Pattaya police practice election-protest response

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Police practice holding back demonstrators from preventing the ballot boxes from being removed in a mock operation at Pattaya School No. 8 polling station.

Pattaya police drilled on election-safety measures for the May 22 poll.

Police chief Pol. Col. Kullachart Kullachai led the April30 exercise with Nongprue police and Pattaya city hall security officers at a mock polling station at Pattaya School No. 8.

The scenario called for voters dissatisfied with the vote-counting process to prevent election workers from removing ballot boxes.

Police focused on de-escalation of tensions, talking and negotiating with the protestors, eventually getting their cooperation in removing the boxes from the premises.



If negotiations failed, the backup plan was to have crowd-control officers take over and clear the protestors.
Pattaya officials stressed they don’t anticipate any problems with the vote for mayor and city council.

Police stand on the ready to prevent any disturbance as the ballot boxes are carried out of the premises to the counting stations.