Surachai Suksai takes command of Phuket Provincial Police

Police Major General Surachai Suksai formally took command of Phuket Provincial Police on 1 October 2026, pledging to improve safety for residents and tourists while targeting drugs, transnational crime and cybercrime.

The handover took place at Phuket Provincial Police headquarters, where outgoing chief Police Major General Sinlert Sukhum passed the provincial police flag to Surachai before a guard of honour and colour guard.

Surachai said taking command was an honour and a significant responsibility. “I am not here to stand above everyone else, but I am here to work together with everyone,” he told officers at the ceremony.

He said he would preserve effective work established under Sinlert while improving areas that needed further attention. His stated principles were that the public should be safe, tourists should feel confident, police should maintain their dignity and subordinates should be happy in their work.

Surachai described Phuket as a demanding policing environment because its resident population is supplemented by tourists, migrant workers and other transient groups. The province covers about 543 square kilometres and has three districts, 17 subdistricts and 96 villages, but has 11 provincial police stations, he said.

He identified crime prevention and suppression, traffic management, security preparedness and the protection of residents and tourists as priorities. He said public safety was closely connected to tourist confidence, the local economy and Thailand’s international image.

Surachai also said officers who worked hard should be encouraged, wrongdoing should be punished and superiors should not abandon subordinates when problems arose. He stressed that these measures must be carried out within the law and in the public interest.

Before taking the post, Surachai told The Phuket News that he had studied Phuket’s security situation and had been instructed by senior officials to address problems in the province while prioritising the safety of residents and tourists. He specifically identified illicit foreign nominee structures and other illegal activity as issues requiring attention.

He also said he would need to better understand tensions involving Phuket’s Jewish community before deciding how police should respond.

Sinlert, who led Phuket Provincial Police before the handover, has been transferred to become deputy commissioner of the Border Patrol Police under the annual police reshuffle announced in September. A farewell ceremony was held after the handover as officers gathered for his departure from provincial police headquarters.