Metropolitan Police Bureau

Metropolitan Police Bureau กองบัญชาการตำรวจนครบาล
Official Seal
Abbreviation	MPB
Agency overview
Formed	1862; 164 years ago (1862)
Jurisdictional structure
National agency (Operations jurisdiction)	Thailand
Operations jurisdiction	Bangkok, Thailand
Areas of responsibility of various metropolitan police stations
Size	503 sq mi (1,300 km2)
Population	8.281 million
Legal jurisdiction	Bangkok, Thailand
General nature	Local civilian police
Operational structure
Headquarters	Royal Thai Police Headquarters, Pathum Wan, Bangkok, Thailand
Agency executive	Police Lieutenant General Thiti Saengsawang, Commissioner
Parent agency	Royal Thai Police
Facilities
Patrol cars	6,000
Website
metro.police.go.th

The Metropolitan Police Bureau (Thai: กองบัญชาการตำรวจนครบาล) is a unit in the Royal Thai Police, and is responsible for maintaining security in Bangkok - the capital of Thailand. There are a total of 14 divisions (command units) and 2 direct divisions which report directly to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau. The current and 52nd Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau is Police Lieutenant General Thiti Saengsawang.

History

In 1862, King Mongkut appointed British Captain Samuel Joseph Bird Ames to set up a police force in Bangkok for the first time by adopting a model from the British police.

In 1892, King Chulalongkorn appointed Prince Damrong Rajanubhab as Interior Minister with responsibility over provincial policing, including a department in Bangkok. While Prince Naresr Varariddhi the Capital city minister was given responsibility over the city's urban police force, then called the 'patrol police' (พลตระเวน).

On 13 October 1915, both of Bangkok's police departments were merged by order of King Vajiravudh. A single director was appointed to oversee both the police and patrol forces.

In 1922 the Phraya Atikorn Prajak (Louis Chatikavanij) was appointed Director-General to the reformed and renamed Metropolitan Police Bureau.

Due to the economic crisis gripping the country after the Great Depression and after the Siamese revolution of 1932, the force was disbanded and only the bureau headquarters was retained.

On 24 August 1948 a royal command re-established the Metropolitan Police Bureau as a police force, in line with the re-organisation of other police forces under the Ministry of the Interior.

Since 1961 the Bureau had its offices adjacent to the Phan Fa Lilat Bridge, however on the 14 October 1973 a student uprising led to the destruction and burning of these offices. The bureau then relocated to the offices of the Fire department of Phaya Thai District.

On 14 October 1992 Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn came to unveil a monument to Prince Naresr Varariddhi and the new Metropolitan Police Headquarters at Paruskavan Palace, Dusit District, which is the current home of the bureau.

Affiliated agencies

References