In a recent vote, Members of Parliament and Senators approved the draft revision of the Royal Thai Police Act. At its second session on June 16, the commission voted to adopt amendments to sections 14 and 15 of the law.
One of the major changes in the revisions concerns section 14, which involves a structural change to the police commission. In this new configuration, the Prime Minister will be the chairman of the commission and other officials such as the permanent secretary of the interior, the permanent secretary of justice, the attorney general and the secretary general of the court of justice will be exempted.
However, several deputies objected to this new organization, stating that it could generate future political conflicts of interest in the appointment of the police. Some deputies proposed to include the public sectors and the president of the Council of Lawyers of Thailand in the commission to ensure transparency and fairness in the decision making.
During this session, the deputies and senators also approved section 15 of the bill, which defines the duties and powers of the police commission, allowing it to set rules and policy standards for police officers.
