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The public opinion survey on police structural reform received valid responses from 8,613 members of the public and police officers nationwide from January to July.

Noppadol Kannikar, director of Assumption University's Abac Poll Research Centre, said most people held a dim view of the police.

They cited police being under powerful politicians (87 per cent), discriminating while providing services to the public (77 per cent), extorting money and requesting bribes (72 per cent) and using money to buy desirable transfers and positions (67.5 per cent).

People with direct experience in police work at police stations in 24 provinces were asked for negative and positive impressions.

On the negative side, they noted unfriendliness (33 per cent), understaffed on-duty officers (23 per cent), lack of hi-tech tools (27 per cent), threats against them (16 per cent), inappropriate behaviour such as drinking and gambling (15 per cent), asking for bribes (10 per cent) and beating suspects (8 per cent).

For the positive experiences, they answered friendliness (79 per cent), good service/advice (74 per cent), hard-working officers (68 per cent), fair police work (61 per cent) and timely access to crime scenes (60 per cent).

Aspects that the surveyed police officers wanted to be reformed include a payment hike for low-ranking officers (95.5 per cent), adjustment of police investigators' salaries to be the equivalent of public prosecutors' pay (82 per cent) and internal adjustments to accommodate current missions such as transnational crimes (80 per cent).

On problems working with supervisors, 57.5 per cent of the polled police said they gave benefits to supervisors in exchange for positions and career survival, 57 per cent thought there were too many supervisors and 55 per cent had problems with discrimination from their supervisor.

Almost 48 per cent complained of overloaded assignments and 43 per cent admitted they had to "reap benefits for their supervisors".

About obstacles in police units' operations, the polled officers cited the lack of hi-tech and effective tools (98 per cent), overall budget shortage (96 per cent) and unrealistic budget allocation for police tasks (95 per cent). They also cited the low salary that was not in line with real living conditions and expenses (93 per cent) and the staff shortage to handle the workload (88 per cent).

The polled police also pointed to problems in serving the public including people's overly negative view, at 78 per cent, and unrealistic expectations (77.5 per cent). They also cited uncooperative witnesses at 75 per cent, bureaucratic red tape at 71 per cent and legal limitations for police work at 69.5 per cent.

Noppadol's comments on the survey results were made during his visit to Chiang Mai along with General Wasit Dejkunchornto, chair of the police reform panel, to gather public and police views about the police reform plan.

Wasit said reform was necessary because the police force currently centralised tasks, had a very long chain of command and used a transfer system for officers that still disregarded justice. Salaries are also not commensurate with workloads while low-ranking officers are disheartened by having no chance to become commissioned officers, he said.

The reform plan would smooth police operations and allow more public participation in monitoring the police, he said.

Another Abac survey - interviewing 386 officers in Provincial Police Regions 5 and 6 on Thursday and Friday - found that 73 per cent agreed with police command decentralisation, 72 per cent backed people's participation in police administration and 96 per cent agreed with police salary, payment and welfare hikes.

About 60 per cent also agreed with the transfer of other missions to other agencies and 84 per cent welcomed the improvement of police station operations.

The Nation