Held at the Provincial Police Region 8 headquarters at Tha Chatchai, at the northern tip of the island, on Thursday (June 19), the seminar was titled ‘Protecting the Rights of the People on the Investigation Path According to the Criminal Procedure Code’. It marked the third in a four-part series of public hearings organised by the Royal Thai Police, following earlier sessions in Bangkok and Khon Kaen.
Deputy Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police, Pol Gen Nirandorn Leumsri, chaired the opening ceremony. He was joined by other high-ranking officers including Pol Lt Gen Itthiphon Itthisarnronchai, Assistant Commissioner-General, and Pol Lt Gen Surapong Thanomchit, Commander of Region 8 Police, along with other officers from Provincial Police Region 8 and 9.
Speakers included legal academics, former judges and experienced law enforcement figures such as Amornphan Nititiranon, Dr Rangsan Kongthong of Phuket Rajabhat University, Rungnapa Phutkaew of the Phuket Lawyers Council and senior police from regional crime suppression divisions.
More than 300 people attended, including members of the public, students from Phuket and neighboring provinces, justice system representatives and police investigators.
The draft bill discussed would expand prosecutorial powers, requiring their approval before the issuance of summonses or arrest warrants, and placing prosecutors in a more supervisory role over investigations, explained an official report of the event.
While proponents argue the change would protect civil rights, many at the seminar expressed concern that it could lead to delays, duplicated efforts and disruption of existing procedures ‒ particularly in conflict-sensitive areas such as Thailand’s Deep South, where timely police responses are often crucial.
Participants also raised logistical concerns, such as the need for additional budget allocations to fund staff, resources and IT systems that would support the new processes.
One of the key topics was how to better coordinate the handover of case files between police and prosecutors. Some suggested this could be improved by reforming internal procedures or regulations ‒ rather than rewriting the Criminal Procedure Code itself, which might disrupt Thailand’s accusatory legal system and cause unintended consequences for victims and the public.
The Royal Thai Police stated that feedback from all four regional seminars would be compiled into a formal report for submission to the House of Representatives. However, no specific public comments or recommendations from the Phuket seminar were detailed in the official summary.