The Thai police and military intelligence services have collected more than 220,000 items of information in their efforts to assess potential threats to the APEC Summit in Bangkok on November 18th and 19th.
Pol Gen Roy Ingkapairote, the deputy national police chief in charge of security and special operations, said that Royal Thai Police (RTP) and the military intelligence service have established a command centre to assess the security situation, based on information obtained from various sources.
One of the sources is the “stop walk and talk” project, initiated by the RTP, in which police approach members of the public and the private sector to seek their views and any information which will be helpful in their assessment of potential security threats.
He said that the public has been very cooperative, as he urged people to come forward if they encounter any suspicious vehicles, individuals or activities which may pose a threat to the summit.
The deputy police chief said he has sought cooperation from protest groups, by asking them to stage their rallies in specified areas, to be arranged by the police. Those who want to submit petitions to foreign leaders should do so at specific locations, as arranged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Meanwhile, the management of the BTS sky train service said that the Blue Line will operate as normal from November 16thto 19th. Trains will not, however, be stopping at the station in front of the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre for security reasons.
About 300 police officers from the explosives ordnance disposal unit and sniffer dogs will be deployed in all Blue Line trains and stations, to check for suspicious objects or individuals, while the CCTV system will be monitored around the clock.
