It is part of the department’s response to a decline in safety at resort areas, threatening the country’s status as one of Asia’s most popular destinations.
Tourist Police Division commander Pol Maj Gen Roy Inkapairoj said the division is preparing to install CCTV cameras in Phuket, Samui, Pattaya, Hua Hin and Chiang Mai, where the largest numbers of crimes against foreign visitors are committed.
“CCTV surveillance will play a vital role in Thailand’s efforts to improve safety for tourists … it will help to increase tourists’ confidence, both Thais and foreigners.”
Cameras will help police to combat violent crimes in tourist districts and also possibly reducing theft and bag snatching.
Security cameras were crucial in the solving of the notorious bag-snatching murder of Australian tour agent Michelle Smith in Kata, in June last year.
He said the project will help to get around the acute shortage of tourist police officers.
“We have around 800 tourist police officers, nationwide, which is not enough when compared to the influx of tourists today.”
The division will also use a License Plate Recognition Camera system, which is a mass surveillance method that uses optical character recognition to read vehicle registration plates.
“This technology will be first introduced to tourism and improve security standards ahead of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) 2015,” Gen Roy said.
There are concerns that with the relaxing of travel rules in Asean following implementation of the AEC, cross border crime, too, could increase.