Phuket punters sit for cops of coffee

PHUKET CITY: Phuket City Police Station’s very own coffee shop, The Seat, opened its doors on Monday, selling hot beverages, cakes – and earning extra cash for the city’s underpaid cops.

The enterprise is a ‘police welfare project’ organized by station superintendent, Col Wanchai Ekpornpit.

All profits from the shop will be shared by Phuket City Police officers, supplementing their low official salaries.

For our original report on the scheme, click here.

Sirasuk Tasaeng-rung, The Seat’s assistant manager, said the official opening had yet to take place.

“It will be soon,” he said. “We’re still waiting for Col Wanchai. He’s looking for an auspicious time and date.”

The Seat is air conditioned, with large TVs, sofas and photos of Old Phuket Town on the wall.

Wireless internet is “coming soon”, Mr Sirasuk said.

Mr Sirasuk said decoration work was about 70 percent complete and would be completely finished in three or four days.

Nevertheless, more than 50 customers had already come to try the shop’s coffee, personally selected by coffee-loving Col Wanchai.

“Most of the customers so far are police officers or people visiting the police station,” Mr Sirasuk said. “We’re expecting more after the opening ceremony, including college students. We might provide a special promotion for them, such as a student discount.”

Black coffee, cappuccino, espresso, latte and mocha are all available, costing not more than 50 baht each.

The shop’s smoothies were Col Wanchai’s favorite, Mr Sirasuk revealed.

The Seat also sells milk shakes, fruit shakes and teas, including Mr Sirasuk’s own ‘special formula’ tea, which uses Malaysian tea leaves mixed with dried jasmine and pandanus leaves.

“It doesn’t have a name yet, but many people like it,” he said. “It has a really nice smell,.”

In the future, the Seat may serve Thai and Western dishes.

— Sitthipong Nongkaew