Bangkok, Police show off the bulletproof vests that appeared on social media, insisting that they were not made of plywood, but of fibers layered according to international standards. This set has been out of use for 8 years and can protect up to the level of a war weapon.
The spokesperson team of the Royal Thai Police, along with relevant agencies, held a press conference to clarify the case of images of police bulletproof vests, which showed that the material inside was similar to plywood, leading society to question whether the bulletproof vests can protect officers who use them.
Pol. Col. Wira Yut Hiran, deputy commander of the Ordnance Division, said that the bulletproof vests that appeared in the social media images, with serial number 8A154338, were previously used by police officers. They were purchased in April 2010, with a total of 650 pieces: 500 bulletproof vests with level 3 hard plates and 150 soft plates. He confirmed that all the bulletproof vests met the NIJ (National Institute of Justice)
standards of the United States.
After the issue in society, the Ordnance Department went to inspect the procurement of body armor. The procurement method is for bidders to submit a proposal for the armor plate along with a price. Then, the effectiveness of the protection will be tested by the relevant officers who will shoot the test. When the criteria are passed, the bidders will have their armor materials randomly inspected again based on principles from a central agency to consider the fibers of the material that must be strong and safest. The final price for the procurement of the set is 34,000 baht per piece.
Pol. Col. Wira Yut confirmed that the procurement of armor was transparent and in accordance with the procedures, and could be verified. This weapon is effective at protecting against sniper rifles, also known as M16 rifles, AK rifles, and war weapons.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Nirandorn Sirisangchai, Commander of the Ordnance Division, said that in addition to providing bulletproof vests to the military pe
rsonnel, the Royal Thai Police has set a quality guarantee for the bulletproof vests, including life and injury insurance for the wearer for the aforementioned period. If injured, the coverage is 500,000 baht, and if dead, the coverage is 1 million baht. The bulletproof vests that are an issue according to government regulations were considered to have expired in 2016 because the specified lifespan is only 5 years. The next step will be to sell and destroy the weapons according to government regulations.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Trairong Phiwpaen, commander of the Police Forensic Science Office, said that the images of the armor that appeared on social media were indeed armor from the Royal Thai Police, in the procurement group 8A154338. However, the triangular pieces of wood placed on the armor confirmed that they were definitely not part of the armor. As for what the pieces were from, it could not be answered yet because the images posted were cropped so narrowly that the overall image of the armor could not be seen.
The Forensic Science Office received the armor plates to test to find out what the materials inside were. Officers dissected them to examine their structure, measured their size, weighed them, and then conducted a physical examination. They found that the armor materials were stacked with more than 100 layers of thin fabric.
When captured with a 3D microscope camera at a magnification of 1,500 or higher, the armor material is polyethylene fiber mixed with polystyrene, compressed with high pressure, causing the entire fabric to come together, giving it a solid appearance.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Trirong said that the properties of polyethylene fibers, when processed through special techniques, make them strong and lightweight. When used as bulletproofing, the properties of this type of fiber are that the bullet will be held by the fibers. These fibers will absorb and disperse the energy of the bullet head, causing the bullet to be distorted or deformed until it cannot penetrate the island.
After examining the materia
ls, the Forensic Science Office tested them by firing live bullets into the vests, using 9 mm, .357 and 45 mm bullets, three each, for a total of nine rounds. The results showed that all three vests were bulletproof, with no bullets penetrating the vests.
While Pol. Lt. Gen. Sirawat Deepo, spokesman for the Royal Thai Police, said that after the weapons have expired, they cannot be sold to anyone because they are government weapons. He would like to emphasize to police officers who have to work in high-risk jobs that commanders at all levels are concerned about you having to perform your duties for the people. Please be assured that what the Royal Thai Police has provided is up to standard.
During the press conference, the officers showed a video clip of a bulletproof vest, serial number 8A154338, which is the same one shown in the photo, using three types of handguns: 9 mm, .357 Magnum, and .45, three rounds each. They also explained the materials and fibers used to make the vest, which showed that it was
bulletproof. They also brought the vest to test by letting a male journalist test it with a saw, and found that the vest was still tough and could not be cut through successfully.
After that, the reporters also requested to test firing the same bulletproof vest again, with a representative of the reporters joining to observe. Pol. Lt. Gen. Trirong took the same bulletproof vest to test firing in the laboratory with 3 types of handguns, consisting of 9 mm bullets, .357 Magnum and .45 caliber, totaling 8 rounds, at a shooting range of 5 meters, which is the distance at which all 3 types of firearms can show the most damage. There were bullet marks in the abdomen, left and right shoulders, with all bullets embedded in the bulletproof vest, not penetrating.
Source: Thai News Agency
