A senior police officer ruled out the possibility of Chinese police patrolling important tourist cities in Thailand to give a rise to the confidence of Chinese travellers. The officer, who asked not to be named, told The Nation on Monday that the proposal raised by Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool could not be enforced due to the hindrances of the nation’s security law. “I have immense faith that this project cannot be done because Thai law does not allow foreign officials to collaborate with the operations of Thai police.
It will surely break the law,” the source added. The TAT governor had given a rise to the notion at a meeting with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Sunday. The premier had summoned the governor, among representatives of the Tourist Police Bureau and the Central Investigation Bureau, to converse about ways of boosting Chinese arrivals and countering fake news. The unnamed source said Mr Srettha was worried that false reports such as those about human traffickers kidnapping Chinese tourists to sell their organs would hurt Thailand’s tourism industry. Ms Thapanee had adviced that the government consider having Chinese police officers patrol areas frequented by Chinese tourists to boost their confidence.
She noted that this measure had been implemented by some nations in the West. The appeal, however, got much criticism on Thai social media, with most netizens saying it would be so wrong to give foreigners authority over Thai territory. The police source, meanwhile, said that police representatives at the meeting had clarified to the premier that this action could not be taken as the law would not permit it. Instead, they appealed that the Thai authorities exchange data with their Chinese counterparts to boost confidence among Chinese tourists.