Deputy National Police Chief Pol Gen Wichien Potephosree is voted on Monday to be new police commissioner general, replacing retiring acting police chief Pol Gen Prateep Tanprasert.
The 11-member Royal Thai Police Board voted 8-0 to select Wichien as the next police chief.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Prateep and secretary of the board abstained in the voting while Justice Minister Phirapan Saliratvipak was absent from the meeting.
An informed source said earlier Abhisit would promote Wichien as the new police chief because he had good qualifications, was politically neutral and a senior figure. "He can work with all sides and he used to serve as an acting police chief before," the source said.
The decision on the new police chief had been delayed for about a year due to political wrangling.