The Deputy national police chief arrived in Phuket yesterday (Oct 22) to hand down in person his orders at the Region 8 Police headquarters in Tha Chatchai, at the northern end of the island.
Gen Chalermkiat ordered all police to ramp up all aspects of their crime prevention and suppression efforts, to improve their handling of traffic issues, to make more effort to arrest suspects still wanted on outstanding warrants – and, of course, to improve tourists’ confidence in visiting their respective areas.
Drug, guns and outstanding arrest warrants are to be of particular focus with “proactive” measures in operation, he said.
Gen Chalermkiat also ordered officers to speed up shocking cases and other cases in the public interest.
“And to increase their efforts to resolve conflict through negotiations in order to resolve such cases quicker and to make a better public impression of the officer’s service,” he said.
Gen Chalermkiat also ordered all provincial police commanders to “maintain the peace and facilitate tourists” in all jurisdictions in the Region 8 Police area.
“This area includes many popular tourism places, such as Phuket and Krabi, as well as Koh Samui in Surat Thani,” he said.
Of note, Koh Tao is also within the boundaries of Surat Thani province, making it under the jurisdiction of the Region 8 Police.
Gen Chalermkiat also highlighted the issue of drugs in tourism destinations, and ordered police to “block every risk point to prevent the import of drugs” to such areas.
“Especially in preventing drugs from reaching the entertainment facilities” in popular tourism areas, he said.
“Check the service of all venues, entertainment businesses and restaurants, especially in the issue of staying opening past the legal trading time to prevent the use of drugs,” he said.