The Tourist Police are a bureau of the Royal Thai Police set up to help foreign visitors, and their hotline, 1155, answers 24 hours a day in eight languages (the bureau's own statement, October 2026). Call them for theft, scams, disputes and lost documents; for a crime happening right now, 191 reaches the regular police faster.
Many visitors assume the Tourist Police are volunteers in uniform with no real powers. That is not right. The bureau is a full command of the Royal Thai Police with investigating powers in cases that involve foreign visitors. What they cannot always do is write the paperwork you need on the spot, and this page explains when you will end up at the local station instead.
Tourist Police contacts (checked October 2026)
- Hotline
- 1155, 24 hours, eight languages (not named by the bureau)
- App
- "Thailand Tourist Police": chat, online calls and location sharing; works without a Thai SIM
- Suvarnabhumi Airport office
- 0 2132 1155
- Headquarters
- 999 Moo 1, Suvarnabhumi 4 Road, Nong Prue, Bang Phli, Samut Prakan 10540; tel. 02 134 0521
- Crime in progress
- 191 (police); 1669 for an ambulance
A police bureau, not a help desk
The Tourist Police Bureau (in Thai, kong banchakan tamruat thongthiao) traces its history to a police tourist assistance center founded on 20 January 1976 under the Crime Suppression Division. It became a Tourist Police Division in 1991 and was upgraded to a full bureau in 2017, with three sub-divisions covering the country.
Its official list of duties, published on the bureau's website, includes carrying out work under the Criminal Procedure Code and other criminal law anywhere in Thailand when the victim or the suspect is a foreigner who entered temporarily, for tourism or other purposes, and the case affects the tourism industry. It also covers crime prevention and "assisting, facilitating and providing safety for tourists". In other words, an officer can investigate a crime against you, not just pass on a message.
The bureau also says it works with other Royal Thai Police units, the Immigration Bureau and other authorities, each within its own legal powers. In practice that means the Tourist Police often bring in the local station or immigration rather than handling everything themselves. You may also meet foreign volunteers working alongside some units; we could not find an official page describing their role, so treat the uniformed Thai officer as the person who decides.
Calling 1155: hours, languages and what to have ready
In a news post on 22 October 2026 the bureau stated that the 1155 hotline is available 24 hours a day and provides support in eight languages. It did not list the languages, so we cannot tell you whether yours is one of them. English is the safest choice if you have it; otherwise start in English and ask for your language.
Before you dial, have these ready, ideally written down:
- where you are: hotel name, street or soi, or a pin from your map app;
- what happened and when, in two or three short sentences;
- your name, nationality and a phone number that will work for a call back;
- any detail that identifies the people or vehicle involved, such as a plate number or the name of a shop.
Short numbers like 1155 need a phone plan that can make calls. A data-only eSIM cannot. Our page of emergency numbers in Thailand explains when to choose 191, 1669 or 1155 and what works on a foreign SIM.
The app for visitors without a Thai SIM
The bureau says tourists can also report incidents or ask for help through the "Thailand Tourist Police" application. The UK Foreign Office describes it as a way to contact the Tourist Police online that works for visitors who do not have a Thai SIM card, with information about attractions and alerts about natural disasters or safety concerns nearby. A leaflet published by the US Embassy in September 2025 adds that it offers chat, online calls and location sharing in six languages.
Note the two numbers: six languages in the app, eight on the phone line. Install the app and allow location access before you need it, because a stolen phone or a dead battery is the moment it would have been useful. If your phone is gone, our guide to a stolen phone and pickpockets explains how to report from a borrowed device.
What the Tourist Police help with, and what they hand on
| Situation | Who to contact first |
|---|---|
| Robbery, assault or a crash happening now | 191 (police), 1669 (ambulance) |
| Theft discovered later, lost passport, lost wallet | 1155 for advice; the police station for the area for the written report |
| A rental shop holding your passport, a bar or taxi dispute | 1155 |
| Money taken through a fake website or app | Your bank, then 1441 (anti-scam center, not police) |
| Floods or landslides where you are staying | 1155 or the app; follow local authority instructions |
| You have been arrested | Ask for your embassy to be told |
For scams that happen face to face, from the "closed today" detour to inflated bar bills, our guide to common scams in Thailand describes each one; online fraud runs through the anti-scam line explained on our phone and online scams page. If you are the one being detained, the Tourist Police are not your advocate: our page on being arrested in Thailand covers your rights and the embassy's role. The bureau also helps in disasters; on 26 October 2026 it posted flood and landslide assistance for Patong in Phuket and repeated that 1155 is staffed around the clock.
After an assault or a road crash, our guides on help after sexual assault and what to do after a road accident give the steps in order, including when to go to hospital before the police.
Getting a police report for your insurer, bank or embassy
A written police report is what insurers, card issuers and embassies ask for. The UK Foreign Office says that for an insurance claim to be valid, the crime will usually have to be reported to the police. Australia's Smartraveller advises always getting a police report, made at the police station nearest to where the crime happened, and warns that if you do not report a crime before you leave, you may not be able to seek prosecution later. The US Embassy tells victims to report to 191 or 1155 and to "request a copy of the police report".
The Thai term is bantuek prajam wan (บันทึกประจำวัน), the daily record kept by the investigating officer. We could not find an official page saying whether a Tourist Police office will write this record itself or send you to the station responsible for the area. The safe approach:
- Call 1155 and explain what happened. Ask which station should take the report and whether an officer or interpreter can meet you there.
- Go to that station with your passport or a copy, and any receipts, photos or booking details.
- Ask for a copy of the report, and an English translation if one can be provided. Check that dates, items and your passport number are correct before you sign.
- Photograph every page and keep the original safe for your insurer or embassy.
We found no official fee for a police report and print none. For lost documents, our step-by-step guide to a lost or stolen passport shows how the report fits into getting a replacement, and the page on a lost wallet and cards covers blocking cards first. What your insurer then wants is explained in our guide to travel insurance claims.
Ask for the station's name in Thai before you leave the hotel. A taxi or Grab driver will find "the police station" far more easily if the reception staff write its Thai name on a card or drop a map pin for you. The same staff can often stay on the phone while you speak to the duty officer.
Interpreters at the station
Police work in Thailand is done in Thai, including your statement. The UK guidance for victims of crime says you can ask for an interpreter if you need one, and that the Tourist Police or the Tourist Assistance Center (1672) may accompany you. Read the translation back, or have it read to you, before signing anything. If you are a suspect rather than a victim, the rules are different, and our page on arrests explains them.
If you are unhappy with how you were treated
The bureau's website has a complaints section, and its headquarters near Suvarnabhumi Airport can be reached on 02 134 0521. Write down the date, time, place and the officer's name or number as soon as you can. If the problem is serious, such as a demand for money or a refusal to record a crime, tell your embassy as well; consular staff cannot investigate crimes themselves, but they should know. Our guide on whether to register with your embassy lists how each country keeps in touch with travelers.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Tourist Police number in Thailand open 24 hours?
Yes. The Tourist Police Bureau stated on 22 October 2026 that the 1155 hotline is available 24 hours a day and offers support in eight languages. It did not say which languages, so start in English if you can.
Do the Tourist Police have real police powers?
Yes. The bureau is part of the Royal Thai Police, and its published duties include investigating crimes under the Criminal Procedure Code anywhere in Thailand when a foreign visitor is the victim or the suspect and tourism is affected.
Can the Tourist Police give me a police report for insurance?
They can take your report and guide you, but we could not confirm that their offices issue the written daily record themselves. Expect to be sent to the police station for the area where it happened, and ask for a copy with an English translation if possible.
Can I contact the Tourist Police without a Thai SIM card?
Yes. The UK Foreign Office says the "Thailand Tourist Police" app is meant for visitors without a Thai SIM, and it offers chat and online calls. Calling 1155 itself needs a phone plan that can make calls, which a data-only eSIM cannot.
Sources
- Tourist Police Bureau – News: hotline 1155 and the Tourist Police application (posted 22 October 2026; checked October 2026)
- Tourist Police Bureau – About us: history and duties (checked October 2026)
- Tourist Police Bureau – Contact us (checked October 2026)
- Tourist Police Bureau – Patong flood and landslide assistance (posted 26 October 2026; checked October 2026)
- UK Government (FCDO) – Thailand travel advice: getting help (checked October 2026)
- UK Government (FCDO) – Thailand: information for survivors of rape and sexual assault (checked October 2026)
- US Embassy Bangkok – Consular assistance to U.S. citizen victims of crime (checked October 2026)
- Australian Government (Smartraveller) – Thailand travel advice (updated 26 October 2026; checked October 2026)