Unanimous Vote Selects Somrarn Nualma as Thailand's 16th Police Chief
Deputy Police Commissioner Somrarn Nualma was unanimously selected as Thailand's 16th national police chief by the Police Civil Service Commission on July 22, replacing Kittiphat Panjapetch who retires in September.
The Police Civil Service Commission held its seventh meeting of 2025 on July 22 at the National Police Office, chaired by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul in his capacity as commission chairman. The meeting's primary agenda was selecting and appointing a new national police commissioner to replace outgoing Police Commissioner Kittiphat Panjapetch, who retires September 30, 2025. Under the 2022 Police Act and commission regulations, the appointment must be completed by July 30 if the commissioner retires that year.
Four candidates competed for the position: Deputy Police Commissioner Nirandorn Luemsa (candidate 1), Deputy Police Commissioner Thatchai Pitanilabut (candidate 2), Deputy Police Commissioner Somrarn Nualma (candidate 3), and National Police Bureau Chief Ittipol Atchaiyaprasit (candidate 4). All four candidates were required to leave the meeting room and had no voting rights.
The 12-member commission present unanimously voted to appoint Deputy Police Commissioner Somrarn Nualma as the 16th national police chief. The commission comprises Prime Minister Anutin (chair), outgoing Police Commissioner Kittiphat (vice chair), three deputy commissioners, two secretaries, and six expert members.
