Pattaya faces crime crackdown

In a move to fight widespread crime, especially that which targets foreigners in Pattaya - the resort town which attracts more than 9 million tourists a year - the local administration says it has joined hands with police to launch a larger crime-busting force.



A negative rating recently by travel website CNNgo.com, which said Pattaya was one of seven places in Thailand that travelers should avoid due to frequent crimes, has prompted the Royal Thai Police to mobilise more officers to boost the Pattaya force's crime-busting capacity. The extra officers come from sections such as Highway Police, Marine Police, the Crime Suppression Division and Immigration Bureau, in addition to Tourism Police, who have long operated in Pattaya and Chon Buri province.

The new police task force will be led by deputy police commander Pol General Wuthi Liptapanlop and assisted by authorities in Bang Lamung district - where Pattaya is located - as well as a group of foreign civil patrolmen, Thai rescue workers and civilians from different charities.

Read the full article at The Nation.