Pattani police to bolster Phuket security

PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police are to borrow more than 100 officers from strife-torn Pattani Province to reinforce their numbers in the coming high season.

Pol Maj Gen Decha Budnampeth, Commander of Phuket Provincial Police, yesterday said, “This high season we will have more tourists because we have new target markets in Russia, Israel and India.

“At present we do not have enough officers [to cope with the extra number of tourists] so we are cooperating with Police Region 9 [in the Deep South]. We have requested more than 100 police officers who are currently stationed in Pattani to come and help us during this period. After the high season they will be transferred back.

“This will also be a good way to give the officers a break from the stressful situation in the Deep South,” he added.

Gen Decha also announced the police station performance results for the 111 stations in Police Region 8. The positions were calculated on the number of cases arising and arrests made by each police station.

In the class of police stations that have a Superintendent as the station chief, Phuket City Police Station came seventh in the region; Kathu came 10th; Thalang12th; and Chalong 18th.

In the class of stations that have a deputy superintendent as station chief, Cherng Talay Police Station came third, Tah Chat Chai fourth and Tung Tong 10th.

Gen Decha said he was very pleased with his officers’ performance.