Pattaya, Thailand – March 10tb, 2025
Pattaya’s newly appointed Tourist Police Chief, Pol. Col. Songwut Chuepholkit, wasted no time in making his mark, leading a team to meet with Pattaya Mayor Poramese Ngampichet on Monday, March 10, at 10:00 a.m. The meeting, held in Room 132 of Pattaya City Hall, served as both a formal introduction for the new superintendent and a strategic discussion on enhancing tourist safety through cutting-edge technology.
Pol. Col. Songwut, who recently took the helm of Division 2, Tourist Police Bureau 1 was warmly welcomed by Mayor Ngampichet and his secretary, Mr. Phumphiphat Kamolnart, who congratulated the officers on their new roles.
At the heart of the discussion was a bold proposal: Integrating AI-powered surveillance cameras into Pattaya’s tourist safety framework. Pol. Col. Songwut outlined how these cameras, synced with local technology systems, could detect specific behaviors in real time—everything from walking and running to fighting or criminal acts like theft. “This technology will allow police and related agencies to respond faster and catch offenders more effectively,” he explained, emphasizing the need for rapid action in a bustling tourist hub like Pattaya.
Mayor Ngampichet echoed the enthusiasm, highlighting the city’s existing infrastructure as a strong foundation. “We already have CCTV cameras covering every area, monitored from our Command & Control Room on the second floor of City Hall,” he said. This system, he noted, works hand-in-hand with the Strong Tourism Community (S.T.C) project at Walking Street, a tourist police initiative to bolster safety in high-traffic zones. “Pattaya is fully committed to this collaboration and will support it within our authority,” he added.
The initiative comes at a critical time. With the Pattaya Music Festival drawing crowds throughout March and tourism numbers surging in 2025, the city faces mounting pressure to maintain its reputation as a safe destination. Recent incidents—ranging from traffic chaos to publicized safety concerns—have only heightened the urgency. The mayor stressed that the AI system would not only improve response times but also serve as a deterrent. “Those thinking of breaking the law will think twice, knowing they can’t escape this technology,” he said. “This is about building a better image for Pattaya and Thailand.”
