Grisly murders threaten Thailand's tourism
Updated
In Thailand, there is concern over the impact on the country's tourism industry of the brutal murder of three foreigners in the past month.
Presenter: Christine Webster
Speakers: Suwalai Pinpradab, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Southern Region Four; Thierry Buffin, Managing Director of the Asia Sensations Travel agency based in Phuket
WEBSTER: This month has been a particularly bad one for Thailand's tourism industry.
Three foreigners have been killed so far.
On March the 15, a 27 year old Swedish woman was stabbed to death while sunbathing in Phuket.
On Saturday an American tourist was shot dead in Chiang Mai. A man from Perth in Western Australia who has been living in Thailand for more than 30 years has been charged with pre meditated murder after allegedly firing three shots at the tourist.
And on Sunday, a 24 year old Indian tourist was stabbed to death as he tried to break up a fight during a party on Rin Beach in Surat Thani.
Suwalai Pinpradab is the Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Southern Region Four, which is based in Phuket.
She says the killing of the Swedish woman has shocked locals as this sort of incident doesn't happen on the island.
PINPRADAB: Something like this can happen anywhere in the world, but in Thailand it's happened and it's in the newspaper and also many media. This doesn't mean that it happens very often.
WEBSTER: Thierry Buffin, Managing Director of the Asia Sensations Travel agency based in Phuket also says violence and killing does not occur often in Thailand.
BUFFIN: Maybe those people they drink a lot and then fighting sometimes in the disco, that I don't know about as you know, but many times when there's problems with Thais or beer or whatever in … because we do have all sorts of other people living here then if the people make them angry, anger the people or whatever then the Thai people can be very angry for that and can kill and that's for sure. But not many, always many times it's the fault of the European or the people coming here, the tourists coming here make something strong about Thai people or about the life here. You have to respect, if you respect the country here you never get problems.
WEBSTER: Thailand's Tourist Police division says due to rapid growth in tourism numbers over the past few years there is no longer enough police to patrol the beaches.
It says it's turning to local residents for help in providing security in Phuket.
Suwalai Pinpradab from the Tourism Authority of Thailand says there's been an overwhelming response to the program.
PINPRADAB: More the expat, I mean the foreigner who stays to live in Phuket and also the local police they volunteer to do this and the police will train them.
WEBSTER: What sort of skills do they need?
PINPRADAB: … if where is danger, where can tourists walk there is no … and then they don't have to protect or to tackle someone.
WEBSTER: Each year its members from local tourism businesses have been providing a million baht or 32 thousand US dollars to provincial police.
In response to the killing of the Swedish woman in Phuket, the Tourist Police Division in Thailand has revised its safety brochures for tourists.
It says the pamphlets are now warning female sunbathers in bikinis to be careful when they are on the beaches.
The Tourist Police Division is also planning to give tourists whistles to blow to attract attention if they believe they are in danger.
Suwalai Pinpradab from the Tourism Authority of Thailand says revising the brochures is a good idea.
PINPRADAB: If they read in the brochure they will know that where is the safe place to walk and where it's not safe to walk.
