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The hearings to accept opinions from the public, active policemen and exofficers will begin on July 18 as scheduled during the scrutiny process by the Council of State. Public hearings will then be opened across the country on the Council of State's version.

Kittiphong, secretary of the government's Police Works Development Committee, said his panel had paid Assumption University's Abac Poll Research Centre to conduct an opinion poll that was released on Tuesday. However, the committee could not influence the results, which reflected respondents' dissatisfaction with police performance.

Kittiphong said the Royal Thai Police could also propose a bill suggesting ideas on improving the force to be vetted alongside the government's version.

He also welcomed a Royal Thai Police bill proposing licensed private security services, which he said could help ease the burden on the police's routine work.

Meanwhile, Nopphadol Kannika, director of the Abac Poll Centre, countered an open statement by the Royal Thai Police complaining about Tuesday's poll results showing negative public opinions of the force, saying it was not fair to compare results of different polls conducted on different occasions and based on different criteria.

He said results of an Abac poll voicing opinions on police performance and the ongoing restructuring process, also paid for by Kittiphong's panel, would be released today.

A police committee looking into the government's bill will today make public its study report, chairman Pol General Wisut Kittiwat said.

The study will detail police officers' comments on 10 major conditions in the bill with which they disagree.

The session, to be held at the Royal Thai Police compound, will be attended by active and retired police generals including ailing former police chief Monchai Phankhongchuen and former interior minister Pramarn Adireksan.