Pol chief to leave for a mission in south : PM

Pol Gen Patcharawat

"He [the police chief] reported to me that after [HM the Queen's] birthday, he would leave for a mission in the South. A caretaker will then be be appointed to perform his tasks [as the national police chief]," the premier said.

When asked if the caretaker police chief would be the current one, General Wichien Pojphosri, the premier replied: "It should be the same person."

Patcharawat was on a leave of absence during his mission to China, which was expected to end on August 14.

However, he yesterday formally informed Abhisit and Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban in a memo dated August 9 that he had returned to the country and resumed his work as the national police chief.

Earlier Patcharawat Monday officially informed the prime minister and Suthep Thaugsuban that he has already returned to his office as the national police chief.

Patcharawat sent a memo dated August 9 to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Suthep, informing them that he had returned to work.

He noted in the memo that he had also informed his subordinates on Sunday that he had returned to work.

With Patcharawat already returning to work, Pol Gen Wichien Pojphosri has to stop acting as the acting police commissioner-general.

Abhisit had announced that Patcharawat would take a ten-day leave to make an official trip abroad during which Wichien would be acting police chief.

The prime minister said Patcharawat's absence should allow the investigation into the assassination attempt against Sondhi Limthongkul, a core leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy, to proceed.

In his memo to Abhisit and Suthep, Patcharawat said he had cut short his trip to China, which was initially scheduled to last from August 5 to August 14, because of two reasons.

First, he was warned that China would be hit by a storm starting from Sunday so he had to cut short the trip and returned to on Saturday.

Second, he had a very important mission as the national police chief to organise a celebration of Her Majesty the Queen's birthday on August 12.

As a result, he assigned other officials on his entourage to continue the Chinese visit mission on his behalf and decided to return to Thailand.

Earlier Monday, when informed by reporters that Patcharawat had returned to work, Abhisit simply replied that "I haven't seen him working yet".