by Dr. Iain
Corness
The
Inspector of the Traffic Police in Pattaya is a youthful-looking Police
Lt. Col. Somchai Phongsai. He is held in high regard by his peers in the
police force, but also has the respect of the community in Pattaya, having
been given the accolade of Public Servant of the Year by the Pattaya City
Expats Club in 2003. However, he has also come to the notice of people
outside Pattaya, to those who make the decisions at the Bureau of the
Royal Household. This is a man on the way up. He is showing that promotion
through the ranks of the Thai Police force can be done through academic
excellence, and not through nepotism as many people imagine.
He is also an example of how busy a senior policeman
can be in this country. Whilst doing the interview in his small office at
the Soi 9 Police Station, he was assailed by a steady stream of
subordinates (he has about 60 under his direct command) requiring
signatures on official pieces of paper warfare, several miscreants asking
for their driving licenses to be returned, answering his mobile, his two
way radio and the land-line, while correcting his CV for his secretary. At
the same time placating two charming ladies from Sophon Cable who were
there to interview him, but the Pattaya Mail got there first! He also
apologized profusely for his English, whilst it was I who should have been
apologizing for my pitiful hold of the Thai language! Pol. Lt. Col.
Somchai is a gentleman.
He was born in Nongri district of Chonburi, the fifth
child in a family of eight children, to a local farmer and his wife. His
family background did not include influential members of society, and
after school and at weekends he would work on the farm with his parents.
The requirement to help on the family farm went long past his primary and
secondary schooling, continuing to spend his weekends there whilst at
university.
He was a good student and his initial goal was to be a
lawyer, enrolling at Ramkhamhaeng University and completing his
Bachelor’s degree in Law in 1986, when he was 26 years old. However, he
had by that time also felt a pull towards the police force. “The police
help the people and the police also help the government,” he said. With
that concept of public service in mind he had enrolled in the Police
Region 2 Training School, graduating in 1984.
After completing his training at Ramkhamhaeng he then
returned to police studies, taking additional training at the Police
Academy, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in police administration in
1988. By this stage it was obvious that he was to become a career police
officer. He laughed at that inference, saying modestly, “I just looked
smart in the police uniform!” and incidentally, he still does, obviously
keeping himself fit and watching out for any middle-aged spread.
The young graduate lawyer/policeman, still looked upon
as a cadet, now began work as a policeman in earnest, and the connection
to Pattaya first came in 1991 when he was posted here as a Police
Sub-Lieutenant in the Crime Prevention and Suppression Unit.
In addition to his police work in that unit, he
continued in his self-improvement and education, attending Sripatum
University in Chonburi, adding an MBA in 1997 to his already impressive
line-up of credentials.
1997 was also a very interesting year for him as far as
crime ‘policing’ was concerned. He led a team of police officers to
apprehend a group of five robbers armed with M16 military weapons, who had
made off with 100 baht weight of gold from a gold shop in Soi 17. The
arrests were made in what must be record time, just seven minutes after
the time of the actual robbery. Despite the arms being brandished by the
gang, Pol. Lt. Col. Somchai captured them all with no deaths or injuries
being recorded. This feat earned him a Police Recommendation from the
region commander at the time.
With his academic background, and a history including
police action such as the apprehension detailed above, he was earmarked
for Police Inspector training which he completed in 1998, and shortly
afterwards was promoted to Crime Prevention and Suppression Inspector and
transferred to Banglamung Police Station.
It was not long before he was back in Pattaya, in the
position of Inspector (Traffic) at the main Pattaya Police Station on Soi
9. In this post he has continued to impress his superiors and in April
last year he was appointed to the Bureau of the Royal Household for
special assignments for the Royal Family. As an indication of this, he
wears the special Royal Insignia on his right epaulette, an honour of
which he is justifiably proud.
As I do with all the interview subjects, I asked him
what he did in his leisure time, any interesting hobbies or suchlike, but
was told that he had no hobbies, because he did not have leisure time. I
asked again, not believing my ears, to be told that he starts work every
morning and finishes at midnight. He also works seven days a week. No
holidays? He thought about that for a while and then admitted that one
year he did have ten days off! This is a man who is dedicated to his
position.
He is aware of the traffic problems and difficulties in policing the
rules, but does point out that 60 percent of the population are law
abiding, but there is the other 40 percent that need education in the
laws, particularly those to do with traffic. The road toll is a problem
and he is looking forward to being involved in Deputy Prime Minister
Chaturont’s project to counter this, which includes helmets, seat belts
and drink driving. Pol. Lt. Col. Somchai has taken a vow to benefit the
community, and transgressors on the road will be made aware of this
through application of the laws!
