12-10-2023 (BANGKOK) The national police chief of Thailand, Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol, has introduced revisions to police regulations that now permit male officers to grow their hair up to 5 centimeters in length.
The updated 2023 uniform practice code has done away with a 2018 regulation concerning police uniforms, as per an insider within the police department.
Under the new code, male police officers are allowed to grow their hair to a maximum of 5cm on top of their heads, while the sides and back should not exceed 1cm in length. This replaces the previous requirement for male officers to have very short hair, with both the sides and back completely shaved.
In a specific provision, male police officers involved in investigation, intelligence, narcotics suppression, or stationed in at-risk areas can opt for a high-fade haircut, but this requires permission from superiors holding the rank of superintendent or higher.
Regarding female officers with long hair, they are instructed to tie their hair securely with a black hairpin.
The decision to relax the regulations for male officers’ hair was initiated after a recommendation from the Royal Thai Police’s Legal Affairs and Litigation Office. Pol Lt Gen Yingyos Thepjamnong, the Personnel Division chief, conveyed the national police chief’s desire for a more lenient hairstyle policy.
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is responsible for disseminating the amended regulations to senior police officers.
This change means male officers will no longer be required to have a weekly haircut, offering them the flexibility to save money by visiting private barbers.
