Chalong police conduct active-shooter drill at two businesses

Chalong police conducted an active-shooter response drill with staff at Robinson Lifestyle Chalong and Thai Watsadu on 6 October, focusing on coordination during a real emergency.

The exercise ran from 7am to 8am and was led by Pol Lt Col Jakkapong Phetcharat, deputy superintendent for crime prevention and suppression at Chalong Police Station. It was conducted in cooperation with the two businesses.

Police said the drill followed the “Run, Hide, Fight” principle and covered procedures including receiving an incident report, issuing alerts, coordinating responses, assessing the situation, controlling the area, assisting and evacuating members of the public, and jointly managing the incident with business staff.

Under the guidance, people should run to safety if escape is possible. If escape is not possible, they should hide, block entry points, reduce noise and monitor developments. Fighting is described as a last resort when someone faces an immediate threat to life.

Pol Lt Col Jakkapong said the exercise was intended to ensure that officers, business staff and other relevant personnel understood their specific roles and could communicate and coordinate quickly during an incident.

The drill followed a similar exercise at the same locations in October 2024. That scenario involved a simulated gunman arriving by motorbike, entering the shopping complex and opening fire. Police used CCTV footage to locate the simulated attacker before an armed response team entered the building and ended the exercise.

Pol Lt Col Jakkapong said the latest drill was part of efforts to improve preparedness and reduce confusion and potential casualties if a real incident occurred.