Pattaya Tourist Police

[pdogg]

Has anyone ever had an encounter with the Pattaya Tourist Police?

 

I'm a bit unclear as to their exact function but I guess they're there to help farang who have problems on Walking Street.

 

Can they arrest people?

[bumblebee]

Never had the pleasue but it is interesting to see the faces in their ranks reflect the changing face of tourism in Pattaya over the last 6 years.  When i first came here they were mostly Western guys of various girths and heights whereas nowadays there are a fair few burly Russians in their numbers.

[cobber32]

All my information is second hand, but a friend told me that they have to buy their own uniforms and equipment, and that they are "in it for their own reasons", by which he implied they were making themselves feel important, rather than actually helping people.  Like you I'd be very interested to know more about them, especially if you could rely on them if push came to shove, so to speak.

[Luung]

The Falangs are only volunteers with no powers... Just overweight ego trippers & nare do well, do gooders.

The real tourist police are all Thai's & you've pretty much got to drag them out of their little turret box on Pattaya Hill to do anything... And by the way, they really don't like the Falang volunteers... That's unless they're borrowing money off of them, of course.

And just a bit of advice for if you do ever have to go to their little bunker... Don't mention that you've been referred by the Falang tourist police, because they'll get severley hateful & go absolutely ballistic!!!... At least they did with me, I got screamed out of the office!

[Jimslim]

The Falangs are only volunteers with no powers... Just overweight ego trippers & nare do well, do gooders.

The real tourist police are all Thai's & you've pretty much got to drag them out of their little turret box on Pattaya Hill to do anything... And by the way, they really don't like the Falang volunteers... That's unless they're borrowing money off of them, of course.

 

 

What struck me about watching the TV documentary about them a few years back that apart from being wannabee coppers their main purpose seemed to be to act as translators and facilitators for farangs  in trouble to hand money over to Thais .

 

I'm guessing there isn't much of a medical involved to join up ? 

 

I saw the big fat one with the cannonball like head quite a few times around Walking Street recently , he really needs to adopt the Thai diet and keep out of Pizza Hut 

[SiamSam]

Thomas the kid from Corner Bar was a tourist cop. I think he enjoyed playing the role. 

[bumblebee]

Here they are getting a final talking to before hitting the mean sois. I reckon they squabble every night over who gets to play on the funny 2 wheel buggy thingy.

[stoolpusher]

Fukin rent acops and vollys thay sure are power tripers a bit like the white coats in the car park at a ball game.

[xyzzy]

I saw the big fat one with the cannonball like head quite a few times around Walking Street recently , he really needs to adopt the Thai diet and keep out of Pizza Hut 

 

  Maybe that was Howard the guy that does all the infomercials on Pattaya TV? He also is the guy behind Pattaya One News. He use to be in the tourist police but thought he had moved onto bigger things. I have heard an occasional good thing about the falangs playing policemen on GG boards. But most people just think it's an ego trip.

 

Howard (old article): http://pattayatoday.net/news/news-from-around-pattaya/howard-miller-appointed-new-british-honorary-consul-for-pattaya/

[Luung]

What struck me about watching the TV documentary about them a few years back that apart from being wannabee coppers their main purpose seemed to be to act as translators and facilitators for farangs  in trouble to hand money over to Thais .

 

 

BINGO!!!.. Clever lad Jim!

[pdogg]

Phuket tourist policeman was just arrested for possession of yaba with intent to sell.

 

 

Phuket Police said they first caught a man named Mr Loesak, also known as Nan Thaitae, 25, in  possession of crystal meth (ya ice) around 9.30pm last night (December 14). He told police that Mr Halpin had bought ya ice from him, with the intent to sell to tourists and teenagers in Chalong, Karon, Rawai and other areas.

Police asked Mr Loesak to call Mr Halpin to set up a deal, then swooped on the New Zealander at the Chalong Villa Resort and Spa. In the room where Mr Halpin was staying, police found 18.45 grammes of ya ice, a digital scale, a Samsung Galaxy phone and other drug related equipment including a makeshift pipe for smoking ice.

Mr Halpin was arrested and charged with possession of a category one drug with intent to sell.

Mr Halpin, 52, is a long-time Tourist Police Volunteer, and very well known across the island - particularly in Chalong.

A Phuket expat who knew Mr Halpin said he was “really shocked” to hear the news about his arrest.

“Not only because number one, it’s him, but number two, it’s ya ice, and he’s probably going to get life [in prison] for that, or a long sentence anyway," he told The Phuket News.

The man said Mr Halpin was “heavily involved” with the Tourist Police and he had called on him three times to help in situations.

“He was a useful contact to have, and he spoke reasonable Thai. He was a nice guy, and very helpful. I’ve never heard anyone say a bad word about him.”

He said Mr Halpin used to own a dive shop called Raya Divers on the Chalong Pier road, and another shop in Khao Lak, but was not sure if he was still involved in the running of the business.

Mr Halpin has a 13-year-old daughter who lives in Phuket, and was understood to have lived in Phuket for at least 15 years.

http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-tourist-police-expat-volunteer-arrested-on-crystal-meth-charges-43445.php

[Jimslim]

Bad Lieutenant . 

[Pdoggg]

Not sure if the suspects are Tourist Police or Volunteer Police

 

 

Police are currently searching for two Police Volunteers, who are suspected of theft and abduction in Soi Khopia, South Pattaya in the early hours of Monday.

 

The alleged crime was reported to Police late on Monday Night by Khun Pongsuk aged 26 and his girlfriend, Khun Gitaya aged 23, who both work in Bars on Walking Street.

 

Khun Pongsuk had finished work on Monday Morning and stopped at a food stall to purchase fried chicken for his girlfriend when he encountered the two uniformed Police Volunteers, as he drove back with the food to his rented room. The Police Volunteers ordered him to stop but he decided to continue driving to his apartment.

 

As he parked and jumped off his bike he was ordered to stop by the Police Volunteers, who threatened to shoot him if his did not. At this point he was detained by the two Volunteers and escorted to his room where his Girlfriend was waiting. She was in-shock when she opened the door to the room and was confronted by the two aggressive Police Volunteers who ordered the couple to hand over an IPhone 4 and all the cash they had, which totaled 400 Baht.

 

They ordered Khun Pongsuk to remain in the room while they took his Girlfriend away, claiming she would be taken to Pattaya Police Station for a drug test. When she was driven away the woman claimed the two Police Volunteers asked for sex in exchange for her release, an offer she declined immediately.

 

The Volunteers stopped their bike outside of a Mobile Phone Shop on Pattaya Third Road and, using Khun Gitaya’s Thai ID card, they pawned the phone for 3,300 Baht. At this point she begged them to release her and give her 100 Baht for a taxi home. The Volunteers agreed and left on their bike, leaving the woman on the street.

 

Police obtained CCTV from the mobile phone shop which showed one of the wanted men. Both remain at-large for now but Police are confident of a quick arrest in this case.

http://pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/192805/two-pattaya-police-volunteers-wanted-for-theft-and-abduction/

[Pdoggg]

 

On Tuesday afternoon an emergency meeting of all Pattaya Police Volunteers took place at Pattaya Police Station as the search for two men, who stole items and then abducted a 23 year old woman, and were wearing uniforms commonly worn by Pattaya Police Volunteers, continues.

 

Police Colonel Sukthat, the Pattaya Police Chief and Police Senior Sergeant Major Songtum, who is responsible for the Volunteer Unit, led the meeting attended by a majority of the serving Pattaya Police Volunteers.

 

The victims of the recent case, Khun Pongsuk aged 26 and his girlfriend, Khun Gitaya aged 23, were also at the meeting, and were shown pictures of each of the 300 Volunteers who currently work for Pattaya Police. They confirmed that none of them were a likeness of the two men involved in the case.

 

During the meeting, pictures of the two men who are suspected of being involved in the case emerged and were identified as Khun Oran aged 24 and Khun Ae aged 25. Arrest warrants have now been issued for them but it was not confirmed if they were serving Police Volunteers or not.

http://pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/193152/pattaya-police-search-for-suspects-in-police-volunteer-theft-and-abduction-case/