Kamnan, village heads to be trained on tourist security

FRIDAY, March 25, 2016

THE Tourism and Interior ministries will initiate measures to ensure that local authorities provide security for tourists, while the Tourist Police will strictly enforce a new regulation to blacklist “overstay visitors” from Monday, senior officials said

The Interior Ministry would train local officials such as kamnan and village heads to provide safety for tourists in their areas, Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said.

“We would like the Interior Ministry to ensure the same standard of security arrangements for tourists all over the country to improve the national image and prevent negative impacts from any undesirable incident,” she said.

Currently, the Tourism Ministry has obtained cooperation from allies in the private sector, such as hotels and shopping malls, as well as relevant agencies to take care of security for tourists in the capital, she said.

“If we can have a similar model of cooperation in all areas, it would |be useful for the country’s tourism industry,” he said.

The ministry is also cooperating with the Thailand Hotel Association to have training courses for hotel staff on security matters and emergency response or crisis management, she said.

Meanwhile, Tourist Police chief Pol Maj-General Surachet Hakphan said from Monday the authorities would begin enforcement of a new regulation to blacklist visitors who overstay.

Previously, overstaying visitors were fined only Bt 500-20,000 but the new regulation will bar them from entering Thailand for three to five years, he said.

All concerned agencies such as local police, tourist police and the immigration office would strictly enforce the regulation, as well as step up security measures for the Songkran Festival, he said.

These were proactive measures, as the number of visitors to Thailand was growing – more than 15 per cent in the first three months of this year, he said.

Police urged all concerned parties, including hotel operators, to strictly comply with laws and regulations, he said.