Phuket expat volunteers back to work after successful negotiations with police

[webfact]

Phuket expat volunteers back to work after successful negotiations
Anthika Muangrod

PHUKET: -- Phuket’s expat volunteers, who went on strike last week after allegations that some police officers were using the volunteers to extort money from tourists, are now back at work following a successful meeting yesterday (March 7).

Phuket’s 20 or so volunteers – the number remaining after five quit over the issue – met with the new Commander of Kathu Police, Pol Col Sakchai Limcharoen, and the former commander Pol Col Jirapat Pachanapan. Another meeting is also planned for next week.

Wal Brown, the head co-ordinator of the Region 8 International Volunteers group had earlier told The Phuket News that he was tired of being subjected to “shady situations”, and the 20 volunteers had stopped work for around two weeks.

“The International Volunteers had a problem where a tourist was ordered to pay B20,000 more than the original compensation for damage to a room because he asked for assistance from a volunteer.

“The tourist was also threatened with a greater fine and jail if he were to talk with the volunteer again.

“This is one of a number of issues where the International Volunteers have been used against a tourist.

Col Sakchai told The Phuket News yesterday the group had now “worked things out” and denied the alleged incident was corruption.

“It’s a miscommunication between the police,” he said.

Col Sakchai said that usually, police would deal with criminal law. When an incident became a civil case, or involving a settlement over money, police would exclude themselves from it, and pass the case to a lawyer.

Col Sakchai said when the volunteers wanted to help in this particular case, the Thai police didn’t know how to explain it in English.

“So, it looked like the Thai police were involved in some sort of money corruption but actually it wasn’t. They just wanted to pass the case to someone else, and exclude themselves from this money situation, and they wanted the volunteers to stop trying. That’s all.

“Before, there might have been a misunderstanding which meant the volunteers felt like they were being ignored by the Thai police. Wal Brown was upset because sometimes the Thai police don’t listen to him. I think he has a reason to be angry because he’s a volunteer who helps without getting any benefits in return and he is willing to work.

“But sometimes Thai police officers are moved often [to other regions or positions], and not all the Thai police can speak English well and this can create misunderstandings. Sometimes, the Thai law and the law of the Western countries can be different. This problem happened because there’s no communication.

“Now I’m in charge at Kathu Police Station, I won’t let this situation happen again. From now on, the police and volunteers will talk to each other more so we have a better working environment. We have encouraged the volunteer team and now Mr Brown is back with us, the same as before.”

Col Sakchai said volunteers were a dedicated group of people who helped with security and helped out tourists. This was of great benefit to the Thai police, because often they could not communicate well in English with the tourists, plus many of the volunteers also spoke other languages too.

Wal Brown told The Phuket News yesterday that there were always problems that arose in every enterprise, and it didn’t matter whether you were working with the police or with other groups.

“We will work out how to stop the problems that do exist.

“We didn’t strike, but we did stop working. For the two weeks that we were not working, we were waiting to solve the problems, and to meet with Col Jirapat. We will work more closely in the future.”

Mr Brown said the five volunteers who quit over the incident may come back in the future, and that he would talk to them.

“We decided that we will look at our procedure a bit more closely too, so that we can work together better.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-expat-volunteers-back-to-work-after-successful-negotiations-45022.php


-- Phuket News 2014-03-08

[NomadJoe]

It is clear the foreign police volunteers are the only thing standing in the way of corrupt Phuket police fleecing tourists at will.

[stevenl]

Excellent they're back.

[Emster23]

"Col Sakchai told The Phuket News yesterday the group had now “worked things out” and denied the alleged incident was corruption." No, it is just "business as usual". Maybe couldn't understand volunteers didn't want a cut of the take. Totally out of their "world view"?

[NamKangMan]

I'm sure it was all a big misunderstanding.

[Somtamnication]

Yep, huge misunderstanding. Now for the real story............................. anyone?

[NamKangMan]

Excellent they're back.

I'm glad to hear these particular 5 volunteers are back, but it makes you wonder about the ethics of many of the other 20 that didn't make a stand with these 5.

Edited March 8, 2014 by NamKangMan

[NomadJoe]

Excellent they're back.

I'm glad to hear these particular 5 volunteers are back, but it makes you wonder about the ethics of many of the other 20 that didn't make a stand with these 5.

The only thing to wonder is how you can get a story so confused in your head.

The 5 are not back. 5 resigned while the rest of them stopped working for a time in protest. The group has returned to work, and 1 of the 5 has returned, according to another news source.

[simon43]

...plus many of the volunteers also spoke other languages too....

Er.. but not any Thai language, according to the reason given for this 'misunderstanding'

Simon

Edited March 8, 2014 by simon43

[Mudcrab]

Excellent they're back.

On more pay?

[godden]

miscommunication between police, was it 20 grand or was it 30

[godden]

It's better than the magic roundabout

[Maroon Watcher]

...plus many of the volunteers also spoke other languages too....

Er.. but not any Thai language, according to the reason given for this 'misunderstanding'

Simon

Yes beleive it or Not - ONLY Thais speak THAI! (Generally)

[simon43]

Yes beleive it or Not - ONLY Thais speak THAI! (Generally)

So as a TPV in Phuket, I must be the exception, speaking/reading/writing Thai???

[MZurf]

Was in Phuket a few years ago and I must say that the tourist police volunteers there looked like...well, tourist police volunteers.

Not like the black clad, tattooed stormtroopers of Pattaya

[NamKangMan]

Excellent they're back.

I'm glad to hear these particular 5 volunteers are back, but it makes you wonder about the ethics of many of the other 20 that didn't make a stand with these 5.

The only thing to wonder is how you can get a story so confused in your head.

The 5 are not back. 5 resigned while the rest of them stopped working for a time in protest. The group has returned to work, and 1 of the 5 has returned, according to another news source.

"Phuket’s 20 or so volunteers – the number remaining after five quit over the issue" -

Oh, that's right, "another news source." Which news source are YOU running with?

Edited March 8, 2014 by NamKangMan

[NomadJoe]

Excellent they're back.

I'm glad to hear these particular 5 volunteers are back, but it makes you wonder about the ethics of many of the other 20 that didn't make a stand with these 5.

The only thing to wonder is how you can get a story so confused in your head.

The 5 are not back. 5 resigned while the rest of them stopped working for a time in protest. The group has returned to work, and 1 of the 5 has returned, according to another news source.

"Phuket’s 20 or so volunteers – the number remaining after five quit over the issue" -

Oh, that's right, "another news source." Which news source are YOU running with?

I didn't get my info from any news source. I was simply stating one small difference between the PW article and this one, but that wasn't the point. The point is you didn't understand the article.

Read the story again and you will see how ridiculous your comment: "I'm glad to hear these particular 5 volunteers are back, but it makes you wonder about the ethics of many of the other 20 that didn't make a stand with these 5." The 5 that quit did not come back according to this article. The 20 others did in fact make a standby temporarily stopping work until they could sit down with the new Col. to discuss the corruption issue. Wal says in the article he thinks they all may come.back. One that quit asked to be reinstated according to the PW article.

[NomadJoe]

Yes beleive it or Not - ONLY Thais speak THAI! (Generally)

So as a TPV in Phuket, I must be the exception, speaking/reading/writing Thai???

Several of the TPV in Patong I know or have spoke to speak Thai fluently. But this article isn't about them.

[NomadJoe]

Was in Phuket a few years ago and I must say that the tourist police volunteers there looked like...well, tourist police volunteers.

Not like the black clad, tattooed stormtroopers of Pattaya

The Tourist Police Volunteers in Phuket now have navy blue uniforms and berets, but still wear white shirts on occasion. Wal's Region 8 volunteers wear white shirts, as do the immigration volunteers. The police assistants in Chalong and Kata/Karon wear brown same as the Thai police. There are 3 of these I am aware of.

[falkan]

i managed to see the local spetsnaz last night on bangla, what a joke! playing around with bargirls/ladyboys who will take these boys seriously ehm..

[simon43]

The Tourist Police Volunteers in Phuket now have navy blue uniforms and berets

Are you sure?? Clearly, internal communication within our team is not that high, since no-one has bothered to inform me of that important change in dress code

It's a lonely life out at the airport, so remote from the heady nightlife of Patong.

I still wear my 'Phuket & Phang Nga TPV' white polo shirt from 2009...

Maybe my radio battery died.....

Edited March 8, 2014 by simon43

[Somtamnication]

miscommunication between police, was it 20 grand or was it 30

Yes, easy to confuse song meung (wrong romanization, no accent available) and sam meung. Or was that song sen, sam sen?

[belg]

so why would anyone do this volunteer job, totally for free with no benefits ?

to feel like a policeman ?

to have some power over ... ?

seriously, anybody ?

[NamKangMan]

@ NJ

I didn't read the PW article, just the Phuket News article at the start of this thread, and it CLEARLY states,

"Phuket’s 20 or so volunteers – the number remaining after five quit over the issue."

This indicated there were 25 volunteers, 5 quit over this issue and 20 remained.

So, which article is to be believed? Surely the article from a Thaivisa sponsor is more reliable.

[stevenl]

so why would anyone do this volunteer job, totally for free with no benefits ?

to feel like a policeman ?

to have some power over ... ?

seriously, anybody ?

To help people who need it. A pity that thought did not enter your mind.

[stevenl]

@ NJ

I didn't read the PW article, just the Phuket News article at the start of this thread, and it CLEARLY states,

"Phuket’s 20 or so volunteers – the number remaining after five quit over the issue."

This indicated there were 25 volunteers, 5 quit over this issue and 20 remained.

So, which article is to be believed? Surely the article from a Thaivisa sponsor is more reliable.

So how does that fit your statement 'I'm glad to hear these particular 5 volunteers are back,'?

[NamKangMan]

@ NJ

I didn't read the PW article, just the Phuket News article at the start of this thread, and it CLEARLY states,

"Phuket’s 20 or so volunteers – the number remaining after five quit over the issue."

This indicated there were 25 volunteers, 5 quit over this issue and 20 remained.

So, which article is to be believed? Surely the article from a Thaivisa sponsor is more reliable.

So how does that fit your statement 'I'm glad to hear these particular 5 volunteers are back,'?

"Phuket expat volunteers back to work after successful negotiation with police."

I took that to mean they were ALL back, but yes, after re-reading, later in the article, Mr. Brown states they MAY come back.

[Totster]

I simply can't understand why the Police are pandering to these jokers, the volunteers don't and should not have any say in the way the Police handle things.

totster

[chrisinth]

What I don't understand is if it was just a misunderstanding about the additional money being for a lawyer for the civil action, why would the police take the money in the first place?

just observin'............

[NomadJoe]

The Tourist Police Volunteers in Phuket now have navy blue uniforms and berets

Are you sure?? Clearly, internal communication within our team is not that high, since no-one has bothered to inform me of that important change in dress code

It's a lonely life out at the airport, so remote from the heady nightlife of Patong.

I still wear my 'Phuket & Phang Nga TPV' white polo shirt from 2009...

Maybe my radio battery died.....

Yes I am sure. For about 3 months now.