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Big Brother wants to track YOU

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Task force to be formed to track tourists

New unit will help curb virus spread

by Wassayos Ngamkham

6 Jul 2020

The Royal Thai Police is forming a special task force to track down tourists infected with Covid-19 as Thailand prepares to reopen its airspace to travellers.

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) will be in charge of tracking tourists, according to a source.

National police chief Chakthip Chaijinda has appointed Pol Lt Gen Sutin Suppuang, commissioner of the CIB to establish a "Covid-19 Investigation Division" to avoid any potential future outbreaks, the source said.

The Covid-19 Investigation Division will contain the spread of the virus, which might enter the country by way of foreign tourists or Thai returnees when the airspace is reopened.

Pol Lt Gen Sutin admitted to the formation of this special division. Even though the government has yet to open its airspace to international flights, he said he has a blueprint on how the division will operate.

Staff will be recruited from the Thai Marine Police Division, Highway Police and Natural Resources and Environment Crime Suppression Division which normally work with the tourism sector. He added that police from the Crime Suppression Division will not be asked to join because they have their hands full.

"The nature of the Covid-19 Investigation Division will mainly involve tourist destinations and transport," said Pol Lt Gen Sutin.

Marine Police Division commander Pol Maj Gen Sithatkhet Kruwattanaset said marine police usually oversee passenger ships along the Chao Phraya River but after joining the Covid-19 division, they will be asked to watch over tourists on the rivers and seas and record where they travel.

Meanwhile, Natural Resources and Environment Crime Suppression Division commander Pol Maj Gen Wiwat Chaisangkha said his division can supply tourists with information about the force to ensure compliance.

It is unclear how closely the authorities intend following tourists though to some extent they can rely on the help of online apps.

Pol Col Charoonkiat Pankaew, deputy commander of the Highway Police, said highway police may also set up checkpoints along roads to inspect tourists by measuring their temperature and noting their destinations.

In addition, the help of investigators to track the travel history of tourists may also be enlisted.

Pol Maj Gen Worapong Thongpaibul, commander of Tourist Police Subdivision 1, said he will also propose the creation of an online application to track tourist movement.

He said the app will enable travellers to easily contact the police if they need help and that it can work alongside with another tracking tool, the Thai Chana platform.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... k-tourists
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Royal Thai Police to form new division to track tourists to “prevent spread of Covid-19 coronavirus”

By Adam Judd

Monday, 6 July 2020

Headed by the Central Investigation Bureau and Police L. Gen. Sutin Suppuang, commissioner of the CIB, the Royal Thai Police are forming a new division, the Covid-19 Investigation Division, according to Associated Press.

The primary purpose of the new division will be to contain the potential spread of the Covid-19 virus from both foreign tourists and Thai returnees who enter the country as foreign airspace and borders slowly begin to allow in tourists and select groups of individuals based on qualificaions, according to National police chief Chakthip Chaijinda.

Police Lt. General Sutin stated that he is forming a strategic plan and policies for the division and their operating procedures as staff to fill the division is recruited from sources like the Thai Marine Police Division, the Highway Police and the Natural Resources and Environment Crime Suppression Division. This plan will be used in alignment as the country moves forward on opening up International flights in the future.

The exact details of the plan and how they will be tracking tourists was not made clear at this time. Early statements from associated officials seem to pinpoint that a proposal for an online tracking application separate from Thai Chana (the current Thai covid19 tracing app) for tourists may be implemented, as well as checkpoints for tourists in tourist related centers involving temperature checks and hygiene measures.

The Pattaya News notes the plan is currently in very early formation periods and none of the decisions on how they will track tourists are final, however, the division has been confirmed to being formed.

https://thepattayanews.com/2020/07/06/r ... ronavirus/
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