Crime victims will soon have another reason to say “oh thank Heaven for 7-Eleven.”
Starting Nov. 1, 150 of the ubiquitous convenience store outlets will begin doing double duty as police boxes, allowing those needing police assistance to call for an officer to respond within five minutes.
Tourist Police Maj. Arun Promphan.
Tourist Police Maj. Arun Promphan said 7-Elevens are an obvious choice as they are located on virtually every street and are open around the clock. Adding so many crime reporting stations will boost Pattaya’s safety image and trust of the public, he said.
The new stations are necessary, he added, because many times crime victims don’t have a mobile phone or change to use a pay telephone. Also, some were unsure where to go at all for help.
The program will begin with a limited number of outlets in Pattaya and Banglamung and will expand to 150 stores after the Royal Thai Police signs a contract with C.P. 7-Eleven (Public) Ltd. Crime report forms will be available in four languages and the Tourist Police will train 7-Eleven employees on how to handle victims and call for police help quickly.
Similar efforts are also being planned for tourist areas of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui and Phuket.
