The superintendent and another officer at Bang Bua Thong police station in Nonthaburi province have been transferred to inactive posts at the provincial police headquarters after an officer there committed suicide.
Under an order dated Nov 24 issued by Pol Lt Gen Amnuay Nimmano, the Region 1 Provincial Police comissioner, Pol Col Manoj Rattanachote, the Bang Bua Thong police superintendent, and Pol Col Sunthorn Chuenchit, a senior investigator of Bang Bua Thong police station, were transferred to temporary duty at Nonthaburi police headquarters. This removes them from the station while an investigation proceeds.
A fact-finding committee was set up to investigate the death of Pol Lt Preecha Nanthaphan, an investigator at the station, who hanged himself with a whistle cord in a room for rent in tambon Lahan of Bang Bua Thong district. His suicide has been put down to stress on the job.
The same order appointed Pol Col Preecha Macharoen, from the Region 1 Provincial Police training centre, the acting Bang Bua Thong police superintendent and Pol Lt Col Prasert Waenkaew, a senior investigator at Khukhot police station in Pathum Thani province, the acting senior investigatorat Bang Bua Thong.
Pol Gen Somyot Pumpanmuang, the national police chief, has demanded that police commanders at all levels closely watch their subordinates to cope with the problem of police committing suicide. Under this policy, if a policeman commits suicide his immediate supervisers are held responsible.