Thai police force facing shortage of personnel

[webfact]

Police force facing shortage of personnel
VISITH CHUANPIPATPONG
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- With its image and integrity already in tatters due to recent public criticism, the Royal Thai Police (RTP) will also face a serious personnel shortage in the next two decades, as many officers will be retiring over the next six years.

In order to lure potential replacements for 32,169 officers due to retire by 2020, the bureau is preparing extra welfare and medical services as well as seeking finances to accommodate ageing police officers as recommended by a study conducted by RTP's Human Resources Division.

A recent moral-boosting policy, in which all officers above the age of 53 are promoted to commissioned status without their old positions being filled, has created a shortage of non-commissioned officers.

There is also a shortage of specialist staff such as laboratory technicians and bomb-disposal experts.

The study also found that the average age of police officers is 43, which is a problem when it comes to high-energy jobs such as patrolmen, detectives and anti-narcotics officers.

The RTP currently has 216,958 police officers, 58,941 or 27.17 per cent of whom are commissioned officers and 158,017 or 72.83 per cent are non-commissioned officers. Of the total, 200,637 are men and 16,321 are women.

Police personnel make up the second largest number in the civilian service, at 16.08 per cent, compared to teachers, educational staff and lecturers under the Education Ministry.

The study recommends that long-term development measures be put in place to keep staff motivated; that superiors as well as non-commissioned officers undergo leadership training; and police officers be given greater authority to serve in other areas so as to prepare for future decentralisation of power according to RTP's policies.

The study also said that all members of staff should undergo training so they can keep up-to-date with modern crimes and be prepared for the Asean Economic Community, which kicks off next year.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Police-force-facing-shortage-of-personnel-30245633.html


-- The Nation 2014-10-17

[ScubaPhuket]

All things being fair... Which of course is not possible here yet.

What the new administration should be doing is campaigning for new recruits direct from school, offering competitive salaries & benefits to create a new breed of officer with morals & standards.

Slowly slowly of course because the country can't survive without it's current mafia based force but...

Thailand's number one problem is it's current RTP.

[JeremyBowskill]

Shouldn't worry too much, Thailand a similar population to the UK but double the police force. What with the being crimes that "no Thai could do", should be pretty easy to police here with a lot less coppers.

[harrry]

Looks like too many chiefs and not enough indians there.

[Somtamnication]

With a country with 2000 generals vs. 200 generals in the US, what do you expect?

[Chupup]

Looks like too many chiefs and not enough indians there.

My thoughts exactly

[MJP]

With a country with 2000 generals vs. 200 generals in the US, what do you expect?

Two thousand generals?

[hansgruber]

Pay them decently and things will change.

Police get a pittance of a salary and subsidies it with corruption.

100k a month and one corrupt indiscretion and your out.

It's simple really.

Sent from my LG-D858

[Tonyrichard]

So there may imminently be fewer Thai police? Good! Let us hope that the numbers dwindle down to zero - then there may be a chance for law, order and justice to be introduced into Thai life. The Koh Tao debacle has shown the Thai police in their true colours (and those colours are very dark indeed).

[canuckamuck]

A great opportunity for a sea change of police culture.

Sadly, having the old guard teaching the new recruits to act ethically and according to the law, would be like a shark teaching its children to be vegetarian.

And it all starts with them paying their way in and goes downhill from there.

[noitom]

far too many for what they do, and far too many officers. NYPD has 34,000 for all of New York, Chicago has 10,000 and LA has 10,000 and these US police forces work hard and make busts.

[alant]

was a given as soon as the gravy train way under threat. How do you get staff at low pay? The spiral has started, the plug has been removed, the hole looms large.

[ChrisY1]

With a country with 2000 generals vs. 200 generals in the US, what do you expect?

Two thousand generals?

Yes....close to.......there were 1700 at this rank 3 years ago...........everyones a boss!

[jdinasia]

With a country with 2000 generals vs. 200 generals in the US, what do you expect?

Huh?

[selftaopath]

Honestly. Upon reading the headline my initial thought was if all the Thai police were gone Thailand would possibly function better or more appropriately. What actual good do the Thai police do or offer to citizens or residents?

[selftaopath]

was a given as soon as the gravy train way under threat. How do you get staff at low pay? The spiral has started, the plug has been removed, the hole looms large.

Thanks for your post. I agree with you with the exception of BIB's pay. I believe they make a salary commensurate of their education/efforts etc. As is typical entry level positions are rarely extraordinary, both here and elsewhere. Do you know or does anyone know the real salary amounts for Thai police? I am lead to believe they start out at or near the rate of a Thai teacher.

Thanks again for your post.

[canuckamuck]

Honestly. Upon reading the headline my initial thought was if all the Thai police were gone Thailand would possibly function better or more appropriately. What actual good do the Thai police do or offer to citizens or residents?

You feel this way because you don't have hundred million dollars and therefore been receiving excellent service from the BIB. It is a paid security force and you haven't been paying the dues.

[MediaWatcher]

Solution is simple, though being the RTP it may not be, but if they halved to number of police, they could DOUBLE theie salary...BUT...here is the crunch, make them get out and do they duty instead of sitting around achieving nothing.

[rkidlad]

'Thai police force facing shortage of personnel'

And apparently they've completely run out of integrity as well. Apparently the PM is looking for some to send to them but he still can't find any.

[cloghead]

maybe they should reduce the 'admission fees' the prospective policeman has to pay...

[BSJ]

As police forces go they certainly have a laid back attitude!

[WitawatWatawit]

" Of the total, 200,637 are men and 16,321 are women."

Something is missing here. But I can't quite put my finger on it. To round it out, this fact needs an appendage to it.

[thesetat2013]

I distinctly remember reading in the past that for 7000 positions which had opened in the Farce that they had 70,000 applicants for the job?

How can they be worried?

[NeverSure]

Shortage? Maybe too many have been transferred to inactive posts.

[chainarong]

It doesn't take a Rhodes scholar to figure out where the problems are in regard to the RTP, the whole shebang should be scrapped and reinvented with advisers from abroad (Not China), for a country that prides itself on being a professional tourist destination, the police force especially should be at least as good if not better that H.K or Singapore, alas that is not the case , it would be the most useless department alongside the sub- standard , Burmese police force.

[Cake Monster]

Its great news that so many RTP Officers are retiring / running away, now maybe they can start to restructure the whole corrupt and graft ridden mess to make a credible organisation.

[kurnell]

With a country with 2000 generals vs. 200 generals in the US, what do you expect?

Someone's making a killing on stars

[daveAustin]

Retire them all.

[canuckamuck]

They need a lot of police here. Do you know many gold shops would have empty plastic chairs if they down sized the force?

[rijb]

Honestly. Upon reading the headline my initial thought was if all the Thai police were gone Thailand would possibly function better or more appropriately. What actual good do the Thai police do or offer to citizens or residents?

You feel this way because you don't have hundred million dollars and therefore been receiving excellent service from the BIB. It is a paid security force and you haven't been paying the dues.

The BIBs need more help during the high season, in the north. They are very busy escorting luxury vans full of VIPs.

There must be a lot of important meetings in Chiang Rai.