Nitiwat Pattanasarn, an attorney with Ken International Law Office, was the guest speaker at the October training session of the Foreign Tourist Police Assistants (FTPA) who work under the authority of regular tourist police officers, principally in Pattaya’s Walking Street area.
He covered in his address several practical problems which the FTPA frequently meet in their dealings with the public, including the legal aspects of members of the public carrying dangerous weapons, the taking of photographs inside and outside the bars and clubs and the recurring issues of ladyboys, vendors and street prostitution.
Nitiwat Pattanasarn (left) talks with Foreign Tourist Police Assistants, as acting FTPA group leader Wayne Walton (right) looks on.
Wayne Walton, acting group leader of FTPA, said “We now have a wealth of international security experience with many of our 44 assistants having had police or army backgrounds. There is a heavy emphasis now on training and updating of skills. New members undergo a detailed induction programme.”
FTPA work voluntarily on a weekly rota and are based at a mobile tourist police station at the entrance to Walking Street. There is a mix of nationalities from Europe, Asia and the Americas to reflect the changing nature of Pattaya’s foreign visitors.
