The Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) head met the new permanent secretary for defence for talks yesterday, though the pair deny they did so at the behest of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
MPB chief Kamronwit Thoopkrachang met Nipat Thonglek his former classmate from the 14th Class of the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School at Gen Nipat's office at the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit said he met Gen Nipat to congratulate him on his appointment and discuss ways they can work together.
"We are best friends. Nothing here is unusual," he said, when asked if Thaksin had ordered the meeting.
"If he [Gen Nipat] wants help from the MPB, the police are ready to work with soldiers for peace. There is no hidden agenda [to this meeting]."
Critics believe Thaksin ordered the pair to meet because the former premier wanted them to work together to bring future political protests under control more effectively.
Both Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit and Gen Nipat are thought to have close ties to Thaksin and his younger sister, Prime Minister Yingluck.
Gen Nipat said there was nothing unusual about his friend Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit wanting to congratulate him. Gen Nipat said Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit would next visit new First Region Army commander Lt Gen Teerachai Nakwanich and congratulate him on his new job.
Lt Gen Teerachai is also a former classmate of Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit and Gen Nipat.
Gen Nipat also took Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit on a tour of an operations centre at the MoD.
The centre oversees safety and security at the ministry and was working closely with Phra Ratchawang police station nearby.
Gen Nipat said the MPB and the MoD have pledged to work more closely on safety and security issues at the ministry, through better security and a closed circuit television system.
"Don't look at it [Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit's visit] as a political matter. We are former classmates and [the meeting between Gen Nipat and Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit] will help us work better." Meanwhile, national police chief Adul Saengsingkaew yesterday dismissed a claim that Thaksin had instructed him to step up measures against crooked police extorting money from tourists.
Pol Gen Adul insisted he had never spoken to the ex-premier, who is in self-imposed exile overseas after a conflict of interest conviction.
Thaksin claims on Facebook that he did indeed speak to the police chief.
"The other day, I spoke to the national police chief and I told him about complaints I received from tourists who had visited tourist destinations such as Pattaya and Phuket," he wrote.
Thaksin also wrote that: "I asked him to take immediate action [against those dishonest police] and he assured me the premier, Yingluck Shinawatra, had instructed him to do so. So, I hope to see a better situation."
Thaksin reportedly posted this message late on Tuesday night.
He also stated he had just left Hong Kong and was on his way to Beijing.