Are Farang Police Volunteers Above the Law? – Reader’s Letter

[key visa thailand]

When the FPV are in the Police station on Soi9 if you need a Police report for something they can get you done quickly and I know of many cases were they have helped foreigners in different predicaments.

 

They do love the uniforms though,

[thatguy2]

I guess some of you are jealous .......i think so.......

i would look damn sexy in that uniform..

[andyaus]

It doesn’t help that the person in charge has dubious credentials and has constantly been associated with European criminals. 

 

It also doesn’t help that they have been given uniforms that the Natzi’s would have been proud of.

 

But

 

They are volunteers and as an intermediary between the Thai police and tourists they perform an important function. I understand that there will be the inevitable stories when things go wrong but I think there will also be stories where trouble is averted by having them between the Thai business owners and drunken tourists. The simple fact that they are set up in Walking Street can be a deterent to some tourists who might no respect the laws of Thailand. I would rather be “told” by a tourist police than an angry Thai policeman.

 

Do they take advantage by not wearing a helmet....obviously but they gotta have some perks...they are volenteers.

[layow]

i see many bozos farang riding without helmets where i am.

 

its just plain stupid

 

hardly what i'd call a perk.

[andyaus]

i see many bozos farang riding without helmets where i am.

 

its just plain stupid

 

hardly what i'd call a perk.

 

The perk is not getting stopped for doing it....never said it was smart.

 

A few years ago our government legislated to make helmets mandatory on bicyles and skate boards. They have teams of policemen trolling the bike paths around the city looking for the criminals without helmets. Now I wear my helmet but I gotta say that a $20 styrene hat is unlikely to help much in the unlikely event that I fall off.

 

As an adult I think it should be my choice and at the speed I ride my bike I am in more danger of sunburn because I can’t wear my hat as well. I wear my helmet as an example to the children who we know are likely to fall off. I am not impressed with the nanny state idea.  But this thread is about the tourist police who make their own choices.

[KuhnKarl]

All cops world wide are above the law and the citizens. t.

Well, not exactly...   some think so, but eventually get there come up pence.     Take a look at this youtube ...   

 

 "to me your a criminal..."  said the state trooper.    Bottom line, cops are not above the law of the citizens; except when exercising duties and then they have to follow departmental codes. 

 

[Yggdrasil]

Actully the Pattaya Police are exempt from wearing helmet if they wish, they also no need to have a plate on their motorbike.

[rpbc]

I'm thinking of signing up so I can crack some Ruskies upside the head with my spiffy baton.

[Keith1967]

Yes agree........them old guys carrying batons handcuffs etc is a bit ridicilous..........Dads Army.

 

If you go up to the villiages in issan when they have songkran or new year or even a music events they have what they call home police, which is just a group of the residents that are given a uniform and told to police any activity that trouble could arise.

 

Most of these guys are late 50's early 60's they walk round all night and do not get 1 baht for doing so and they also have to go on unpaid training courses, just the fact they are given a uniform seems to be enough for them, Thai logic seems to be if you have any kind of uniform your important seems tourist police share this thought.

[Daveo]

You now the score " no photo it did not happen".

 

JDM

LOL, I only have ever met one who does the job for the right reasons, I have met quite a few who do it for the other reasons