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Helping Tourist Police to do their jobs
PCEC Board member Hawaii Bob
(right) welcomes to Pattaya City Expats Club his boss, Wayne Walton, Group
Leader of the Foreign Tourist Police Assistance (FTPA) unit in Pattaya.
We help the Thai Tourist Police to do their jobs. That
was one of the messages from Wayne Walton, Group Leader of the Foreign
Tourist Police Assistance (FTPA) unit in Pattaya, when he spoke to the
Pattaya City Expats Club on Sunday, September 29. Foreign volunteers first
started helping the Thai Tourist Police in 2002 when some foreigners were
invited to assist alongside Thai Tourist Police Volunteers (TPVs) in Walking
Street. By 2007, there were 20 foreign TPVs. About that time, they were
permitted to form their own unit and named themselves as “Foreign Tourist
Police Assistants.”
The mission of the Tourist Police is to serve and protect Thais, foreigners
living here and tourists. The goal of the FTPA unit is to assist the tourist
and local police in dealing with foreigners. The group undertakes duties in
Walking Street with the Tourist Police. It also provides assistance at the
Tourist Police Station located on Pratamnak Hill.
Wayne briefly describes how the
FTPA assists tourists who might be victims of theft or assault. Also,
tourists who might themselves have perpetrated a crime, or perhaps been
drunk or guilty of other misdemeanor; then the FTPA do their best to ensure
that the perps rights are not violated.
Wayne described how he became involved with the FTPA. He
mentioned that he has an extensive background in policing and security,
having worked in various capacities in the UK Metropolitan Police Force and
having provided personal security for business executives. When he retired
and moved to Thailand a couple of years ago, Wayne needed something to do,
so he joined the FTPA unit. He began by patrolling Walking Street. Several
months later he was promoted to Group Leader by Police Lieutenant-Colonel
Aroon Promphan, Commander of the Tourist Police division in Pattaya. Wayne
said that Aroon commands the Thai tourist police while Wayne runs the
foreign volunteers.
He noted that the assistants are all volunteers; they are not policemen.
Whatever authority they have comes from the inspector in the Thai Tourist
Police to whom they report. There are currently about 45 foreigners in the
FTPA unit. All of them do patrolling, split fairly evenly between daytime
and nighttime. The night shift runs from about 9 p.m. to 3 or 4 a.m.
Typically, the incidents that they have to deal with are robberies,
assaults, drunkenness and foreigners who fail to pay their bills.
Membership Director Judith
Edmonds calls those who might be interested in Classical Music, to form a
special interest group of the club. Those interested may sign up at the
club, at the Tavern by the Sea, Sunday a.m. 9.30 ~ 12.00
He described how new assistants go through three levels
of training; even those who have completed all three levels usually work in
pairs or in groups of three when patrolling. Also, all of them speak some
Thai and a few of them speak it very well. Collectively, the 44 assistants
speak 15 languages. This helps tremendously considering the multitude of
nationalities that visit Pattaya. Wayne explained that a lot of work has
been done over the last two years to make the FTPA a more credible
institution. Assistants have been trained on many topics, including
self-defence and knowledge of Thai law. New uniforms were designed look less
military. In addition, members of the FTPA have monthly meetings and receive
a regular newsletter.
Wayne recounted how the FTPA recently assisted 14 Australians and four
people from the UK who, along with four Thai nationals, were arrested for
illegal off track betting. Wayne explained that any gambling is illegal in
Thailand, with the exception of the national lottery and on-track betting in
Bangkok. Wayne said that they assisted the foreigners through their court
proceedings and in their dealing with Immigration. It was quite a serious
situation because the authorities were considering deporting the foreigners.
One of whom had been in Thailand 21 years and had a Thai wife and children.
They spoke with the magistrates on behalf of these individuals and the
Australian and British embassies also were involved. In the end, the
foreigners were fined 500 baht each and released; the FTPA receiving four
letters of thanks from the foreigners involved.
Tony finished off the open forum
with a joke for us all.
Wayne explained that there is another group of foreign
volunteers that work with the police stationed in Pattaya Soi 9. He said
that the two groups of volunteers perform essentially the same functions but
in different areas of the city.
The FTPA recently started motorcycle patrols, Wayne noted. Also, more and
more, City Hall is asking the FTPA to assist in some incidents, particularly
if they were called for assistance by a foreigner. Wayne said that if a
foreigner is detained by the Thai police, he or she has the right to speak
to a lawyer, including calling a friend for assistance in finding a lawyer.
The foreigner is also entitled to free medical care while in the police
station, if needed.
Wayne said that people with Android phones can download a “Tourist Buddy”
application. An advantage to using it to contact the Tourist Police, the GPS
in the phone will show them where you are anywhere in Thailand. (See
https://play. google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vasinno
.tourist.fragment.) A similar application is available in the App Store for
iPhone users; search for “Tourist Buddy TH.” He also pointed out the
telephone number 1155 to call the Tourist Police can also be used to contact
an FTPA volunteer. You can read more about the FTPA on their website at:
http://www.ftpapattaya.org/.
After Wayne answered several questions from the audience, Master of
Ceremonies Richard Silverberg brought everyone up to date on upcoming events
and then called on Roy Albiston to conduct the always informative Open
Forum; where questions are asked and answered about Expat living in
Thailand.
To learn more about the Club’s activities, visit their website at:
www.pattayacityexpatsclub.com.
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Holiday Inn Pattaya turns four
Holiday Inn management and staff
celebrate the hotel’s 4th anniversary in Pattaya.
Holiday Inn Pattaya recently celebrated its fourth year
anniversary by making merit with food offering to monks at the hotel’s front
entrance.
Festivities commenced early morning with a blessing ceremony by 9 monks at the
Havana Bar, led by Tash Tobias, General Manager of Crowne Plaza Bangkok Lumpini
Park and Area General Manager for Bangkok; and Garth Solly, General Manager of
Holiday Inn Pattaya together with the hotel’s management and staff. Throughout
the day, guests were treated to green cupcakes and postcards upon check in and
upon departure.
Holiday Inn Pattaya thanks all its loyal guests and partners for making this
milestone event a success.
Garth Solly, GM of Holiday Inn
Pattaya presents alms to revered monk.
TFI teams up with Rotary to help local families
Rotarians and friends assemble
the water filters in preparation to donate them to the school.
Paul Strachan
The lives of 40 families were made a little bit easier on Tuesday the 24th of
September when they were presented with clean drinking water filters to keep
them and their children healthy.
This took place at the Chumchom School which sits out by Mabprachan reservoir
and the donation was organized by the Rotary Club of Eastern Seaboard and the
recently formed charity events team called TFI (Thai Farang Initiative).
TFI’s aim is to create fun events for charity and held their fist event at the
Access Inn last month was an 80s themed music night which raised over 150,000
baht.
TFI pledged 20,000 baht to purchase 20 water filters, which was organized by the
Rotary Club of Eastern Seaboard. The Rotary Club then graciously matched the TFI
donation, meaning that 40 filters were purchased for these families.
Off they go! Happy families cart away
their new water filters.
Rotary sees the benefits of providing clean drinking water
for families and under their ‘Water for Life” project have installed many clean
water filtration systems at schools and communities. They recently have been
focusing on providing their portable filters, which are durable, long lasting
and require minimal cleaning. They work on a gravity fed theory, with the
‘unclean’ rain water being poured into the top plastic chamber; the water is
then filtered and feeds down into the bottom chamber ready for drinking.
The parents and children were delighted to receive the filters and since there
are 500 children at the school, TFI and RCES hope to continue to be able to
assist them with more filters in the future.
The next TFI event will be held at the A-One Cruise Hotel on Beach Road on
Saturday the 19th of October. The theme this time is disco, featuring the very
best dance floor tracks from the 70s, 80s, 90s and on.
Tickets are 400 baht in advance or 500 on the door and include free flow beer,
red & white wine and soft drinks from 7-10 p.m. The event is exclusively
sponsored by Compass Real Estate and proceeds from this event will go to HEARTT
2000 HIV-AIDS.
For more information on how to obtain tickets please go to their facebook page
www.facebook.com/funcharityevents or the TFI website
www.TFI-events.com
Chai yo! Everyone is happy with clean
drinking water.
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TFI and Pattaya Sports Club combine to help families in need
Motorcycle ready to go.
William Macey
There are many families living in and around Pattaya who have to resort
to scavenging around waste bins and rubbish tips collecting plastic bottles,
rags, newspapers and anything else that can be passed on to earn just a few
hundred baht per week. Not only is food scarce but they are often unable to buy
the full set of school uniforms for their children which can lead to bullying by
others in the school. There is every possibility that you will not see where
they live, for they are normally situated along small, unmade sois just off a
busy main road hidden from passing motorists.
With the help of Mow and her welfare team at Nongprue City Hall, 3 such families
benefitted this week in the Nongprue area by the combined efforts of the newly
formed Thai Farang Initiative and Pattaya Sports Club. Paul Strachan, Nigel
Quennell and friends have formed the TFI to raise funds by arranging social
events every 6-8 weeks, to help families such as those that we visited and
needed our help.
The mayor, family and Paul.
Lionchai had a bad accident, has restricted movement and needed some repairs to
his sidecar to be able to sell cooked items at the local market to support his
wife and three children. Pornsiri has had a foot amputated and has to look for
waste products to earn funds to support the family. Penjun is a disabled lady,
unable to move from her bed 24/7. Her son is also disabled and their income is
negligible. School uniforms were purchased for the children, the motorcycle was
repaired and some basic food requirements were handed out.
It is always a pleasure working with Nongprue, for Mayor Mai Chaiyanit makes
room in his busy schedule to be present on these occasions, as are many from
City Hall, appreciating anything that can be done to ease the problems
experienced by the underprivileged. Also present were representatives of TFI and
PSC.
The mayor thanks TFI and PSC.
 '
Paul has found a new friend.
Pornsiri.
Penjun.
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