The Web is full of spoof and parody on this, here are some of the funnier ones I’ve seen so far.

and this one, written by Monkey Woods:

Policemen who break or bend the rules in Thailand are not exactly in the minority, but from next week, any that are caught will be handed out the biggest punishment any of them could possibly imagine - they will be required to dress in a Hello Kitty suit.

The suits, made from toughened white felt, with black whiskers and a pink bow, were the brainchild of Chief of Police Pongpat Chayapan, whose daughter is a big fan of the much-loved children’s toy cat which originated in Japan in the 1970s.

Apart from the steaming hot temperatures - a Thai policeman’s crotch was recently measured at 54 degrees centigrade - it’s thought the stigma attached to wearing one of the suits will be almost too much to bear for the macho Thai officers.

Corruption is rife amongst the police force, with ‘backhand payments’ for trivial offences the order of the day, but Chief Chayapan is determined to ‘clean up’ the ranks.

Through a translator, he said:

"We have been far too bent for far too long. This has to stop. Anyone found contravening police rules will wear this ridiculous get-up indefinitely. I am no longer pussyfooting around!"