Police promotion whirlwind: Secret RPCA training course fast tracks beauty queen to top ranks, prompting scrutiny

The popular Facebook page Police Friends recently exposed some damning information regarding the rapid promotions of police officers who took part in the Royal Police Cadet Academy (RPCA) training course, held four times a year. The post cited a beauty queen-turned-police officer as an example of RPCA training being misused by unqualified people.

According to the Facebook page, the female officer took part in the RPCA course while holding the rank of sergeant. In September 2021, she swiftly earned a promotion to sergeant major, followed by another promotion to police captain in June 2023. This rapid career progression is seen as unusual by some, who argue that the RPCA training should be reserved for children of officers who have died in the line of duty, Sanook reported.

The page further added…

“I’ve been a police officer for nine years, and I might get my badge next year. There are rare opportunities for other career paths, and many are sent to work at the southern border region. We all know that the police force has its inner circle. Well-known families are recruited as sergeants, then quickly promoted to reserve officers.”

The “Police Friends” Facebook page also tagged Move Forward Party MP Rangsiman Rome, urging him to investigate the RPCA training course. The post claimed that each training session had about 300 attendees, with many lacking the required qualifications. The page emphasized that only those who have lost a parent in the line of duty should reserve the course exclusively.

Rangsiman has not yet responded to the tagging or addressed the criticisms raised by the ‘Police Friends’ Facebook page.

One problem that has been going on for a long time in Thailand is corruption. Illegal bribe stickers on trucks are another topic that Thais have been arguing about a lot lately. Read more about the story HERE.