Putting the Smile back into the Land of Smiles - Tourist police open new help box

[webfact]

Putting the Smile back into the Land of Smiles - Tourist police open new help box


Image: Daily News.

BANGKOK:-- Tourist Police working with MBK shopping centre announced the opening of a new police box to help tourists in the busy Pathumwan area of downtown Bangkok.

With the breezy smiling cop logo on the side announcing "Smart Smile Serve Safe Secure" staff inside will be present from 11 am to 8.30 pm to help tourists with problems, take care of lost property and even give directions.

Announcing the joint venture with the Mah Boon Krong centre Tuesday Surachet Hakpan of the tourist police said that the "Tourist Police Box" represented a new initiative in providing a good service, convenience and protection for visitors. He added that it would give confidence to tourists about Thailand's commitment to their needs as well as help preserve the country's good image in this regard.

The MBK and Siam Square areas are always busy with locals and tourists especially those there for shopping. The box will serve as a place where crimes can be reported, where problems about communication between locals and tourists can be sorted out, where directions can be given and assistance in using public transport such as buses and the Skytrain can be dispensed.


Image: Daily News

There will also be a place to keep valuables and documents handed in that that may have been lost in the area.

Smiling tourists were pictured giving the thumbs up to the idea while online Thai posters were in agreement. 'Tayray' posted on one news site: "It's great, a fantastic idea. Both foreign tourists and Thais will feel safer because of this."

Source: Daily News

-- 2016-05-11

[LarryLindsey]

Right near the Tourist Police are the regular Gem Scammers, been there for years, easily recognizable, telling lies to visitors and tricking them into a nearby TukTuk, then off to Scam World.

They will be passed from one scammer to the next all day long.

The Tourist Police know all about them. A nice lady at the Tourist Authority whispered to me they are off duty Tourist Police running the decades old scam.

Some of these well dressed english speaking gem scammers you see approaching tourists even go into the police box to cool down or ride off on police motorbikes...funny.

[Emster23]

"Tourist Police Box" represented a new initiative in providing a good service, convenience and protection for visitors."

Handy for after the fact reporting of a crime (and that report goes in round file), but does nothing in preventing crimes in the first place. The cops here just not capable of thinking "outside the box".

[razer]

The one and only time I had anything to do with the Tourist Police in BKK was when my passport was stolen.

Total waste of my time.

[LarryLindsey]

The one and only time I had anything to do with the Tourist Police in BKK was when my passport was stolen.

Total waste of my time.

Go report a gem scam and see what they do.

Usually tourists get hit with the gem scam in the first day or two when visiting Bangkok. They report to the Tourist that pretend to care.

The unfortunate tourists will postpone their trips to the islands etc. with the false hope the Tourist Police are genuine. Wrong.

Their goal is to string you along, filing out paperwork or meetings.... until your departure flight is scheduled.

Been happening this way for over 30 years. They can't seem to find these scammers. The average tourist meets them all day long in front of EVERY tourist site.

The scam goes deeper.

The super persistent scam victim that wont go away will finally get sent to the Ministry of Commerce. There is an officer that specializes in getting 'partial' refunds in the gem scam.

Yes, the government has an officer dealing with the gem scam mafia people every week! His job is to quiet down the persistent "problem" victims, get them just a partial refund so they shut-up.

Guess who keeps the balance?

[lvr181]

Just another "coat of paint" to cover the rot!

[Merylhighground]

The only 'Police Box' which could truly put the smiles back on the faces of tourists would be a giant TARDIS, plop in Bangkok/Pattaya/Most of Thailand, and take it all back to the 1998-2005* era.

*(feel free to insert your own Golden Years) period.

Edited May 11, 2016 by Merylhighground

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I wonder if any of the Thai officers assigned to the new box will speak English.

From what I've been able to gather over the years, it seems that most of the TP even in BKK aren't able to converse much in English.

[KhonKaenKowboy]

"Help me, please! I just bought a bottle of wine and a cigar, and was charged four times what I normally pay."

[orchidlady]

Will they force the taxis at MBK taxi stand to stop refusing rides ?

[Jimbo2014]

Would go near the thing. Probably be asked for your passport and piss test

[KhonKaenKowboy]

Well, the Gem Scam is covered in the Lonely Planet Guide....at least it was in the 1989 edition I read 25 years ago.

[Squeegee]

The cops here just not capable of thinking "outside the box".

They're not capable of thinking inside it either, but at least they're good at sitting inside it which is usually the best place for them.

Meanwhile, Thailand, it may be time to learn you can't always get what you want, and that with some things... when it's gone it's gone.

It's a little early to think there is any chance of a Land Of Smiles tag again for Thailand. For the first time in your lives you might even have to earn it.

[lvr181]

Will they force the taxis at MBK taxi stand to stop refusing rides ?

Love your sense of humour

[Thian]

Will they force the taxis at MBK taxi stand to stop refusing rides ?

Love your sense of humour

They just had a huge crackdown on taxi's outside the mbk. That problem must be fixed by months allready!

[meatboy]

Right near the Tourist Police are the regular Gem Scammers, been there for years, easily recognizable, telling lies to visitors and tricking them into a nearby TukTuk, then off to Scam World.

They will be passed from one scammer to the next all day long.

The Tourist Police know all about them. A nice lady at the Tourist Authority whispered to me they are off duty Tourist Police running the decades old scam.

Some of these well dressed english speaking gem scammers you see approaching tourists even go into the police box to cool down or ride off on police motorbikes...funny.

and dont forget the well dressed scammers outside THE ROYAL PALACE. smile please your next.

[thai3]

Help I just got charged by a 'policeman' 2k for not dropping a cigarette outside MBK, that's ok he not a real Policeman, next time not give him ok, now go away.

[LarryLindsey]

Help I just got charged by a 'policeman' 2k for not dropping a cigarette outside MBK, that's ok he not a real Policeman, next time not give him ok, now go away.

GOOGLE: "Cigarette but police" These guys have been harassing tourists since the littering campaign started 20 years ago. Very well publicized. Embassies have even fielded complaints about this but nobody cares.

There are ate least a dozen officers in the Sukhumvit Hotel District. Anytime you see a foreigner smoking, there is a BMA sidewalk officer stalking them. Of course the scam wouldn't be so effective if the trash bins were not removed.

The uniforms look like a 5 star general and they often lie and tell the tourists they are police.

As normal, a good idea about littering, sadly turned into a profitable tourist scam.

How much do they make? I watched them for a few years from my business in Bangkok.

I'd estimate that each officer nabs maybe 3 per hour. 2000Bt each.

Thats 48,00Bt per day X 12 officers = 576,000Bt per day from the Sukhumvit ciggy scam.

These guys are doing this at tourist sites all around Bangkok, targeting visitors only. Million per day going to the BMA. Never going to stop.

[Bender]

hehe these people are just here to con you.

[thai3]

There are ate least a dozen officers in the Sukhumvit Hotel District. Anytime you see a foreigner smoking, there is a BMA sidewalk officer stalking them. Of course the scam wouldn't be so effective if the trash bins were not removed.

The uniforms look like a 5 star general and they often lie and tell the tourists they are police.

As normal, a good idea about littering, sadly turned into a profitable tourist scam.

How much do they make? I watched them for a few years from my business in Bangkok.

I'd estimate that each officer nabs maybe 3 per hour. 2000Bt each.

Thats 48,00Bt per day X 12 officers = 576,000Bt per day from the Sukhumvit ciggy scam.

These guys are doing this at tourist sites all around Bangkok, targeting visitors only. Million per day going to the BMA. Never going to stop.

Used to see the one who hides down soi nana near the motor cy men. He would pick on people who looked like they were tourists and follow them round to Bullys pub before nabbing them, never saw him go the other way. Asked on victim once how long he had been here- i day and scares shitless, told him they were not the cops and not to pay as they are meant to issue a warning only on a first offence. The guy said he had not throw anything down anyway, the officer was not pleased about my advice. This tourist Police crap is just window dressing, the scams will go on for ever.

Edited May 12, 2016 by thai3

[Merylhighground]

Aye, the good old 'Cigarette Butt' 'police'...are they back?

I've not heard owt of them for a good while. I thought they had been consigned to history when the government had a pop at the 'stop and search' teams in Asoke/Thong Lor a couple of years back.....

It used to be rather fun sitting at the (now deceased) Soi 5 Seafood Centre, having a beer in the early evening watching these villains (and their 'associates') in action.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The cigarette cops have never left lower Sukhumvit, AFAIK. They may not be around for a day or two at a time, sometimes. But I've never seen them entirely gone that I can recall.

[LarryLindsey]

The cigarette cops have never left lower Sukhumvit, AFAIK. They may not be around for a day or two at a time, sometimes. But I've never seen them entirely gone that I can recall.

There was a comprehensive article about the ciggy scam officers n the Spectator Magazine several years ago. Many complaints about entrapment.

The sidewalk officers had even passed out walki talkie radios to some street vendors that would happily notify them if they saw a farang smoking.