THAILAND POLICE SYSTEM

By:
Ryan Vincent Carta
Angelo Millan
Roldan Guzman
Jomar Bose

Thailand is a Southeast Asian country. It's known for tropical beaches, opulent royal
palaces, ancient ruins and ornate temples displaying figures of Buddha. In Bangkok,
the capital, an ultramodern cityscape rises next to quiet canalside communities and
the iconic temples of Wat Arun, Wat Pho and the Emerald Buddha Temple (Wat
Phra Kaew). Nearby beach resorts include bustling Pattaya and fashionable Hua Hin.

Royal Thai Police (RTP) first came into existence in the year 1455, over 500 years
ago. However, the modernization of the RTP system came during the reign of King
Rama IV, designed by an Englishman named Captain Joseph Byrd Ames. Captain
Ames was the Captain of an English vessel at the time but was given the
responsibility for establishing the first uniform police unit in Thailand. Ames,
himself, was appointed the first uniform police commander by King Rama IV.
The primary responsibility for the maintenance of public order through enforcement
of the Kingdom’s law is exercised by the Royal Thai Police (RTP), under control of
Office of the Prime Minister. Since it has to perform police functions throughout the
entire country, the RTP is a unitary agency that has a lot of power which an affect the
Thai government. Consequently, every time there is a new government, the RTP
tends to give a new Director-General.

The present structure of RTP is governed by a Royal Decree on the Division of the
Royal Thai Police, created in 2009. It is comprised of thirty bureaus and six divisions
directly under the RTP. (Please see RTP Structure as attached)
The Administrative Units are mainly responsible for administrative and staff matters.
Its tasks include planning, staffing, reporting, and preparation of budgets, etc. The
Operational Units carry out police work according to the Criminal Procedure Code
and various Criminal Acts. The Auxiliary and Special Service Units are tasked with
providing help and guidance to operational units in order to enhance their
effectiveness and performance.
1. Nickname

The nickname of Thailand police system is The Royal Thai Police.

2. Form of Government

Thailand categorizes itself as a constitutional monarchy, the king has little

direct power under the constitution and exercises power through the
National Assembly, the Council of Ministers, and the Courts in accordance
with the 2017 constitution.

3. Head of the state

Vajiralongkorn, Thailand's King, was born on July 28, 1952. He is King

Bhumibol Adulyadej's and Queen Sirikit's only son. His father appointed
him crown prince in 1972, when he was 20 years old. Following his father's
 death on October 13, 2016, he was anticipated to accede to Thailand's
monarchy, but he requested time to mourn before claiming the throne. On
the night of December 1, 2016, he accepted the throne. His coronation takes
occur on May 4–6, 2019. Following his father's death on October 13, 2016,
the Thai government retrospectively declared his rule to have commenced
on that day. As the tenth monarch of the Chakri dynasty, he is also known
as Rama X, and at the age of 64, he was the oldest Thai monarch to succeed
to the throne.

4. Police force

The Royal Thai Police (RTP) (tamruat haeng chat)

Thailand's national police force. The RTP employs between 210,700 and
230,000 officers, accounting for roughly 17% of all civil servants
(excluding the military and employees of state-owned enterprises) The RTP
is frequently referred to as Thailand's fourth armed force because its
tradition, concept, culture, skill, and training are similar to that of the army,
and the majority of its officer cadets must graduate from the Armed Forces
Academies Preparatory School before entering the Royal Thai Police
Officers also get paramilitary training, comparable to that of the army, but
with an emphasis on law enforcement.

5. National Headquarters

The Thai-Khu-Fah Building is a significant structure on the grounds of the

Government House. The Cabinet of Thailand and the Prime Minister's
Office are housed in this structure. This is not the residence of the Prime
Minister. The prime minister's official house is the neighboring Phitsanulok
Mansion.
The structure comprises two stories and one staircase, with neo-Venetian
Gothic architecture blended with Byzantine art. A modest temple to Phra
Phrom may be seen on the roof. There are three lounges below. The first is
the Golden Dome Room, which is located on the south side of the structure
 and is reserved for the prime minister's visitors. The second is the Ivory
Room, which is located in front of the Golden Dome Room and next to the
right, and serves as a lounge for the prime minister's official visits. The third
location is the Purple Room, which is located on the ground level on the
right side of the building. This is a lounge for the deputy prime minister's
and other cabinet ministers' visits. The prime minister chairs the Board of
Committees, which meets in a tiny conference room in the building. The
prime minister's office, political officer offices, and the historic cabinet
conference room are all located on the building's upper floor.

6. Parent Agency

The National Intelligence Agency (NIA) is the Thailand's Government

agency counter-intelligence and security agency. It serves as part of the
Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). Its headquarters is in Paruskavan
Palace, Bangkok.

7. The agency of Thailand which takes the administrative/supervisory control

Thailand's public sector is made up of a variety of different sorts of

governmental agencies. While certain institutions formed by constitutional
mandate are autonomous, others are directly or indirectly accountable to the
Royal Thai Government's administration. The bulk of them are government
entities that employ both civil servants and military personnel. Public
organizations and state-owned companies are among the others.

Constitutional organizations
In addition to the constituents of the three branches of government, the
(now-repealed) 2007 constitution provided for certain regulatory and
advisory bodies. For further details, see Constitutional organizations of
Thailand.

Agencies under executive regulation

Government agencies under direct control of the ministries are the oldest
type of state agency. They date to the establishment of the modern
bureaucracy by King Chulalongkorn in the 19th century, while state
enterprises were introduced in the first half of the 20th century.
By the 1990s, the bureaucratic structure of government agencies had
become recognized as a source of inefficiency, and administrative reforms
begun in 1997 sought to ameliorate the issue by creating new forms of state
agencies with greater autonomy and operational flexibility. Thailand's state
agencies now fall into the following types, as classified by the Office of the
Public Sector Development Commission.

1. Government agencies
Within the central administration, government agencies include the
ministries and sub-ministries, and their constituent departments or
equivalent agencies. Within the provincial administration, they include the
provinces and their districts. Their operation is based on the laws and
regulations of the civil service and the military.

2. State enterprises
State enterprises provide industrial and commercial public services. They
exist both as purpose-established organizations (e.g., the State Railway of
Thailand) and limited companies in which the government is the majority
shareholder
3. Public organizations
Public organizations, also known as autonomous public organizations, were
introduced in 1999. They provide social and cultural public services, and
operate under supervision of the government. Most newer public
organizations are established under the Public Organization Act, B.E. 2542
(1999 CE), the first being Banphaeo Hospital in 2000

4. New state agency forms

1. Independent administrative organizations

Independent administrative organizations serve the operations of regulatory
bodies (the Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications
Commission) or other public agencies whose independence is in the public
interest (the Thai Public Broadcasting Service).
2. Legal-entity funds
Legal-entity funds are established by acts of parliament to serve certain
economic purposes that are of public benefit.
3. Service delivery units
Service delivery units were introduced in 2005. They are service-oriented,
quasi-autonomous units operating under government departments, but have
a more flexible internal management system. Their services are primarily
aimed for their mother agency.

8. Type of law enforcement

The Royal Thai Police is the primary law enforcement agency in Thailand,
although the military continue to carry out law enforcement tasks.

9. Highest rank

Director General of Police

10. Lowest rank

Police Sub-Lieutenant

11. Hotline

Emergency & Important Telephone Numbers

EMERGENCY CALLS TEL NO.
Mobile Police 191
Fire Brigades 199
Highway Police 1193
Tourist Police 1155
Tourist Service Centre 1672
Ambulance and Rescue 1554
Medical and Emergency Call 1669
USEFUL NUMBERS IN BANGKOK TEL NO.
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Bangkok (+66) 2250-5500,
Hotline 1672
Tourist Police (+66) 2308-0333, Hotline 1155
Pathumwan Police Station (Nearest) (+66) 2214-1046
Immigration (+66) 2287-3101
Tourist Assistance 1337 ext. 9
Suvarnabhumi Airport (+66) 2132-1888
Don Muang Airport (+66) 2535-1192
 12. Police to population ratio
The Royal Thai Police (RTP) is the national police force of Thailand. The
RTP employs between 210,700 and 230,000 officers, roughly 17 percent of
all civil servants (excluding the military and the employees of state-owned
enterprises).

12. Police to population ratio in Thailand

The Royal Thai Police (RTP) (tamruat haeng chat) is the national police force
of Thailand. The RTP employs between 210,700 and 230,000 officers, roughly
17 percent of all civil servants (excluding the military and the employees of
state-owned enterprises).

13. Age of retirement

Must be 50 years of age or over. (3) Must have evidence of having income
of no less than Baht 65,000 per month; or (4) On the filing date, the
applicant must have funds deposited in a bank in Thailand of no less than
Baht 800,000 for the past three months

14. In-charge of training human resource development and continuing

education for police.

Royal Thai Police (RTP) first came into existence in the year 1455, over
500 years ago. However, the modernization of the RTP system came during
the reign of King Rama IV, designed by an Englishman named Captain
Joseph Byrd Ames. Captain Ames was the Captain of an English vessel at
the time but was given the responsibility for establishing the first uniform
police unit in Thailand. Ames, himself, was appointed the first uniform
police commander by King Rama IV.
The primary responsibility for the maintenance of public order through
enforcement of the Kingdom’s law is exercised by the Royal Thai Police
(RTP), under control of Office of the Prime Minister. Since it has to
perform police functions throughout the entire country, the RTP is a unitary
agency that has a lot of power which an affect the Thai government.
Consequently, every time there is a new government, the RTP tends to give
a new Director-General.
The present structure of RTP is governed by a Royal Decree on the Division
of the Royal Thai Police, created in 2009. It is comprised of thirty bureaus
and six divisions directly under the RTP. (Please see RTP Structure as
attached)

15. Retirement age

Thailand's official retirement age is 60 years at government agencies and

many companies. Under the new pension program, both employers and
employees will contribute, with minimum inputs ranging from 3%-10% of
salaries depending on employment tenure.

16. Uniform

Wearing a uniform in Thailand is not like in most countries. In the West,

because most Westerners embrace their individuality, uniforms are
something to be avoided. In Thailand, uniforms are something that say you
‘fit in’, ‘you’re accepted’, you are ‘part of the group’. As Thais are brought
 up to consider the whole group rather than just themselves, wearing a
uniform fits in with this ideal.

17. Salary and benefits

A person working as a Police Officer in Thailand typically earns around

60,400 THB per month. Salaries range from 27,800 THB (lowest) to 96,000
THB (highest).

18. Overall peace and order of the country

THE army has long been the most powerful force in Thai political life, and
has wholly monopolised it since its latest coup in May. Bangkok, the
capital, remains calm, and many ordinary Thais do not miss the self-serving
political classes who were booted out. Still, how popular the National
Council for Peace and Order, as the junta calls itself, really is remains hard
to say. It is a criminal offence to criticise it, and the press is muzzled. Lèse-
majesté cases are piling up. The junta has even banned a computer game,
Tropico 5, in which players set up their own military dictatorship in a
fictional paradise where sunny beaches and political corruption “coexist in
perfect harmony”.

19. Program being implemented

Education in Thailand is largely a government responsibility provided

through the ministry of education. Two to three years of kindergarten begins
this process, followed by 6 years of primary school. The Thai school year is
from may to march for primary and middle school, while secondary schools
begin one month later.