Special Report: If there's something strange and it don't look good… who ya gonna call?

[Lite Beer]

Special Report: If there's something strange and it don't look good… who ya gonna call?
Phuket Gazette -

Early last Saturday morning, a female tourist spent 45 minutes trying to contact the police. Repeated calls to the Tourist Police hotline 1155 went unanswered until a man picked up and told her he could not speak English and advised her to call the Thalang Police, who put her on hold.

The Phuket Gazette’s Chutharat Plerin investigates emergency services for tourists on the island.

PHUKET: Phuket's Tourist Police have campaigned time and again with the message that the one emergency number any tourist needs to know is 1155. However, when that number was put to the test last weekend, the results were dismal.

“For the past 45 minutes, I have tried to contact the police. I tried the Tourist Police first, but the man who finally answered the phone told me to call Thalang Police as he didn’t speak English,” according to 'Angel' (not her real name) in an email to the Gazette received at 1:47am.

“So I called the Thalang Police – again with no answer to my repeated calls. When I did get through, they put me on hold and never came back” she said.

Angel then reverted to calling the Tourist Police, but no one answered the phone.

“Luckily, I wasn’t in any danger, but I am disgusted and appalled by the lack of response by the police.

“Aren’t the Tourist Police supposed to speak English? If I am in danger, who do I call? Certainly not the police in Phuket,” she said.

Maj Urumporn Koondejsumrit, chief of the Tourist Police here, remains confident that tourists in need of help will find it by calling the Tourist Police hotline: 1155.

“I am unaware of this incident and will look into it,” he assured.

“Any calls to 1155 from within Phuket are automatically directed to our Phuket ready room. If you are in Phuket, you will reach us.”

Maj Urumporn wondered why any of his officers tasked with answering the hotline would say they could not speak English.

“We have at least two officers on standby to answer the hotline 24 hours a day. These officers all speak at least reasonable English. So I have no idea how or why this could have happened,” he said.

To help Tourist Police with foreigners whose native tongue is not English, the ready room keeps a list of contact numbers of Tourist Police Volunteers who can assist with translations in 14 languages.

“Tourist Police have 36 foreign volunteers from 16 countries and 18 Thai volunteers. They can’t attend to the phone all the time, as many of them are out assisting patrols on the street, but we can call them and ask for their help in communicating with tourists in need,” Maj Urumporn said.

First and foremost, tourists need to know that the hotline exists, he explained.

“That’s why we have posters displaying the 1155 number at the airport and at the front desk, or even the guest rooms, of many hotels,” Maj Urumporn said.

It was information available at the airport that saved a French family lost in the forest just a month ago (story here).

“We realized we were walking into a forest, but we didn’t understand how difficult the going would be,” said Bill Letshon, 56, who was hiking with his three daughters.

“[When] I realized that we were lost, I remembered the Tourist Police hotline number from a brochure at the airport, so we called them for help.”

Tourist Buddy

The Tourist Police last year launched its free Tourist Buddy smartphone app. The iPhone and iPad app is available for download on iTunes, and the Android version is available on Google Play.

Available in English and Thai, Tourist Buddy allows visitors to quickly contact the Tourist Police.

When users first launch the Tourist Buddy app, they are asked whether or not they want the Tourist Police to know their location, delivered through the phone’s GPS facility.

“If tourists in danger use the app to call the Tourist Police hotline, we will know exactly where they are [within 10 meters] and will be able to go immediately to the right location to help,” Maj Urumporn said.

One number

No matter what the emergency – requiring police, ambulance or fire brigade – 1155 should be the first number any foreigner in distress should call, Maj Urumporn urged.

“If tourists need to speak to an officer in person they can go to the police box at the beach end of Soi Bangla in Patong or come to our headquarters in Phuket Town.

“The local police emergency number, 191, remains the top-priority number for native Thai speakers, but not all of their officers can speak English.”

Ambulance

Although all calls for medical assistance made to the police hotline 191 will be directed to Phuket’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) ready room, EMS nurse Ladda Thongtan agrees that foreigners should call 1155.

“We have our own hotline, 1669, but most people call 191 and any calls requiring an ambulance are put through to us,” she said.

“We have staff who can speak English, but they are not native speakers and might not understand a person in distress if they do not speak clearly.

“If people need an ambulance, it can often be a matter of life or death, so the sooner we have clear information the faster we can get an emergency team to you.”

First Responders

Ms Ladda explained that the Phuket EMS ready room will contact the nearest hospital to the scene of an accident to dispatch an ambulance, or contact one of Phuket’s rescue foundations if they are closer.

The Kusoldharm Foundation covers Phuket Town, Patong and Thalang, while Ruamjai Kupai covers Chalong, Rawai and the south of the island. Both have rescue teams on standby 24 hours a day, but both admit that their English-speaking skills are limited.

“Call us on 076-246304 for any emergency service,” one Kusoldharm rescue worker said.

“We have staff who can speak some English available 24 hours, but it is best to have a Thai speaker on hand so we can understand exactly what is needed.”

A rescue worker with Ruamjai Kupai concurred.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2014/Special-Report-If-there-s-something-strange-and-it-don-t-look-good-who-ya-gonna-call-24539.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2014-02-09

[robertthebruce]

Since living in Thailand for nearly 4 years, i would love to do ''Voluntary Work'' and this would be ideal for me, but i have enquired about Voluntary Work, and i need to have a work permit ??? which is a right pain, as i would be more than welcome to help out.

Typical eh...

[stevenl]

Since living in Thailand for nearly 4 years, i would love to do ''Voluntary Work'' and this would be ideal for me, but i have enquired about Voluntary Work, and i need to have a work permit ??? which is a right pain, as i would be more than welcome to help out.

Typical eh...

This work is exempt.

Sent from my D90W using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Shot]

“I am unaware of this incident and will look into it,” he assured.

[cloudhopper]

Thailand - the land of excuses. Don't hold your breath while the chief "looks into the matter".

[simon43]

This work is exempt.

No, it is absolutely not exempt!

The only reference to 'exemption' from the need to have a WP or WP+volunteer visa is made by these organisations who say 'no need work permit', or 'why work permit? you volunteer police, no need' (sorry for my Thinglish...)

ALL volunteer work needs a WP. The only problem is that some voliunteer organisations either believe that they are above the law or are too damn lazy to do the simply paperwork to help their volunteers to obtain WPs.

Simon

[stevenl]

This work is exempt.

No, it is absolutely not exempt!

The only reference to 'exemption' from the need to have a WP or WP+volunteer visa is made by these organisations who say 'no need work permit', or 'why work permit? you volunteer police, no need' (sorry for my Thinglish...)

ALL volunteer work needs a WP. The only problem is that some voliunteer organisations either believe that they are above the law or are too dam_n lazy to do the simply paperwork to help their volunteers to obtain WPs.

Simon

I was specifically refering to police volunteer work.

I may be wrong, but I recall that for official police volunteer duties a workpermit is not required.

Sent from my D90W using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[eezergood]

I tried 3 / 4 times a few weeks ago - no answer, its a joke..... Monkey island!

[simon43]

I may be wrong, but I recall that for official police volunteer duties a workpermit is not required.

Ah, please show me the link to that?

I'm a TPV - for many years. The idea that a TPV is above Labour Law and does not need a WP is dreamed up by the Thai officers who manage the TPV program. I have been breaking Labour Law for more than 6 years because my Thai superiors refuse to accept that they are not above the law...

Rant over

Simon

[stevenl]

I may be wrong, but I recall that for official police volunteer duties a workpermit is not required.

Ah, please show me the link to that?

I'm a TPV - for many years. The idea that a TPV is above Labour Law and does not need a WP is dreamed up by the Thai officers who manage the TPV program. I have been breaking Labour Law for more than 6 years because my Thai superiors refuse to accept that they are not above the law...

Rant over

Simon

They are the law.

Sent from my D90W using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[IrishIvan]

just call 191 simple, get put through to the local police. They have a GPS tracer so they can work out where you are

[NomadJoe]

This work is exempt.

No, it is absolutely not exempt!

The only reference to 'exemption' from the need to have a WP or WP+volunteer visa is made by these organisations who say 'no need work permit', or 'why work permit? you volunteer police, no need' (sorry for my Thinglish...)

ALL volunteer work needs a WP. The only problem is that some voliunteer organisations either believe that they are above the law or are too dam_n lazy to do the simply paperwork to help their volunteers to obtain WPs.

Simon

I was specifically refering to police volunteer work.

I may be wrong, but I recall that for official police volunteer duties a workpermit is not required.

Sent from my D90W using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

From their website:

"The following requirements must be met to qualify for membership in the Police Auxiliary Program:

• Must hold a Non Immigrant B or O Visa.
• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Must be a high school graduate or equivalent.
• Must pass a thorough criminal background check, the extent to be determined by the Phuket Tourist Police Department.
• Must have near fluency in the Thai language and/or any other language.
• Obliged, from time to time, to submit to urine/drug testing.
• Must have high moral and ethical standards.
• Must be willing to comply with all applicable Phuket Tourist Police Department policies and procedures.
• Must have a strong desire and commitment to serve the Phuket Tourist community and its citizens.
• Never have been convicted of a felony crime or other offences as determined by the Phuket Tourist Police Department.
• Possess a current and valid Thai drivers license or obtain a license within one year of appointment."

Nothing about WP's.

Interestingly, the chief of the employment office seems to think that you only need a work permit because you "might get food or a place to say" as compensation.

Being a volunteer for an organization requires a work permit. This is because although you might not get money from the volunteer work, you might get food or a place to stay as a reward. So if you do not have a work permit, you are illegal, - Yaowapa Pibulpol, chief of the Phuket Provincial Employment Office

http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Special-Report-Permission-to-function-in-Phuket-22548.html

and:

You are not allowed to do any job in Thailand without a work permit, even if you are not being paid for it.

If you work as a volunteer, your organization will need to apply for a work permit for you."

- An officer at the Phuket Provincial Employment Office (PPEO), Work Permit section

http://www.phuketgazette.net/issuesanswers/details.asp?id=1119

But then there is this, from a while back:

The Blood Bank at Wachira Phuket Hospital recently appealed to foreigners to come forward and help in liaison work between the hospital and foreign blood donors. Do I need a work permit to do this?

David, Patong. Saturday, June 18, 2005 12:23:17 PM

There is no need for a work permit. I will submit a list of volunteers names to the hospital director and he will present them with a certificate stating that they are actively helping society and for how long. This certificate may help volunteers obtain longer permits to stay in Thailand.

Saturday, June 18, 2005 12:23:17 PM Sriroung Choophak, head of the Blood Bank.

We have had no experience of this kind of volunteer before. However, certain kinds of volunteers must have a work permit and we handle these applicants on a case-by-case basis. Please do not think that obtaining a work permit is the worst thing in the world; its not. I would like to suggest that the hospital present me with a statement outlining its objectives and I will discuss the matter further with my superiors.

Saturday, June 18, 2005 12:23:17 PM Boonchok Maneechot, of the Phuket Provincial Employment Service Office.

Edited February 10, 2014 by NomadJoe

[IrishIvan]

From their website:

"The following requirements must be met to qualify for membership in the Police Auxiliary Program:

• Must hold a Non Immigrant B or O Visa.
• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Must be a high school graduate or equivalent.
• Must pass a thorough criminal background check, the extent to be determined by the Phuket Tourist Police Department.
• Must have near fluency in the Thai language and/or any other language.
• Obliged, from time to time, to submit to urine/drug testing.
• Must have high moral and ethical standards.
• Must be willing to comply with all applicable Phuket Tourist Police Department policies and procedures.
• Must have a strong desire and commitment to serve the Phuket Tourist community and its citizens.
• Never have been convicted of a felony crime or other offences as determined by the Phuket Tourist Police Department.
• Possess a current and valid Thai drivers license or obtain a license within one year of appointment."

Nothing about WP's.

Most people would find that list difficult to fulfill, I doubt any of the police volunteers pass all those requirements.

[simon43]

There is no need for a work permit. I will submit a list of volunteers names to the hospital director and he will present them with a certificate stating that they are actively helping society and for how long. This certificate may help volunteers obtain longer permits to stay in Thailand.

Yet another example of someone 'pretending' to be the Labour office.....

just because he says you don't need a WP doesn't make it so!

[eezergood]

Is this a work permit discussion?

[simon43]

Is this a work permit discussion?

No, sorry I went off-topic

The 1155 service has got a lot of stick over the years. It seems that the Tourist Police claim it works well, but end-user opinions differ.

The TPV web-site used to list direct mobile numbers of each volunteer and the region in which they usually worked. I just checked that web-site and now this information is no longer displayed....

Simon

[NomadJoe]

I've called it twice. Once it was disconnected (tried several times) and once there was no one on the other end that could understand me.

[eezergood]

It rang & rang this morning around 7am, no answer