Thai police start mobile chat group with Line app

The Royal Thai Police has started its own group chat network, using the Line mobile messaging app, to boost efficiency of crime reporting between officers.

Officially launched Thursday, the online communication platform, dubbed Line network, connects police officers in the country through their smartphones, where they can share text, photos and video clips, said deputy police chief Pol General Pansiri Prapawat in a news report by Coconuts Bangkok on Tuesday.

The Line network consists of two main chat groups: one for officers, ranked commander up to deputy commissioner-general; and the other for commanders down to police station chiefs, the report said.

According to Pansiri, the pilot programs for the network have proved successful in areas under Provincial Police Regions 3 and 4, making it suitable for adoption at the national level.

The police department expects the Line network will be fully utilized by next year, the report said.

Rivaling WhatsApp, the Line app is a popular mobile messaging app used in Asia. It was launched last year by the Japanese subsidiary of Naver, a Web search portal owned by South Korea's NHN Corporation.
In Taiwan, the National Police Agency last February said it was working on smartphone app that allows citizens to report crime more easily and speed up police response.