Thai police gets new chief

Thai police gets new chief

BANGKOK (AFP): A Thai police committee yesterday appointed
Pracha Promnok as chief of the country's troubled police force,
reports said.

Pracha, who has been acting police chief since his predecessor
was effectively dismissed last week, was appointed by a police
committee headed by Interior Minister Sanoh Thienthong, a radio
report said.

Former chief Pochana Boonyachinda was transferred to the prime
minister's office last Friday in a move Sanoh said was aimed at
reshuffling the police department in line with the policies of
the new government.

Pochana's transfer came as the department has been under heavy
fire over its perceived failure to deal with crime and amid an
uproar over the killings of six alleged drug traffickers in a
shootout with police.

Since his appointment last month, Sanoh has vowed to devote
his time to fighting crime, in particular activities related to
drug trafficking.