The proposed new station will be built on Srisoonthorn Rd, about 1.3 kilometres from the current Cherng Talay Police Station, which sits at the busy intersection of Srisoonthorn Rd (Route 4025) and Baan Don-Cherng Talay Rd (Route 4030), one of the busiest junctions in the area.
A ceremony formally marking approval for the Royal Thai Police to use the land was held at the site yesterday (June 11), with Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Sinlert Sukhum presiding.
Cherng Talay Police Chief Col Ekkarat Plaiduang said the new station was needed because the existing facility can no longer adequately support police operations in one of Phuket’s fastest-growing areas.
"The current location has served the community for more than 80 years, but Cherng Talay has changed dramatically during that time," he said.
"The area has seen huge growth in residents, tourists, businesses and property developments, but the station has very limited room to expand."
Col Ekkarat explained that the existing station suffers from a shortage of office space, public service areas, storage facilities and parking.
"Cherng Talay Police currently have 82 officers, but the station is small and cramped. Parking is a major problem and there is no room for further expansion at the current site," he said.
"The increase in residents and visitors means more people are seeking police services, creating operational limitations that affect both officers and the public."
Police have requested B23mn for construction of the main station building and a further B30mn for police housing, bringing the total project cost to B53mn.
The new station will be built on 11 rai 1 ngan of land behind the Cherng Talay Subdistrict Administrative Organisation (OrBorTor) offices, accessed via Soi Bangtao 1 opposite Lotus’s Cherng Talay on Srisoonthorn Rd.
Col Ekkarat said construction could begin later this year if funding is approved, with the project expected to take about three years to complete.
Most police operations will move to the new station once it opens. However, the current station will remain in use as a base for traffic police because of its strategic location at the major Cherng Talay intersection.
Maj Gen Sinlert said the investment was needed to support law enforcement in one of Phuket’s most important tourism and economic areas.
"Cherng Talay continues to grow rapidly, making modern police facilities increasingly necessary to support residents, businesses and visitors," he said.
Until construction is completed, all police services will continue to operate from the existing Cherng Talay Police Station.