The Royal Thai Police’s (RTP) Ordnance Division has denied it has distributed substandard bulletproof vests after a picture of body armour layered with plywood surfaced online.
The division’s commander, Pol Maj Gen Nirandon Sirisangchai, said on Monday that the RTP has never procured body armour or armour plates that use wood as a material.
Pol Maj Gen Nirandon said the purchasing and inspection process is transparent, verifiable, and aligned with the laws and regulations.
He said every vest was standardised under the National Institute of Justice measures and guaranteed by manufacturers.
However, any officers who had been injured while wearing the vests or had concerns about the quality of their vests could send them to the division for inspection, said Pol Maj Gen Nirandon.
Last week, an anonymous netizen posted a picture of a plywood-layered bulletproof vest bearing the RTP’s logo on his Facebook page. The netizen said that procuring such a vest was evidence of corruption among senior officers, as plywood could not protect users.
Jirat Thongsuwan, the Move Forward Party MP from Chachoengsao, reposted the picture, criticising the vest’s quality and the RTP.
The netizen, who turned out to be a police sergeant, later posted on Facebook that others had sent the picture, and its source was unknown.
He also apologised to the public for spreading misinformation, saying his commander contacted and warned him about the post after the news surfaced.