Police under the cosh

While most people see the police force as friendly, they also think it is a political tool. Reform is needed say the public: political interference and nepotism should be eradicated and there should be continuous assessment of officers' performance from within and outside the force.

These are the findings of an Abac Poll about the police's image and national politics conducted on 2,231 residents of Bangkok and surrounding provinces this week. About 40 per cent of respondents said they had used a police station's services in the past six months.

Of those who had positive experiences, 83 per cent described the police as "being friendly", 57.2 per....