Metropolitan Police Bureau commander Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit Thoopkrachang has admitted that he travelled to Hong Kong to meet ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Kamronwit: ‘Wrongly interpreted’
There, he asked Thaksin to pin his new police rank insignia to his uniform following his recent promotion.
His admission of the trip, the photograph of himself being decorated by Thaksin and a framed note: "I am what I am today because of you, Brother" which the city police chief hangs on the wall of his office has stirred up a storm of controversy over his role.
The wrangle deepened when the city police chief announced he would visit the Democrat Party headquarters to protest against its probe into his meeting Thaksin. Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit later cancelled the visit but hundreds of police officers showed up there to support him which led to the accusation they were mobilised there to rally for their boss instead of serving the public.
Bangkok Post reporter, WASSAYOS NGAMKHAM, confronts him with these questions.
Will your admission of being close to Thaksin lead to conflicts in police circles?
No. I didn't mean it [to put on a display of affection and show a close relationship with Thaksin]. My interviews have been wrongly interpreted.
Unlike other offices, mine is also where I often spend the night. Sometimes, I wake up here and rush to early morning meetings.
It's more like a personal zone to me [looking up at his controversial photograph with Thaksin].
I think this is a personal matter but I won't be able to stop some people from viewing it as something else.
But your recent interviews can lead to the police as a whole being seen as being involved with politics, can't they?
That's not true. Don't ever perceive everything as being political.
As for Thaksin, he taught me something which I have always taken to heart. When I was the 191 police commander, he taught me to do everything to make both members of the public and police love me. Anytime I emerge from my bedroom [part of the office], I see the picture and it reminds me of his advice.
Do you stay in touch with Thaksin?
Not really. He calls me sometimes when he wants me to do something for him. It's Thai culture to feel grateful to people who have done something good for you and reciprocate with loyalty.
So, how would you make other people, especially those who oppose Thaksin, trust you when it comes to lodging complaints with the police?
I can assure that everyone will be treated equally. Like I said, we police are khaki in colour [the colour of the police uniform). We are not of any other political colours.
Do you think most police agree with your political stance?
Honestly, I've never urged the police to make any political moves. I didn't tell them to gather at the Democrats' headquarters on Tuesday. I was just back from an overseas trip and learned that the opposition party had petitioned the national police chief to look into my meeting. I simply wanted to go to the party to explain to them about that.
What will you do about the Democrats' move then?
Nothing. And I didn't say that the people who gathered at the party HQ on Tuesday to give support to the party's leader had been hired to be there as was reported.