National Reform Council (NRC) member Adm Phrachun Tamprathip will lead a sub-panel to carry out plans to restructure the police force.
Adm Phrachun was a former close aide-de-camp of Privy Council President Gen Prem Tinsulanonda.
His group will work under a framework set out by the NRC's committee on legal and justice system reform, which is considering proposals on how to overhaul the Royal Thai Police Office as part of the national reforms agenda.
The proposals range from decentralising the office's power to seeking public participation in promoting and transferring police officers.
Adm Phrachun's sub-committee will look into at least three issues — a new police structure, the scope of police duties, and new ways to go about fighting crime, NRC member and former senator Wanchai Sornsiri said yesterday.
One of the ideas regarding restructuring the police is to divide the force into three levels — central, regional and local.
Another idea is to set up a police council and commission to supervise its affairs.
Mr Wanchai said oversight of police transfers is another important item on the agenda, an area often marred by irregularities including political intervention.
Adm Phrachun's sub-panel will also examine any unnecessary duties undertaken by officers and consider which tasks could be scrapped.
Among the restructuring ideas being evaluated is whether the Immigration Bureau should still be part of the police force, Mr Wanchai said.
As for crime suppression, the sub-panel will look into the power which officers should have to investigate and conduct arrests and will consider whether this work should be done under a checks and balances system, he said.
Mr Wanchai said major changes to the Thai police force are needed, since society holds out hope that reforms will be made in this area.