The curfew was launched on Apr 3, with a ban on being on the streets between 10pm and 4am without a genuine reason for doing so.
The curfew was shortened last Sunday (May 17) to 11pm to 4am as part of easing the restrictions implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Of note, night workers and people going to or from hospitals, among others, have always been exempt from the curfew.
However, Phuket Provincial Police today announced that Apr 3 through to 4am today (May 21), a total of 1,643 people in Phuket had been arrested for breaking the curfew.
More than 400 of those arrests have been made in the past two weeks, since May 7.
One team alone, comprising 30 Territorial Defense Volunteers led by Uruphong Chanakul and Thongchai Rattanadet, arrested 12 people in the areas around Phuket Town from 11pm last night through to 4am this morning.
In total, 33 people were arrested overnight for breaking the curfew, including seven in Patong.
Phuket Provincial Police today noted that only 91 of the 1,643 people arrested so far were arrested at checkpoints. The remaining 1,552 arrested were made by patrols.
The arrests so far were counted as 1,585 cases, of which 1,308 have been already processed, with 277 cases still waiting to be prosecuted, the Phuket Provincial Police also noted.
According to the report, the number of arrests for breaking the curfew without essential reason reported by each police station on the island so far is as follows:
- Muang Phuket Police Station – 476 (11 new cases)
- Patong Police Station – 343 (7)
- Wichit Police Station – 225 (5)
- Karon Police Station – 136 (1)
- Chalong Police Station – 114 (5)
- Thalang Police Station – 122 (3)
- Cherng Talay Police Station – 51 (zero)
- Kamala Police Station – 36 (zero)
- Tha Chatchai Police Station – 34 (zero)
- Kathu Police Station – 73 (1)
- Sakhu Police Station – 33 (zero)