The board of the Royal Thai Police Office has selected Pol Gen Adul Saengsingkaew to take over as the new national police chief when Pol Gen Priewpan Damapong retires on Sept 30.

Pol Gen Adul Saengsingkaew (Photo by Pawat Laopaisarntaksin)

The RTPO board unanimously selected Pol Gen Adul for the post in its meeting Monday afternoon, by a vote of 10-0.

The 11-member RTPO board is chaired by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The 10 other board members are the interior minister, the permanent secretary for the interior, the secretary-general of the National Security Council, the justice minister, the permanent secretary for justice, the national police chief, and four respected outsiders.

Ms Yingluck did not vote.

Pol Gen Pansiri Prapawat, a deputy police chief in charge of crime suppression and prevention policies, was the most senior candidate, but was overlooked. He is due to retire next year.

Pol Gen Adul is third in terms of seniority. He oversees the RTPO's security affairs and also serves as acting secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB). He is said to have performed outstandingly in handling the unrest in the southern border provinces.

He is due to retire in two years.

Pol Gen Priewpan, the outgoing police chief, said before the board meeting that he hopes his replacement, who ever it was, will continue to enforce the serious suppression of illicit drugs.