The Royal Thai Police (RTP) is deleting criminal investigation records of anyone who has faced legal charges but later been cleared of the offences, according to Pol Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn, assistant chief of the national police.
The new policy is intended to do away with the burden of people having to formally request the files be deleted themselves, he said.
Despite the case being closed, the records of investigations remain in the Criminal Records Division's (CRD) filing system.
The individuals themselves are required to ask the division to remove such records.
Pol Lt Gen Surachate, however, said the police would now remove them voluntarily.
State agencies and most private companies run a background check on job seekers that includes criminal investigation or criminal records before deciding whether to hire them.
The assistant police chief said if the records were left on file and a check was performed, a person who have been cleared of offences may unfairly lose their chance of employment.
The latest update of the RTP's database on April 28 revealed 12.4 million people were currently on file in investigation and criminal records.
Of them, 7.8 million have seen their cases concluded either by prosecutors or the courts.
Of the 7.8 million people, the CRD will sift through; those whose cases were dropped by prosecutors or proceedings were stopped on the prosecution's order; those whose cases were dismissed by the court or who were ruled not guilty by the court with no appeal, filed according to Pol Lt Gen Surachate.
