Royal Thai Police
Primary responsibility for the maintenance of public order through enforcement of the kingdom's laws was exercised by the Thailand National Police Department (TNPD), a subdivision of the Ministry of Interior. Charged with performing police functions throughout the entire country, the TNPD was a unitary agency whose power and influence in Thai national life had at times rivaled that of the army.
The formal functions of the TNPD included more than the enforcement of laws and apprehension of offenders. The department also played an important role in the government's efforts to suppress the remnants of the insurgency. In the event of an invasion by external forces, much of the police force would come under the control of the Ministry of Defense to serve with, but not be incorporated into, the military forces.
Originally modeled on the pre-World War II national police force of Japan, the TNPD was reorganized several times to meet changing public order and internal security needs. American advice, training, and equipment, which were provided from 1951 through the early 1970s, did much to introduce new law enforcement concepts and practices and to aid in the modernization of the TNPD. During this era the strength and effectiveness of the police grew steadily.
All components of the police system were administered by the TNPD headquarters in Bangkok, which also provided technical support for law enforcement activities throughout the kingdom. The major operational units of the force were the Provincial Police, the Border Patrol Police (BPP), the Metropolitan Police, and smaller specialized units supervised by the Central Investigation Bureau.
In mid-1987 the total strength of the TNPD, including administrative and support personnel, was estimated at roughly 110,000. Of this number, over one-half were assigned to the Provincial Police and some 40,000 to the BPP. More than 10,000 served in the Metropolitan Police. Quasi-military in character, the TNPD was headed by a director general, who held the rank of police general. He was assisted by three deputy directors general and five assistant directors general, all of whom held the rank of police lieutenant general. Throughout the TNPD system, all ranks except the lowest (constable) corresponded to those of the army. The proliferation of high ranks in the TNPD organizational structure, as in the military, indicated the political impact of the police on national life.
In 1998, TNPD was transferred from the Ministry of Interior of Thailand to be directly under the Office of the Prime Minister. using the name (in English) the Royal Thai Police. The position of its supreme head was changed from that of the Director-General of the TNPD to the Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police

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Police Organization

Thai Traffic Police in Surin, Thailand

Royal Thai Police officer

Thai Police car in burgundy and white

Thai Police car in burgundy and white

Tuk-tuk used by the police inChiangmai, Thailand

Kong Prap Pram police force sign, a police force especially working against drug trafficking - shown on a police car.

Logo of the Thai Tourist Police.

List of fines for traffic offences in 2014
The Thai police are subdivided into several regions and services, each enjoying their own powers. * Royal Thai Police Headquarters (สำนักงานตำรวจแห่งชาติ) - Bangkok * Director-General of Police - since 1998 the position was called "Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police" * Border Patrol Police Division 40,000 paramilitary force * BPP General Staff Division * BPP Tactical Training Division * BPP Support Division * BPP Nawutti Somdejya Hospital * BPP Village Scouts Center * BPP Counter-Insurgency Training Center * BPP Districts 1 through 4 * Police Aerial Reinforcement Unit (PARU) * Airborne Training * Naresuan 261 Counter-Terrorism Unit (formerly the 4th Company PARU) * Sea Air Rescue Unit
CENTRAL INVESTIGATON BUREAU- national coordinating headquarters which assist provincial and metropolitan components in preventing and suppressing criminal activity and in minimizing threats to national security. Having jurisdiction over the entire country, the CIB was organized to assist both provincial and metropolitan components of the Royal Thai Police in preventing and suppressing criminal activity and in minimizing threats to national security. Specialized units of the bureau, including the railroad, marine, highway, and forestry police, employed up-to-date technical equipment, law enforcement techniques, and training. * Five other divisions and offices employed modern procedures to assist in investigating and preventing crime. Crime Suppression Division-one of the bureau's largest components—was responsible for conducting most of the technical investigations of criminal offenses throughout the kingdom. Its Emergency Unit coped with riots and other public disorders, sabotage, counterfeiting, fraud, illegal gambling operations, narcotics trafficking, and the activities of secret societies and organized criminal associations. * Special Branch — sometimes referred to by critics as the "political police", is responsible for controlling subversive activities and serves as the Thai Police's major intelligence organization, as well as the unit responsible for VIPs protection. * The Criminal Records Office collected and maintained records required in the conduct of police work, including dossiers and fingerprints of known criminals and persons suspected of wrong doing . * The well-equipped Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory, technicians performed the requisite chemical and physical analyses. * Licenses Division registered and licensed firearms, vehicles, gambling establishments, and various other items and enterprises as required by law. Office of Immigration Bureau (under plan to separate from the Royal Thai Police to become independent authority)
Narcotics Suppression Bureau * Office Of Logistics * Aviation Division - operates the force's extensive fleet of helicopters and light aircraft. * Office of Royal Court Security Police * Crown Prince's Royal Protective Unit * Crown Prince Royal Protective Unit 'Dechochai Knight 3' * Provincial Police Division -
The Provincial Police formed the largest of the Royal Thai Police operational components in both manpower and geographic responsibility. It was headed by a commander, who reported to the police Commissioner-General, and administered through four police regions—geographic areas of responsibility similar to those of the army regional commands. This force provided police services to every town and village throughout the kingdom except metropolitan Bangkok and border areas. The Provincial Police thus handled law enforcement activities and in many cases was the principal representative of the central government's authority in much of the country.
During the 1960s and early 1970s, as the police assumed an increasing role in counterinsurgency operations, a lack of coordination among security forces operating in the rural areas became apparent. Observers noted that the overall police effort suffered because of conflicting organizational patterns and the highly centralized control system that required decisions on most matters to emanate from the various police bureaus of the (then) TNPD headquarters in Bangkok.
A reorganization of the TNPD in 1978 and 1979 gave more command authority to the four police lieutenant generals who served as regional commissioners of the Provincial Police. Thereafter, the senior officers of each region not only controlled all provincial police assigned to their respective geographic areas but also directed the railroad, highway, marine, and forestry police units operating there, without going through the chain of command to the Central Investigation Bureau in Bangkok. Although this change increased the workload of the four regional headquarters, it resulted in greater efficiency and improved law enforcement.
The Provincial Police Division is divided into 10 regions covering the 75Provinces of Thailand except Metropolitan Bangkok and the border areas:

* Region 1 - Ayuthaya * Region 2 - Chonburi * Region 3 - Nakhon Ratchasima * Region 4 - Khon Kaen * Region 5 - Chiang Mai * Region 6 - Phitsanulok * Region 7 - Nakhon Pathom * Region 8 - Surat Thani * Region 9 - Songkhla * Southern Border Provinces Region - Yala
The Police Education Bureau of the Royal Thai Police was responsible for training police personnel in the latest methods of law enforcement and the use of modern weapons. It operated the Police Officers Academy at Sam Phran, the detective training school at Bang Kaen, the Metropolitan Police Training School at Bang Kaen, and the Provincial Police training centers at Nakhon Pathom, Lampang, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Yala. The bureau also supervises a number of sites established and staffed by the BPP to train its field platoons in counterinsurgency operations. These sites included a large national facility atHua Hin and smaller facilities in Udon Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, Chiang Mai, andSongkhla.
Tourist Police - uniformed personnel who lack police powers and are largely responsible for writing out reports for insurance companies for victims of theft. In more serious cases, they will translate reports to be passed on the normal police in Bangkok. Recently recruiting foreign nationals living in Thailand.
Immigration Police Division
Marine Police Division
Metropolitan Police Division, Bangkok - Responsible for providing all law enforcement services for the capital city of Bangkok and its suburbs, the Metropolitan Police was probably the most visible and publicly recognizable of all Thai police components. This largely uniformed urban force operated under the command of a commissioner, who held the rank of police major general and was assisted by six deputy commissioners. Organizationally, the force consisted of three divisions, each responsible for police services in one of the three urban areas: northern Bangkok, southern Bangkok, and Thon Buri. Together they accounted for about forty police precincts, which were patrolled around the clock. In addition to covering the city with foot patrols, the Metropolitan Police maintained motorized units, a canine corps, building guards, traffic-control specialists, and law enforcement personnel trained to deal with juvenile problems. The Traffic Police Division also provides mounted escorts and guards of honor for the king and visiting dignitaries and served as a riot-control force to prevent unlawful demonstrations and to disperse unruly crowds within the capital city.
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Transportation
Unlike in many other countries, the Royal Thai Police extensively uses pickup trucks and SUVs, which are known for their capabilities to move around in any sort of terrain.Especially in the provincial forces. For traffic regulation and patrolling in cities, sedans and motorcycles are also used. Highway Police vehicles generally also have equipment like speed radars, breath analysers and emergency first aid kits. They also use tuktuks, minivans, bicycles, all-terrain vehicles, boats and helicopters.
Royal Thai Police vehicle colors vary widely according to grade, region, and kind of duty performed. Bangkok Metropolitan Police vehicles are black and white. Provincial Police vehicles are maroon and white while Highway Police are maroon and yellow.
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Appearance
Royal Thai Police uniforms vary widely according to grade, region, and kind of duty performed. Among the police, uniforms tend to resemble army dress rather than conventional police uniforms.
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Police Conduct
Recently, the Thai Police and justice system on the holiday island of Phuket have been accused of corruption, and over-reaction by tourist to the island. In one case an Australian woman was arrested and accused of stealing a bar mat. She spent four nights in jail and had her passport confiscated. Then she faced a wait of another 14 weeks on bail until the next phase of her prosecution. This is despite a friend of her confessing to the police and providing a sworn statement that she had placed the bar mat in the woman's bag as a joke. Eventually the case was resolved after the intervention of governor of Phuket, Wichai Praisa-nob, after being contacted by Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and the Foreign Ministry. A deal was done under which she would plead guilty, she would be fined, and governor Wichai Praisa-nob would pay the fine and give an apology. After this her passport was returned and she was allowed to return to Australia.
In another case an American couple was arrested upon returning to Thailand and accused of being responsible of burning down a house in which they resided on a previous stay at Phuket. The fire had previously been investigated and found to have been caused by an electrical fault. To recover their passports and being are also allowed to depart Thailand they had to compensate the house owner and make under the table payments to the judges, the public prosecutor, and everyone down to the bailiffs in the court. This cost them around 45,000 US dollars.[5]
In 2007 a 15 year old Danish boy was involved in an insurance fraud when a Chinese couple threw themselves under his Jetboat killing one of them. While the court ruled the incident as an accident, the police detained the boy and held his passport until an amount of 300,000 DKK had been paid so the case could be settled within weeks.
The conduct of the local police in Pai, and Thai drug enforcement, has also generated an unusual amount of controversy over the past decade. This is partially due to the proximity of Pai to drug routes from the Shan State in Burma, however given the post-2000 rise in incidents involving foreign tourists, it is evident that other factorsat work.
Police corruption remains a problem in Thailand. Transparency International's Global Corruption Barometer 2007, a survey assessing the public's perceptions and experience of corruption in 60 countries, states that, for Thailand, the police received a rating of four out of five, where one represents "not at all corrupt" and five represents "extremely corrupt" (6 December 2007, 22).

Royal Thai Police

Headed by a Commissioner General, the Royal Thai Police (RTP) is under the direct command of the Prime Minister. With a strength of about 230,000 officers, RTP’s main functions are to:

* Provide security to His Majesty the King, Her Majesty the Queen, the Heirs to the Throne, members of the Royal Family, the Regent, Royal Representatives, and Royal Guests; * Direct and supervise the operation of all police officers to ensure quality service and compliance with the laws; * Prevent and suppress crime; * Maintain public order and national security; * Assist the public; * Perform other activities stipulated by Thai law; * Carry out law enforcement activities as assigned by the Prime Minister in support of national development.
Headquartered in Bangkok, the RTP is divided into six broad groups:
1. Special Operations: * Office of Royal Court Security Police;
2. Crime Prevention and Suppression: * Metropolitan Police Bureau; * Provincial Police Regions; * Southern Border Provinces Police Operation Center;
3. Crime Prevention and Suppression Support; * Central Investigation Bureau; * Narcotics Suppression Bureau; * Special Branch Bureau; * Immigration Bureau; * Border Patrol Police Bureau; * Office of Forensic Science; * Office of Information and Communication Technology;
4. Education: * Police Education Bureau; * Royal Police Cadet Academy;
5. Services: * Police General Hospital;
6. Command and General Staff: * Office of Police Strategy; * Office of Logistics; * Office of Human Resources; * Office of Budget and Finance; * Office of Legal Affairs and Litigation; * Office of Police Commission; * Office of Inspector General; * Office of Internal Audit; * Office of Police Secretary; * Foreign Affairs Division; * Public Affairs Division; * Office of National Police Policy Board; * Police Aviation Division; * Disciplinary Division.

Salary and Wages
The Thai police have low official salaries, typically 6000 baht ($125) per MONTH, and the police stations are poorly paid by the government. Imagine raising a family on that!
In Bangkok, they get most of their support from their community, which means monthly fees from the gold shops they protect, traffic violations and other behavioral fines paid on the spot (without a citation written out), an unofficial commission from brothels, bribes from entertainment places so they can stay open later than the law permits, and things like that.
The sum total of all that varies by police district. Some of the "Grade A" station assignees are privileged with substantial sums of income, whereas many provincial policemen are more laid back in their expectations.
Individual officers on the beat are expected to pass a big chunk of the money they collect up the chain to help support the police station and the desk job people.
You would be surprised what is illegal in Thailand. One glaring example is prostitution (which can be argued to be a victimless crime in its mainstream practice). Practically every massage parlour and go-go bar pays a reasonable monthly fee to the local police station, and that's usually all there is to it. However, if they get out of control, then they can be shut down by application of the law.
For example, massage parlors and go-go bars are permitted only in certain areas, like an informal zoning. Likewise, prostitutes overtly plying their trade out in the open public are subject to arrest and removal.
By keeping "grey" things technically illegal, they are controlled at the discretion of the local police station.
It is amazing to many foreigners that in general the police do not abuse their authority here. Like everywhere else, there are always some bad cops on the job in Thailand, and cases abound of conspiracies and dirty money. However, most Thai police are honorable and reasonable, and you should put things into proper perspective as regards "the rule, not the exceptions".
Usually, the police are professional, respectful and courteous. Much of this is due to the Thai way of settling disputes as peacefully and mutually honorably as possible. The police force are also well trained.
However, the minimum educational specification for applying to the police academy is completion of a high school education, and the requirements were even lower a while back (now older police). While many applicants have a Bachelor's Degree, it's not a requirement because of concern there won't be enough good non-commissioned personnel. There also needs to be better training of non-commissioned officers in conducting investigations and the English language.

Ranks
Commissioned officers
Police General
Police Lieutenant General
Police Major General
Police Brigadier General
Police Senior Colonel
Police Colonel
Police Lieutenant Colonel
Police Major
Police Captain
Police Lieutenant
Police Sub-Lieutenant

Non-Commissioned officers
Police Senior Sergeant Major
Police Sergeant Major
Police Sergeant
Police Corporal
Police Lance Corporal
Policeman\Constable