Police On Samui

[Rooo]

POLICE LACK NUMBERS TO DO JOB

Just one officer for every 1,000 people; new station coming but no one knows when

A small police force is struggling in its fight against burgeoning crime on Koh Samui as criminals increasingly view the resort island as a paradise where they can operate with near impunity. Robbery still tops the crime list, with 235 cases last year and rising, but the incidence of rape and murder is also increasing alarmingly.

The most shocking recent case was the rape and murder of 21-year-old Welsh student Katherine Horton on the night of Jan 18 while she was holidaying on the island.

''We don't have enough people to ensure order and happiness on the island,'' admits Apichart Boonsrirot, deputy chief of the police crime suppression section on Koh Samui.

The police strength is limited to only 212, but there are more than 200,000 residents and tourists crowding the island each day. With an average of about one officer for every 1,000 people, they work under a heavy load. But it gets worse.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/10Aug2006_news12.php

[sbk]

Koh Phangan has a similar problem. There is a rash of bungalow breakins the last six months, seems to be a fairly well organized gang. When one of our rooms got broken into and we went to the police station they just shrugged and said, "we get at least one report a day, usually more".

Since they are in such limited numbers how can they patrol the entire island?

[Charma]

Koh Phangan has a similar problem. There is a rash of bungalow breakins the last six months, seems to be a fairly well organized gang. When one of our rooms got broken into and we went to the police station they just shrugged and said, "we get at least one report a day, usually more".

Since they are in such limited numbers how can they patrol the entire island?

The numbers are a little on the low side - about half the ratio you could expect in a provincial UK town for example. However, policing an Island does have advantages over the mainland in many respects. Control and observation of movements are always going to be easier and it is always a bit harder to hide and to get away in a hurry.

They seem to be almost resigned to this - shrugging the shoulders. Sure it is tough, but maybe they just are not trying hard enough with what they have got.