The Royal Thai Police has issued an order banning on duty police officers to wear black sunglasses.
The order was issued by deputy commissioner of the RTP Pol Gen Chalermkiat Sriworakhan.
Under his order dated March 2, he said police in charge of investigation and suppression work must:
1. Dress politely in line with the police regulations, and must wear short hairstyles.
2. No wearing of black sunglasses while on duty.
3. Superior officers at all levels must have good behaviour and be role model for their subordinates, while at the same time supervising performances of their subordinates seriously and continuously.
Pol Gen Chalermkiat, meanwhile, clarified further that the order was meant to ban fashion sunglasses as he had seen on several occasions that several police officers on duty wore fashion sunglasses with colourful coating mirror lens.
It was inappropriate, he said.
However he said for officers who are on duty in broad daylight and have sighting difficulty, he didn’t mean to prohibit them to wear.
Meanwhile deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau Pol Maj Gen Panurat Lakboon said it still was necessary for police officers to wear black sunglasses while performing duty in broad daylight.
He said the order is enforced on police officers across the country, and not only in the capital.