The plan was proposed some five years ago by a former commander of the Phuket Provincial Police.
Wealthy Phuket families donated three rai of land in Karon and five rai in Wichit for the police stations. But, MrBhuritt said, nothing has happened since then.
“More than 1,500 policemen are stationed in Phuket [half of those have desk jobs],” said Mr Bhuritt. “The number is not enough to take care of all the people on the island.”
He said it is estimated that about a million people – residents and visitors – are on the island in an average day.
In the meeting, a visiting RTP officer claimed that the new police stations project is “under way”.
However, he added, the project will have to be held for perhaps a year or two, until the RTP completes recruitment of more than 10,000 new officers, some of whom can be allocated to the two new police stations in Phuket.