Pol. Col. Grissak’s Transfer

From the Phuket Gazette

In the latest police reshuffle, Kathu Police Superintendent Grissak Songmoonnark has been transferred to the position of Superintendent of Kuraburi District Police in Phang Nga.

His replacement, effective February 19, will be current Tung Tong Police Superintendent Arayapan Pukbuakao.

Col Grissak seemed saddened by the news of the transfer to rural Kuraburi, Phang Nga’s northernmost district and a far cry from the bright lights of Patong.

“I have been working here since June, 2007,” he said. “That’s more than two years, so I guess it’s time to move on. I didn’t request the transfer, but those are my orders. What can I say? I have to go.”

Royal Thai Police committees review postings and issue transfer orders twice annually. Commanders can stay in one position for a maximum of four years, Col Grissak said.

As for his new posting, he said: “I have never been there before, but I think it will be good and will give me a chance to make new friends. I have held many positions in many different locations, so the adjustment should not be difficult at all. It will be nice to visit the Similans.”

The transfer of power to his replacement from Tung Tong, just over Patong Hill, should be easy, given that the two men have coordinated work efforts many times before.

“We have a good working relationship so it should be easy to hand over the work to him,” he said.

“It is hard to say at this time how people will react to the transfer, but I put my heart into my work to keep Patong safe and secure, so I think those who want Patong to remain peaceful will be sad,” he said.

“I am going to turn 49 this July, so I have 11 more years until retirement. I will continue my work. I would like all Royal Thai Police to have good morale, never giving up so they can work hard to serve the people,” he said.

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Pol. Col. Chanatpol’s Transfer

From the Phuket Gazette

Phuket Immigration Superintendent Col Chanatpol Yongbunjerd is taking a transfer order to Immigration Headquarters in Bangkok in his stride, saying the new post will allow him to be near his family as he nears the civil service retirement age.

Col Chanatpol arrived in Phuket from Pattaya in late 2007.

Although initially perturbed about not having been given advance warning or the reasons behind the transfer, Col Chanatpol said he is now ready for the easier job as he is only eight months from retirement, and his new position will be less stressful. He will only have six staff working under him in Bangkok, compared to 30 here in Phuket.

The new job will have him working as a high-level liaison officer with foreign diplomatic staff, he said.

The transfer will also allow him to remain near his hospital in Bangkok, where he receives post-surgical treatment following bypass surgery, he said.

Col Chanatpol will leave Phuket on February 13.

His replacement will be Pol Col Phanuwat Ruamrak, with whom he will swap positions.

Other Immigration Police officers leaving Phuket under the transfer order include Deputy Superintendent Lt Col Chaiwut Junsomboon, who has been promoted to Superintendent of the Satun Immigration office.

He will be replaced by Lt Col Grissadakorn Klinkaset, currently an Inspector in Songkhla.

Also leaving the island will be Inspector Suparerk Pankosol, who will be promoted to Deputy Superintendent of the Alien Assistance Bureau in Bangkok.

Another familiar face at Phuket Immigration who will be leaving the island is that of Deputy Inspector Naphat Noosen, who for many years answered readers questions about visa-related issues in the Gazette’s Issues and Answers column.

He will now serve as Deputy Inspector at Immigration Police Region 6 headquarters in Songkhla.

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[http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/detail.asp?id=8308]

Programme Directors

From left to right; Kevin Moss, Tim Gardener, Alistair Why

 

Responsible overall for the recruitment, training, discipline and operations of the Phuket Immigration Volunteers.

Commanding Officers: Pol. Col. Chanatpol Yongbunjerd & Pol. Col. Grissak Songmoonnark

Pol. Col. Chanatpol Yongbunjerd is the Superintendent of Phuket Immigration. He has been instrumental in the continuance of the Phuket Immigration Volunteers programme founded by Pol. Lt. Col. Yod-Ake Ruksasuwan. Trained uniformed volunteers man the Phuket Town and Patong immigration offices, assisting foreign nationals with immigration procedures, applications and problems.

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Pol. Col. Grissak Songmoonnark is the Superintendent of Kathu Police Station which looks after Patong sub district. He founded the “Tourist Assistance” programme which puts uniformed, immigration-trained volunteers on patrol in the streets of Patong alongside Royal Thai Police officers. The programme has been so successful that by demand it has recently been expanded to include Chalong, Karon and Kata areas.

Brief History

The original volunteer police movement was started during the recovery period after the 2004 tsunami. Realising that communication between foreigners and the Royal Thai Police (RTP) would be better served by the use of foreign nationals as liaison officers, the Tourist Police Department (TPD) founded a foreign volunteer programme – which is still in existence today. Some of those volunteers saw the need for similar liaison with the immigration services and the Immigration Bureau agreed to lend its support to the starting of the Phuket Immigration Volunteers (PIV) programme as a separate entity from the TPD.

PIV officers man the Phuket Town Immigration Office and when necessary the Patong Immigration Office. They are trained and prepared to answer immigration related questions and to liaise with the Immigration  police officers.

The PIV offered its services to the “Tourist Assistance” programme started by Kathu police to have foreign citizens patrol with RTP officers in Patong. PIV officers offer advice and information to tourists and expatriates, attend accident and crime scenes involving foreigners and try to maintain Patong as a safe and pleasant place to visit. More recently, the PIV role has expanded to include looking after visiting foreign military personnel and also added Chalong, Kata and Karon to its patrol areas.