The launch of the Asean Economic Community and criminals having access to advanced technology is likely to lead to rise in crime this year, national police chief Chakthip Chaijinda warned on Monday.
Pol Gen Chakthip said a summary presented on Jan 3 revealed there were more criminal cases in 2015 than in 2014.
In 2015 there were 27,607 cases involving death, physical well-being and sexual offences; 75,557 cases concerning property; 33,174 cases related to security and politics; and 521,475 arrests of suspects who caused "damage to the state".
The arrest rate for suspects in these cases was 83.70%.
Pol Gen Chakthip said the rise in life, sexual and property offences last year could be partly attributed to economic uncertainties, natural disasters and drought, which led to unemployment in the labour sector.
These cases were expected to spike this year with the launch of the AEC. Easy access to more advanced technology wouold probably see a rise in the incidence of robbery, theft, fraud and embezzlement.
The Metropolitan Police Bureau, Regions 1-9 Provincial Police, and the Southern Border Provinces police centre have been instructed to use the statistics of the past years as a guide in formulating strategies to combat crime.
People with information about crimes or criminals could call the Royal Thai Police hotlines 191 and 1599 around the clock, Pol Gen Chakthip said.