Police superintendents in Bangkok are being told to pay more attention to and improve their understanding of law enforcement in security cases involving Section 112 and 116 of the Criminal Code, as they will still have to deal with political protests just as they have in the past two to three years.
Section 112 is better known as the lese majeste law while Section 116 deals with sedition. Addressing 143 police superintendents under the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) attending a three-day seminar that started on Wednesday, national police chief Pol Gen Suwat Jangyodsuk said the MPB is playing a crucial role in maintaining law and order in the capital.
Ensuring security for a royal motorcade is not just a tradition but protecting national security, he said.
As the capital has been affected by political gatherings and street protests for the past two to three years, the city police cannot avoid handling cases involving alleged violations of Sections 112 and 116, he said.
"The MPB commissioner had better educate his subordinates, particularly new police station chiefs, about these security issues because every superintendent should know and respond well to Section 112 and 116 cases associated with political gatherings," he said.
All police stations under the MPB have also been instructed to step up efforts to suppress businesses linked to human trafficking, gambling dens and entertainment venues breaching the government's Covid-19 control measures, he said.
As online fraud has escalated to become the second most serious problem after the pandemic, all police stations are required to accept for investigation any complaints lodged about this, Pol Gen Suwat Jangyodsuk said.
They can no longer pass such complaints along to the Technology Crime Suppression Division as many used to, he added.
As for the handling of drug addicts, he said the Royal Thai Police is implementing a new law that focuses more on helping to rehabilitate them so they can return safely to society.