Patong ponders problems with Soi Bangla rubbish

The local tourist industry has been given strict times to keep the walking street clear of rubbish, thereby contributing to a new image for the area.

Police Colonel Kritsak Songmoolnak, Superintendent of the Kathu police station, said that rubbish in Soi Bangla, Patong’s famous “walking street”, smells so bad the government is afraid it will destroy Patong Beach’s international image as a leading tourist destination. Soi Bangla business owners participated with local officials, including officers from Kathu police station, in a meeting aimed at solving the problem.
Business owners are not permitted to put rubbish out between 6pm and 2am. After 2am, Patong municipality garbage trucks will remove the waste.

Pol. Col. Kritsak said that, in the past, businesses have been slow to obey regulations regarding rubbish disposal. He believes that, following the joint meeting, they will be more cooperative, since now they better understand the importance of maintaining a good tourist image of Soi Bangla, the heart of Patong Beach.

-- T.K.

Provincial leaders meet the people

On 28 June 2008, at Nai Yang Beach, the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (OrBorJor) joined with the local administrative organization in arranging a meet-the-people trip survey with Paiboon Upattising, OrBorJor Chief, together with other government officials, sharing ideas and discussing issues the local people felt were important.

Many government authorities provided information regarding such services as mobile registration service, mobile hospitals and health education, while the Phuket Labour Office provided information about a wide range of employment and quality-of-life topics, among them fishing, agriculture, hairdressing services, beadwork, batik painting, motorcycle repair, One Tamboon One Product (OTOP) distribution, rabies vaccination, stage shows, mobile libraries and fire control.

The initiative attracted an interested crowd from morning on through the day.

-- T.K.

Police in Patong go electric

High fuel prices are creating big problems for Thai people in general. But they are also making it difficult for Patong police officers to perform their duties, given limited fuel budgets. Police Colonel Krissak Songmoonnark, Kathu Police Superintendent, proposed the use of electric motorbikes to solve these problems, following up concerns about high fuel prices hindering the performance of police officers voiced by Police Major Apirak Hongthong, Commander of the Phuket Provincial Police.

Patong police together with expatriot volunteers working with the Patong Police Station brainstormed ways to tackle this problem. “We got the idea of using electric motorbikes,” said Pol. Col. Krissak. “Foreign volunteers provided the electric motorbikes for Thai police staff. We have seven of them now, but we still need three more. We should have ten electric motorbikes, so if we have five machines on duty, we can have the other five as spares or charging batteries at the station.”

Pol. Col. Krissak also said that the police may start using the electric motorbikes in early July. “But where we have to chase thieves or have reasons for speed, we will still need to use regular motorbikes. I think this method is quite good, and will help reduce our fuel budget. At the same time, the use of alternative energy will help reduce pollution.”

-- W.K.

Patong private sector supports police security surveys

Pol. Col. Kritsak Songmoolnak, Superintendent of the Kathu police station, talked about how, during difficult economic times affecting living standards among every class of people, the incidence of theft rises in the Patong area. Managing security for tourists is very important for Phuket and the rest of Thailand, as the country promotes the growth of the international tourist industry. Current security measures are inadequate, however -- there are too few police officers, and not enough CCTVs (closed-circuit TVs). The existing 16 cameras cannot cover cover enough areas.

Local business owners see the importance of CCTV, and have agreed to buy 30 more CCTVs for the Patong police; 16 CCTVs to start, and 16 more if the others demonstrably reduce the crime rate. This is another instance of the Patong private sector cooperating with the police to improve security for local people and tourists alike.

Aside from local private-sector support, Pol. Col. Kritsak told the Post, Patong municipality will purchase 10 CCTVs, aiming to have a total of 58 CCTVs operating in the Patong area soon.

Other than equipment, Kathu policemen are to receive training in more effective observation, including the effective use of CCTV.

-- T.K.