Gold sellers advised to get firearms
Police concerned by near-daily robberies
Police are advising gold shop owners to arm themselves and install modern security systems following an alarming rise in gold shop robberies across the country.
''Police will train shopkeepers on how to handle a gun, when to pull the trigger and where to keep the weapon handy,'' deputy national police chief Wongkot Maneerin said.
With police stations across the country struggling to get on top of what they say has become an almost daily phenomenon, gold shops are being urged to take security measures into their own hands.
Pol Gen Wongkot said all showcases for gold products should be tightly secured. Police have also advised shopkeepers to install automatic doors, which would enable staff to lock out suspicious-looking shoppers and prevent thieves from getting away so easily.
Other security measures recommended by police include the installation of security cameras that cover all angles of the shop and alarm systems linked to nearby police stations.
Police say they are doing their best to prevent the robberies, but still need assistance from store owners.
In Nakhon Ratchasima's Muang district, which has 113 registered gold shops, uniformed police armed with AK rifles patrol gold shops every 10 minutes. Motorcycle and tricycle taxi drivers have also been asked to keep their eyes peeled for any suspicious behaviour.
In Udon Thani, to ensure non-stop protection for gold shops, lunch boxes will be provided to 191 patrol units, traffic police and emergency units.
Udon Thani municipal council has also allocated 13 million baht to install 19 closed-circuit cameras along the provincial capitals' two main roads, said municipality chief Hanchai Theekatananont.
The optic-fibre security system, imported from England, offers greater image sharpness and transmission speed than other systems currently on the market. It also comes with a facial recognition system which can recognise robbers even after they change clothes.
But despite the measures, shopkeepers in Udon Thani remain uneasy.
Theera Tung-lakmunkong, a representative of 80 gold shops in the northeastern city, suggested police carry ''bigger weapons'' to scare away robbers.
But Mr Theera said it was impractical and unnecessary for police to man every gold shop because other people also need police attention.
''Gold shop owners are not privileged people that need special protection,'' he said. ''In fact, news coverage of our help in netting thieves makes us uneasy. We don't want to invite any retaliation.'
Bangkok Post May 14, 2007
I think this is an in dicator for a lacking efficient social system. In a society like Thailand's the barrier to becoming a criminal and start robbing is not that easy to jump. The robbers are mainly desperate people who don't have so much to loose. They won't be frightened away by guns either, just change their tactics and maybe shoot first.