienced foreigners to undertake certain police duties to assist tourists).

But of course, that will never happen....

[Mosha]

The tourist police I see are pretty much just "volunteers" in it for the visa.

I assume you are talking about non-Thai volunteers getting a volunteer visa to perform their police work?

To the best of my knowledge, only one police volunteer ever managed to persuade his police superiors to generate the supporting letter that was needed to secure a volunteer visa for this police work. That volunteer was me (about 5 years ago), and I was able (after much effort) to get a volunteer visa for all of 3 months. The effort to persuade my Thai superiors to ensure that their volunteers were legal as far as volunteer visas (if required) and work permits (definitely required), was simply too much hassle.

IMHO, (as I stated on another thread), the Thai police should recruit a number of paid, qualified and experienced foreigners to undertake certain police duties to assist tourists).

But of course, that will never happen....

Ran out of likes

[H1w4yR1da]

One has to remember as to the actual purpose of the Tourist Police. They're not there to assist or help tourists, they're there to police them, to make sure that don't cause trouble for Thais trying to rip them off.

[bigbamboo]

28 million tourists and 700 Tourist Police.

I think they need a lot more than another 2,000.

They're not all Scots!