Seniority Not Nepotism to Determine Promotions for Police in Thailand

BANGKOK – Seniority not nepotism will be the key criteria in determining the promotions of police officers under new regulations of the Police Commission.

The new regulations for  police officers came into force after their publication in the Royal Gazette on Tuesday.

If two officers are of the same rank, the officer who served in that rank for the longer period is considered more senior.

If the two police officers have held the same rank for the same duration. The officer who spent longer time in the lower ranks will be considered more senior than the other.

If the two police officers spent their time in the lower ranks equally, the officer who is older is considered as more senior.

If a police officer served in parts of the south, his time will automatically doubled from the actual time spent.

The use of seniority for promotions in the police force was reintroduced after the Thai Police came under heavy criticism.

Many reshuffles or appointments in recent years were thought to have been influenced by nepotism.

Political interference and money, leading to the accusation that promotions in the police force can be bought.

Officers who have close political connections or who could afford to pay large amounts were promoted to profitable positions. The also saw their status rise faster than those who couldn’t.

Politics in the Promotions and Appointments

In 2017 Mahidol University conducted a survey which included 1,319 police officers, ranging in rank from Commander to Squad Leader.

It was found that political involvement in making transfers and promotions mainly affected police commissioned officers.

The rules and regulations for promotions and transfers of officers were overall considered to be very fair. However, there were other aspects considered to be less fair.

It was also found that politicians and outside influential figures, as well as nepotism, played a role in the promotion and transfer of police officers.

Source: Thai PBS