On 15th January 2013 Hanns-Seidel-Foundation (HSF) in cooperation with CPG/Thammasat University hosted an event on “Managing Public Safety – Good Governance in Southeast Asia” about police work in Thailand mainly addressing over 100 police cadets from the Philippines National Police (PNP), who visited Thai police institutions within the course of their further training.

After the welcome address by Mr Karl-Peter Schoenfisch, Director of HSF Bangkok Office, panel presentations were delivered by Mr. Henning Glaser, Head of CPG; Pol. Col. Dr. Siriphon Kusonsinwut, Legal Affairs and Litigation Division, Royal Thai Police; Ms. Manuch Sroypetch, Foreign Affairs Section in the Department of Corrections, Ministry of Justice; Pol. Lt.-Col. Paisith Sungkahapong, Department of Special Investigations (DSI), Ministry of Justice and Pol. Col. Eko Rudi Sudarto, Police Attaché of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia followed by a panel discussion with the young cadets.

Introductorily Mr. Glaser outlined the legal and moral framework of modern public safety management and presented a short comparative summary of police work in Southeast Asia and Europe. Dr. Kusonsinwut and Ms. Sroypetch gave an overview about the organizational structure of the Royal Thai Police respectively the Department of Corrections and the main challenges they are currently faced with. The cadets used these presentations for a vivid debate on similarities and differences to the situation in the Philippines. Subsequently Mr. Sungkahapong introduced the work of the DSI. As a department of the Ministry of Justice it operates independently of the Royal Thai Police and is tasked with the investigation of certain special cases like those affecting national security and those involving organized criminal organizations. Parallels between DSI and the Philippine’s National Bureau of Investigations were drawn. Eventually Mr. Sudarto delivered insight into the work of a police liaison officer, who is involved in the daily business of international joint police work as Interpol inter alia. All participants regarded the event as a very useful meeting.