Thread: The Phuket Clean UP

http://phuketwan.com/tourism/phuket-...fficers-12889/


German Ambassador Dr Hanns H. Schumacher: ''We have the ball rolling''
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Phuket Police Chief: 'I Will Pursue Errant Officers'

By Alan Morison and Chutima Sidasathian
Monday, August 23, 2010

PHUKET'S Chief of Police, Major General Pekad Tantipong, has undertaken to pursue any police accused of demanding money for the return of tourists' passports. Only a few exceptional circumstances require expats to surrender passports to police.

Australia's honorary consul for Phuket, Larry Cunningham, today called for action against impolite tuk-tuk and taxi drivers who were causing a nuisance to tourists at Surin, and for a female police officer to assist with Phuket cases involving attacks on female tourists.

He also said there had been ''many instances'' where police on Phuket had demanded money for the return of passports, often in trivial cases.

The majority of sex attacks on Phuket are not being reported to police, while many are not being reported to anybody, he said. He spoke of ''one very brave Australian woman'' and her family who pursued and achieved justice in a case of rape, even though it probably cost the family $A50,000.

He said some Australians accused of crimes on Phuket ''we believe were innocent, and only pleaded guilty to be able to leave Phuket.'' He said at least one Australian on the list of expats arrested by police had had the case against him dropped.

Major General Pekad said there was a misunderstanding that triggered a blockade by taxi and tuk-tuk drivers in Surin about a year ago. ''Those who were responsible for the road block were charged and sentenced,'' he added.

He said he would keep an eye on the situation. Thuggish behavior would not be tolerated.

Governor Wichai Praisa-ngob said that there were a total of 2000-plus police officers on Phuket, including Immigration and Tourist Police, and any information about the few bad officers among them should be passed to Major General Pekad.

The outlook for solving some of Phuket's most entrenched problems involving tourists and expats seemed to participants to be far more positive after today's ''mini-UN'' summit on the island.

Passports and confiscation of passports was perhaps the hottest topic during the high-profile session at Provincial Hall in Phuket City.

Major General Pekad made the point that police did not normally notify honorary consuls if expats were involved in cases as witnesses or victims, but should do so if a person was held for 24 hours or more and charged.

He said he would remind Phuket police officers of their obligations. Only in the most serious cases involving violence or drugs was a passport required to be confiscated.

Senior Foreign Ministry personnel played a major part at today's gathering, joining Governor Wichai Praisa-ngob and German Ambassador Dr Hanns H. Schumacher on the rostrum. Their role is to continue in pursuing the issues raised today and at future summits.

Governor Wichai, who retires before October, was praised for his efforts in establishing the regular quarterly gatherings, and a date has been set in November for the first ''mini-UN'' under his successor.

Drugs, drink and violence appeared to be the cause of most arrests involving expat tourists, with the killing by American Ronald Fanelli and the present hunt for suspected British murderer Lee Aldhouse highlighted in the screen presentation.

Governor Wichai said that crime levels among tourists and expats were not exceptional when compared to the Thai population.

Among the most important pieces of news revealed today, the Governor said a letter of intent had been received from a Chinese developer who planned to build a light rail from Phuket Airport to Phuket City.

He said the 5.8 billion Phuket airport extension and a 2.7 billion baht conference centre for the north of the island were also proceeding.

His plan to compel the island's taxis to operate using meters and natural gas to reduce fares was expected to begin ''very very soon.''

German Ambassador Dr Schumacher did not go into details today, but he did say: ''Passports are being confiscated. Kindly ask the police to cease this practice.'' Honorary consuls are expecting to meet with Major General Pekad to deal specifically with Phuket police passport confiscations.

After the summit, Dr Schumacher said: "I do have the impression that we have the ball rolling. The Governor has promised to institutionalise the meetings, so we have a permanent exchange of communication.

''He has on several occasions called upon the honorary consuls and the embassies to report criticism or report incidents to the authorities.

''The German Embassy will take this invitation seriously and I hope my colleagues will not only raise criticism in general, but in future when we have a concrete problem to report, we will tell this to the authorities.

''This includes names and venues. I have the impression that the situation has definitely improved.''

He said the Foreign Affairs Ministry had ''grasped the international importance'' of the issues and taken a '''creative initiative'' to open up a separate channel of communication when there are problems.

''Regarding corruption, you cannot focus on Phuket only,'' he said. ''It is in the rest of the world, too. The problem is known.

''The impression I take from this morning's seminar and this meeting is that we have an opportunity now to raise these issues publicly as well as confidentially.

''That is the first step to fight corruption. That is the step we have taken today.''

Earlier this year, Governor Wichai advised tourists or expat residents with specific issues to inform their honorary consuls or embassies, or notify his office at Provincial Hall.