The Royal Thai Police Chief has ordered immediate implementation of four initiatives covering “equipment, legal resources, additional funds, and budget management systems” to develop police investigations, establish casework standards, and ensure justice for the public.Tags: [police reform, investigation development, justice administration, law enforcement]
Today (22 March 2026), Police General Nirandorn Lueamsri, Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police responsible for legal affairs and cases, and Director of the Investigation Management and Development Center of the Royal Thai Police (Deputy Police Chief/Director of the Center), revealed progress in advancing the police investigation system. Police General Kittirat Phanphet, the Police Chief, has emphasized urgent and effective reform of the investigation system. Recently, the Police Chief approved four Quick-Win projects for the 2026 fiscal year aimed at enhancing justice delivery. These include: 1. Procuring laptops for newly trained investigation officers at the sub-inspector level for use at police stations; 2. Establishing a Smart Electronic Legal Library; 3. Allocating additional operational funds for investigators, especially for online cases; and 4. Developing an information system to manage investigation budgets.Tags: [police leadership, investigation system, technology adoption, budget management]
The Deputy Police Chief also disclosed details of the four urgent projects as follows:Tags: [project overview, police initiatives]
1. Equipment: Provision of laptops for newly trained investigation officers at the sub-inspector level, one laptop per officer, to be used at police stations. Procurement will begin for officers who completed training at the Investigation Promotion Institute in the 2026 fiscal year.Tags: [equipment, laptops, police officers, training]
2. Operational system: Development of a Smart Electronic Legal Library for use by investigators, legal officers, and other police personnel to access legal texts, research, theses, and Supreme Court rulings. This resource will support case preparation and dissenting opinions, raising the academic standard of police work to match other justice agencies. The system will include AI assistance for legal searches and book recommendations, making legal information easily accessible.Tags: [legal resources, electronic library, AI integration, police research]
3. Welfare: Additional operational funds allocated to investigators handling online cases. Currently, the Royal Thai Police receive about 380,000 online case reports annually through the Thai Police Online (TPO) system, averaging 1,041 cases per day. Investigators are responsible for collecting computer evidence, digital footprints, interviewing witnesses, gathering documents from financial institutions, coordinating account freezes or releases, and mapping connections to mule accounts. These duties are added under the 2023 Technology Crime Prevention and Suppression Act. Funds from the Investigation and Crime Prevention Fund will supplement the regular budget, with an initial allocation of 500 baht per case ID, consistent with other justice agencies such as the Department of Special Investigation, prosecutors, and courts, where additional tasks require increased funding to support personnel.Tags: [welfare, online cases, digital evidence, budget allocation]
4. Budget oversight: Development of an information system to monitor investigation-related budget expenditures according to the Budget Act. It covers six categories: 1) case file fees, 2) witness compensation, 3) psychologist fees, 4) autopsy fees, 5) mediator fees, and 6) expenses for summoning witnesses, totaling approximately 461 million baht. This system will enable management and finance officers to verify proper and efficient use of investigation funds, ensuring they are not diverted to non-investigation police tasks. The system is scheduled for deployment in April.Tags: [budget management, financial oversight, investigation expenses, police finance]
Police General Nirandorn stated that these four initiatives represent foundational elements to improve investigation efficiency with short-term tangible results, fitting the Quick-Win concept. They directly benefit investigators by enhancing their operational systems for case preparation. When combined with other ongoing reforms, these efforts will improve the overall effectiveness of the Royal Thai Police’s criminal justice delivery. The Police Chief places great importance on investigations, advancing the entire system by providing equipment, increasing welfare, and creating clear career advancement paths specifically for investigators. These measures aim to boost morale, ensure readiness for duty, establish casework standards, and prioritize delivering justice to the public, reflecting the essential role of investigations in the criminal justice process.Tags: [police development, investigation efficiency, career advancement, justice system]