Pol Gen Pongsapat Pongcharoen will request a return to the police force after his defeat in Sunday's gubernatorial election in Bangkok.
The former deputy police chief said he would consult Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on the matter when she returns from her visit to Belgium and Sweden.
He resigned as deputy police chief and secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) to run in the Bangkok governor election under the Pheu Thai Party banner.
Pol Gen Pongsapat said he hoped to return to the police force and resume his previous role in solving problems related to traffic congestion, drugs and crime.
Pol Maj-Gen Piya Uthayo, the police spokesman, said a cabinet resolution and the constitution allow Pol Gen Pongsapat to submit a request to return to his previous position within 30 days of the official announcement of the election result.
The cabinet will decide whether to reinstate him as ONCB secretary-general, he said.
Pol Gen Pongsapat is due to retire in 2016.