The latest appointment of a new national police chief gives the Paetongtarn government a much-needed image boost.
A few weeks earlier, there was a rumour about a "dark horse" and political intervention. The media even reported that Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra would skip the meeting and give Deputy PM Phumtham Wechayachai the formidable task of handling the issue.
Critics and many policemen are relieved that the Police Commission, which Ms Paetongtarn attended as chairperson, overwhelmingly voted 8 to 0 to appoint Pol Gen Kitrat Panphet as the new national police chief.
The decision has been broadly welcomed. Among the three candidates, Pol Gen Kitrat is considered the most senior in terms of work years and has required experience in crime investigation, fighting narcotics and cybercrime.
"The promotion gives hope to those who see fair treatment and merit at the Royal Thai Police. It gives good momentum to police reform," Pol Maj Gen Supisarn Bhakdinarinath, a lawmaker under The People's Party, said after the promotion news came out.
The new police chief will be expected to salvage public trust in the Royal Thai Police (RTP) and initiate reform.
His baptism of fire will be judged by how well he handles the promotion of high-ranking and senior police officers, starting later this month. Promotions in the past have been marred by accusations of position buying.
Time and circumstance favour Pol Gen Kitrat if he is to make positive changes. Laws and official guidelines on police rank promotion drafted a few years ago came into effect last year and are awaiting to be put to use. The National Police Act 2022 -- effective October last year -- prescribes rank promotion criteria in granular detail, such as the number of years and specific experiences each police must have to qualify for promotion.
The Office of Police Commission, an anti-corruption agency within RTP, was opened a few years ago for police officers to file complaints against their bosses regarding unfair promotions. Superiors guilty of unfair promotion are liable for jail terms of up to five years.
However, the biggest challenge for the new RTP boss will be regaining public trust. To do this, he must eradicate corruption and bribe-taking.
As a law enforcement agency, the new chief must ensure that police officers enforce the law equally instead of being seen sparing wealthy and influential suspects.
To begin with, Pol Gen Kitrat can score by catching all eight suspects -- all of them high-ranking officials in the Tak Bai case to stand trial on Oct 25.
The new police chief is known and praised for his managerial skills. Thousands of his subordinates, especially rank-and-file cops, are waiting for him to improve their work conditions and welfare.
Many deplorable police flats that look like slums need renovations, and there are police stations that need more money so police officers don't have to dig into their pockets to buy laptops or firearms. Many low-rank policemen who suffer from mental problems need professional help instead of suffering in silence or having a breakdown. Police must be taken care of so they can serve the public efficiently.
Society and critics are watching our new police chief and hope he will turn the RTP into an honourable institution that people can run to instead of running away from when they need help.