The Central Investigation Police team traveled to Bangkok's Khao San area to provide foreign tourists with advice on how to protect themselves from criminals during the Songkran holiday. Unfortunately, the main manual is in Thai and tourists have been advised to use Google Translate to transcribe its content.
A waterproof neck bag that holds a phone and some cash contains an information booklet offering tips on protecting yourself from criminals. A team of female PR officers and a uniformed police officer arrived in Khao San on Wednesday afternoon to warn tourists of petty thieves who might be among the crowd.
The three-day Songkran festival, which begins on Thursday, is expected to be full of guests in Khao San.
The advice booklet is titled "Protection Against Thieves" in Thai, followed by the English translation of "beware of thieves", which sounds like a bewitching spell in Thai: "Bi-wa-i-ti A-wa Ti-we-sa" . The booklet then lists three types of crimes to look out for:
• Theft: People are advised to lock their homes and valuables and notify the police to watch the house if they are away for a few days.
• Robbery: people are urged not to go to secluded, quiet places, but to remain surrounded by crowds so as not to become a victim of robbers.
• Pickpocketing: Participants are warned not to carry valuables with them or leave them in their pockets - they are best carried on the front of the body.
