Thailand Tourist Police Line Official Account & Sticker Launched in Bangkok

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Thailand Tourist Police Line Official Account & Sticker Launched in Bangkok

Official Press Release

BANGKOK: Thailand’s Tourist Police Division has launched its Line official Account and Line stickers of Lieutenant Change under the Community Policing project, to enhance cooperation between tourist police and both Thais and foreign tourists and to provide travel news information via Social Media.

The Central Investigation Bureau under the directive of Pol.Lt.Gen. Pongpat Chayapun, Commissioner of Central Investigation Bureau has tasked Pol.Major.Gen. Roy Inkapairoj, Deputy Commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, to create ‘the Community Policing Project through social media’, to build confidence in Thai tourism, focusing on two-way communication between government sector and people in tourism industries around the world as well as encouraging offensive crime prevention. The responsibility for the task was then forwarded to Pol.Maj.Gen. Apichai Ti-amataya, Commander of the Tourist Police Division to launch ‘Thailand Tourist Police Line Official Account and Line stickers of Lieutenant Change’ under the project of ‘Community Policing Project through Social Media’, on 9th September 2014, at Airport Operation Building, Suvarnabhumi.

Pol.Maj.Gen. Roy reveals that “The Community Policing project through social media was created to assist with the promotion of safety, peace and order in society. It also showcases a unique collaboration between the government sector and tourists as a public relations initiative to help build a good image of Thailand. For foreigners the LINE App will provide news and information and offer a two way communication flow. This is just another step in protecting people against crime.”

The Tourist Police Division is a government sector under the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the Royal Thai Police. Their mission is to provide services, to assist, and protect life and assets of tourists who visit Thailand as well as Thailand’s domestic tourists. This includes protection against crime that impacts on the Thailand’s tourism image, industry and tourist providers. The Tourist Police Division has already established Call Centre 1155 and other means of communication channels, including phone line, fax, SMS, email, web form, web chat, website, application and Facebook, to provide news information, assist tourists, receive complaints and exchange news information between the sector and both Thais and international tourists.

The popular LINE messaging Application has around 480 million users world-wide and 29 million of those are in Thailand alone (as of statistics released in July 2014). The Tourist Police Division has recognised the importance of this application and has lent its support to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB)’s policy of Community Policing project in building tourist confidence. The LINE app will expand the flow of communication, help provide travel news information and offer other related useful news information directly to tourists who are Line users. The ‘Thailand Tourist Police Line Official Account and Line stickers of Lt. Change’ of Tourist Police Division will further support these endeavours.

Pol. Maj. Gen. Apichai Ti-amataya, Commander of the Tourist Police Division said, ‘Thailand Tourist Police Line Official Account and Line stickers of Lt. Change’ was created in the effort that the Official Line Account would will help provide travel news information and other related useful news information through LINE messages and stickers.

The ‘Lt. Change’ stickers would assist in expressing the users’ feelings to reduce the gap between tourist police, people and tourists. Moreover, a special activity would also be held solely for Line users, where both Thais and International tourists receiving news from the Tourist Police Official Line account would be able to participate in the chats. We’ll also be encouraging every user to start adding the division’s official account into their friend lists, in order to keep up with special events, soon to be announced. , says Pol.Maj.Gen Apichai

“The Tourist Police Division is confident that the ‘Thailand Tourist Police Line Official Account and Line stickers of Lt. Change’ will allow them to get into contact with tourists directly, and will create a collaboration between tourist police, Thais and International tourists and help in lessening and preventing crimes against tourists. This will help make tourists feel safe as well as protecting their assets. It will also give tourists a better impression of Thailand and help support a good image of the country, a key part of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB)’s Community Policing project to build sustainable tourist confidence in Thailand” concludes Pol.Maj.Gen Apichai

To prepare for the upcoming Asean Economic Community (AEC) and the increase in tourism to Thailand, the Department of Tourism says the tourist police initiative goes hand in hand with the tour guides and touring system guidelines that ensure industry operatives meet universal standards.

pic:richard barrow

-- 2014-09-13

[DrLom]

Do Western countries (I haven't been back for a long time) now use social media like LINE and FB to make and offer such announcements? Is this something unique to Asia, or even Thailand kondio? Genuine Q.

[PaullyW]

This thread should be fun!

Land Of Silliness

[BKKBrit]

It costs a minimum of Bht3m to start an account like this......what a waste of money

[NongKhaiKid]

Do Western countries (I haven't been back for a long time) now use social media like LINE and FB to make and offer such announcements? Is this something unique to Asia, or even Thailand kondio? Genuine Q.

So much here has to be flash, why can't they stick to the basics and maybe one day actually get them right.

[Crazy chef 1]

now we have these stickers-all problems solved!!!

[Somtamnication]

They are missing the "how much" sticker!

[Bluespunk]

" Their mission is to provide services, to assist, and protect life and assets of tourists who visit Thailand as well as Thailands domestic tourists. "

Has anyone told them this?

[WhizBang]

This is the Tourist Police. Yet the line chat I received from them is 99% Thai. Maybe someone should tell them that most tourists (ie: farang) do not read or speak Thai. On the other hand, the english in thier app is horrendous.

[jackinthebox]

Do Western countries (I haven't been back for a long time) now use social media like LINE and FB to make and offer such announcements? Is this something unique to Asia, or even Thailand kondio? Genuine Q.

As for germany: nearly every political party, local administration, city-hall, Ländergovernement, federal police, local police etc. now has a facebook page and also communicates via Twitter. But the LINE-App and -service are completely on the backside of the moon, no one knows them (only WhatsApp is popular). When I show the stickers and "Moon, Cony and James-Cartoons" from LINE to friends, most say is very childlike and "typcal asian"...

[JohnThailandJohn]

Do Western countries (I haven't been back for a long time) now use social media like LINE and FB to make and offer such announcements? Is this something unique to Asia, or even Thailand kondio? Genuine Q.

Line is the most popular messaging app in the world with over 400 Million users. It was started in Japan where it has the most users followed by Thailand. Social Media, Mobile and Online marketing by companies is a HUGE market now. In the US alone it is probably near a $100 Billion industry.

[FangFerang]

I cannot decide if Lieutenant Change is gay, or just wants to experimentally have a go with Mickey and Minnie.

[Thailand]

Do Western countries (I haven't been back for a long time) now use social media like LINE and FB to make and offer such announcements? Is this something unique to Asia, or even Thailand kondio? Genuine Q.

Line is the most popular messaging app in the world with over 400 Million users. It was started in Japan where it has the most users followed by Thailand. Social Media, Mobile and Online marketing by companies is a HUGE market now. In the US alone it is probably near a $100 Billion industry.

It's certainly not the most popular, probably whatsapp 500 million plus and Line is Korean not Japanese, parent company is Naver.

The military were thinking of banning/blocking line at the start of the coup so yet another complete u turn by the authorities.

Line was blocked in China a couple of months ago.

[Thailand]

Do Western countries (I haven't been back for a long time) now use social media like LINE and FB to make and offer such announcements? Is this something unique to Asia, or even Thailand kondio? Genuine Q.

As for germany: nearly every political party, local administration, city-hall, Ländergovernement, federal police, local police etc. now has a facebook page and also communicates via Twitter. But the LINE-App and -service are completely on the backside of the moon, no one knows them (only WhatsApp is popular). When I show the stickers and "Moon, Cony and James-Cartoons" from LINE to friends, most say is very childlike and "typcal asian"...

Line is huge in Asia and with stickers like Tom & Jerry. Snoopy,Micky Mouse,Star Wars etc also available I think they will be moving westwards at pace. Currently considering an IPO but the Chinese blocking Line in China has slowed that down.

[h90]

Good to see that the police focus on the real big problems of Thailand...like Line stickers

[Nemesis7]

whats the line id? how do i add?

[JohnThailandJohn]

Do Western countries (I haven't been back for a long time) now use social media like LINE and FB to make and offer such announcements? Is this something unique to Asia, or even Thailand kondio? Genuine Q.

Line is the most popular messaging app in the world with over 400 Million users. It was started in Japan where it has the most users followed by Thailand. Social Media, Mobile and Online marketing by companies is a HUGE market now. In the US alone it is probably near a $100 Billion industry.

It's certainly not the most popular, probably whatsapp 500 million plus and Line is Korean not Japanese, parent company is Naver.

The military were thinking of banning/blocking line at the start of the coup so yet another complete u turn by the authorities.

Line was blocked in China a couple of months ago.

Line is the most popular "mobile" messenger app.

Also, as I stated, it was created in Japan and Line Corp. is a Japanese company despite it's parent company. A simply Google search will show you this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LINE_Corporation

http://www.statista.com/statistics/258749/most-popular-global-mobile-messenger-apps/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_(application)#Market_share

Edited September 13, 2014 by JohnThailandJohn

[BigBadGeordie]

I can sleep safe in my bed tonight, knowing that the RTP are dealing with the important issues.

[JohnThailandJohn]

Do Western countries (I haven't been back for a long time) now use social media like LINE and FB to make and offer such announcements? Is this something unique to Asia, or even Thailand kondio? Genuine Q.

As for germany: nearly every political party, local administration, city-hall, Ländergovernement, federal police, local police etc. now has a facebook page and also communicates via Twitter. But the LINE-App and -service are completely on the backside of the moon, no one knows them (only WhatsApp is popular). When I show the stickers and "Moon, Cony and James-Cartoons" from LINE to friends, most say is very childlike and "typcal asian"...

Line is huge in Asia and with stickers like Tom & Jerry. Snoopy,Micky Mouse,Star Wars etc also available I think they will be moving westwards at pace. Currently considering an IPO but the Chinese blocking Line in China has slowed that down.

(Reuters Jul 17, 2014 9:30pm EDT) - Line Corp, a Japan-based social messaging service firm, has filed for an initial public offering in the United States, Bloomberg news reported on Friday, citing unidentified sources.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/18/us-line-ipo-us-idUSKBN0FN01N20140718

Five upcoming global internet IPOs to join the billion-dollar club

http://www.nasdaq.com/article/five-upcoming-global-internet-ipos-to-join-the-billion-dollar-club-cm390341

Naver Corp’s Line Files for $10 Billion IPO, Gaining Currency for Acquisitions

http://www.thestreet.com/story/12821910/1/naver-corps-line-files-for-10-billion-ipo-gaining-currency-for-acquisitions.html

Recent Line milestones - 10 billion messages sent in a single day.... Sticker messages over 1.8 billion / phone calls over 12 million in a day.

Edited September 13, 2014 by JohnThailandJohn

[JohnThailandJohn]

This is the Tourist Police. Yet the line chat I received from them is 99% Thai. Maybe someone should tell them that most tourists (ie: farang) do not read or speak Thai. On the other hand, the english in thier app is horrendous.

Actually the number of yearly domestic tourist trips is around 4 times greater than the number of international tourists arrivals. And the largest portion of international visitors are from Asian countries and not "farangs"

Edited September 13, 2014 by JohnThailandJohn

[NCFC]

I love those line stickers. I feel like 8 years old again.

[pinkpanther99]

Do Western countries (I haven't been back for a long time) now use social media like LINE and FB to make and offer such announcements? Is this something unique to Asia, or even Thailand kondio? Genuine Q.

Greater Manchester Police use Twitter and Facebook to good effect. In fact, I'm pretty sure all the police forces in the UK do. Social media is just part of the modern age, right?

People probably criticized when organizations started using the telephone, typewriters or computers.

That said, they can probably keep the silly little stickers

[klauskunkel]

I feel safe now that i am under the competent protection of Lieutenant Change.

[klauskunkel]

Gang of Rogue Stickers take over Police HQ

It has been reported that a gang of rogue police stickers led by Lieutenant Change have taken control of the Thai Police Head Quarters in Bangkok. Having infiltrated the building during last night and subdued personnel on duty and arriving officers in what can only be described as an exemplary show of clandestine operation, the goals of the Sticker Gang are not clear as of yet, although a persistent rumor of "wanting better glue" has been making the rounds. A video showing a senior police official covered in stickers and pleading for help has been uploaded to LINE by the gang.

Here is a comment from a Thai Police PR Spokesman: "First, to the Thai public: Don't Panic. These are only Tourist Police stickers, not commando or S.W.A.T., so their training is inferior. However, it remains a sticky situation and we have reason to believe the Sticker Gang had insider help in taking the building, probably some ghosts. We will ask the army for assistance in resolving this problem."

We will keep you updated on new developments via LINE app...

[belg]

so you can line directly a picture of the taxi drivers licence or number plate when he does not want to use the meter or not bring you to a destination you want ?

[alocacoc]

I tried to add, but i can't find. It's still alive? If so, what is the Line ID?

[NongKhaiKid]

Do Western countries (I haven't been back for a long time) now use social media like LINE and FB to make and offer such announcements? Is this something unique to Asia, or even Thailand kondio? Genuine Q.

Line is the most popular messaging app in the world with over 400 Million users. It was started in Japan where it has the most users followed by Thailand. Social Media, Mobile and Online marketing by companies is a HUGE market now. In the US alone it is probably near a $100 Billion industry.

It's certainly not the most popular, probably whatsapp 500 million plus and Line is Korean not Japanese, parent company is Naver.

The military were thinking of banning/blocking line at the start of the coup so yet another complete u turn by the authorities.

Line was blocked in China a couple of months ago.

Ah, the acceptable face of social media ?

Is almost every other use to remain a virtual enemy of the state ?