Phuket crime at 'mafia-style' levels
Major General Chote Chawanwiwat, the chief of police of Phuket, Thailand, has asked for help to reduce crime on the island, which has reached ‘mafia-style’ levels, according to local news outlets. Maj-Gen Chawanwiwat, who was announcing new crime figures for Phuket, called for 5,000 more police officers to help in the fight against serious crime, much of which is directed at visitors. According to the figures, seven expatriates have been murdered on the island since 2010, and in 2012 alone, foreign visitors were the victims of two rapes, 13 violent crimes, 13 attempted robberies and 46 cases of fraud, while 193 foreigners were arrested for offences related to drink, drugs and drink-driving. It has been determined, however, that the biggest threat to tourists is drowning – eight foreign visitors drowned last year. The figures were released in response to the murder of an Australian travel agent, who was stabbed after her bag was snatched. Although her attackers have been caught and jailed for life, the incident has prompted renewed concerns for the well-being of foreigners travelling to Phuket – in the week the statistics were announced, a tourist from Singapore was targeted by a pair of bag-snatchers, leading to a crash involving multiple vehicles. Local government has called for tighter security, and new ‘safety zones’ have now been set up around the resort. “The [Thai] government has set a big target for the revenue it hopes to achieve from tourism in Phuket,” said Maj-Gen Chawanwiwat, “so, in the interests of protecting its investment, providing more police would be a wise decision.” Tom Vater, an expert in Bangkok, has been quoted as saying that while Thailand is generally a safe destination, tourists heading to Phuket should keep their wits about them, as ‘much of the island is run by mafias and the police are not always sympathetic to foreigners’ complaints’. “Single female travellers are advised to be vigilant while out at night,” he added, “as sexual assaults on foreigners in Thailand are on the rise.”
Major General Chote Chawanwiwat, the chief of police of Phuket, Thailand, has asked for help to reduce crime on the island, which has reached ‘mafia-style’ levels, according to local news outlets. Maj-Gen Chawanwiwat, who was announcing new crime figures for Phuket, called for 5,000 more police officers to help in the fight against serious crime, much of which is directed at visitors. According to the figures, seven expatriates have been murdered on the island since 2010, and in 2012 alone, foreign visitors were the victims of two rapes, 13 violent crimes, 13 attempted robberies and 46 cases of fraud, while 193 foreigners were arrested for offences related to drink, drugs and drink-driving. It has been determined, however, that the biggest threat to tourists is drowning – eight foreign visitors drowned last year. The figures were released in response to the murder of an Australian travel agent, who was stabbed after her bag was snatched. Although her attackers have been caught and jailed for life, the incident has prompted renewed concerns for the well-being of foreigners travelling to Phuket – in the week the statistics were announced, a tourist from Singapore was targeted by a pair of bag-snatchers, leading to a crash involving multiple vehicles. Local government has called for tighter security, and new ‘safety zones’ have now been set up around the resort. “The [Thai] government has set a big target for the revenue it hopes to achieve from tourism in Phuket,” said Maj-Gen Chawanwiwat, “so, in the interests of protecting its investment, providing more police would be a wise decision.” Tom Vater, an expert in Bangkok, has been quoted as saying that while Thailand is generally a safe destination, tourists heading to Phuket should keep their wits about them, as ‘much of the island is run by mafias and the police are not always sympathetic to foreigners’ complaints’. “Single female travellers are advised to be vigilant while out at night,” he added, “as sexual assaults on foreigners in Thailand are on the rise.”