Thailand’s parliament police petition against new uniforms

Thailand’s parliamentary police aren’t seeing the point of their new uniforms scheduled for next year. The country’s roughly 200 parliamentary police officers are usually issued with 2 sets of uniforms, each costing about 5,000 baht. The budget for new uniforms would altogether require at least 2 million baht.

Yesterday, about 60 parliament police officers submitted a petition to House Speaker Chuan Leekpai, protesting what they call a waste of taxpayers’ money. Some Thai officials are supporting the petition. An MP from Thailand’s Pheu Thai party, Khachit Chainikhom, told the press that uniform changes should have the consent of those who have to wear them.

Khachit proposed a solution, suggesting that newly recruited parliament police who work in technical affairs can wear the uniforms. He said other officers, however, should be allowed to wear their old uniforms until they need to be replaced.

But other Thai officials are sticking to their guns and defending the uniforms. One of those officials is Democrat MP Issara Sereewatthanawut, an advisor to the House committee charged with drafting an announcement about the new uniforms. Last week, Issara said that 122 new police in technical affairs claimed they couldn’t wear the current uniform due to regulation issues.

Even though the new uniforms were reportedly approved on June 12, Issara said that a panel had agreed that the new officers can wear the new uniforms, while other parliament police can keep wearing their current uniforms. House Speaker Chuan Leekpai said this week that the new uniforms will be worn following a general election next year. The public has yet to see which officers have to follow suit.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World | Nation