Police search Big Joke's house

[reader]

From Coconuts Bangkok

Deputy police chief Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn’s house was raided by cyber police this morning as part of a nationwide operation to shut down online gambling networks, according to a search warrant issued by Royal Thai Police. 

The 52-year-old top cop believes the search warrant, part of an cyber police operation called Big Cleaning Day, was executed due to his prior cases involving influential figures and police involved in gambling websites. He claims he has been wrongfully targeted and says the warrant is due to internal conflicts within the Royal Thai Police 

Big Joke, who is currently one of four police top dogs considered for the position of national police chief of the Royal Thai Police, said during a press conference that those who filed the search warrant had deceived the court in an effort to ruin his reputation. “I believe that those who applied to the court for the warrant deceived the court,” Surachate said. The search warrant police used to raid his house, as well five other houses belonging to his associates, mentioned only the number of the house and did not identify Big Joke as the owner. Big Joke claims cyber police did not know he was the owner of the house.

Cyber police searched Big Joke’s house on Soi Vibhavadi 60 after they claimed to have found evidence linking him to several gambling websites as part of the Big Cleaning Day operation. The search warrants at the five other houses in the area belonged to Big Joke’s subordinates, who are also implicated. 

It has been reported that the houses belonging to his associates were bought by Big Joke himself.

[reader]

There are no coincidences in Thailand--or anywhere else for that matter (see above post).

From Thai PBS World

Pol Gen Torsak to become Thailand’s next top cop

The Police Commission, chaired by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, has selected Deputy National Police chief Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol as the new head of the nation’s police force, replacing Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittipraphat, who is set to retire at the end of this month.

The selection of the new police chief that was initially the last item on the meeting’s agenda, but it was moved to the top. Pol General Torsak, who retires next year, is the most junior of the deputies, being the most recent to be appointed.

The other candidates were Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, Pol Gen Roy Ingkapairote and Pol Gen Kittirat Phanphet. Surachate and Roy did not attend the meeting.

The vote was held after Torsak and Kittirat, as candidates for the position, were invited to leave the room. Torsak won with 4 of the 5 member committee voting for him.

Roy, who is also due to retire next year, is tipped to become the National Security Council’s chief, the same rank as the national police chief.

Kittirat is due to retire in 2026, while Surachate still has eight years to go before reaching retirement age.

However a police spokesman declined to confirm the report, pending royal approval.

[fedssocr]

definitely some sort of police in-fighting/rivalry going on. But why does he have so many houses?

[reader]

27 minutes ago, fedssocr said:

definitely some sort of police in-fighting/rivalry going on. But why does he have so many houses?

On 9/25/2023 at 7:37 AM, reader said:

It has been reported that the houses belonging to his associates were bought by Big Joke himself.

 

[reader]

No one better explores the infighting among Thailand’s top cops than novelist John Burdett in his bestseller “Bangkok 8.”

And he does it with a gay undercurrent and memorable character development.

[PeterRS]

11 hours ago, fedssocr said:

But why does he have so many houses?

Elsewhere he has claimed his wife bought the houses. Apparently she comes from a very wealthy family. But when this information dribbles out, there is inevitably a smell of corruption, whether in fact or merely supposition.

Also he has admitted that he paid members of the media who covered him and his actions positively. He claimed reporters were underpaid and would regularly hand out 500 baht bills to all. When a particularly favourable article appeared, the 'tip' could be as much as 10,000 baht. And this is not corruption???

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2653830/big-joke-says-he-paid-reporters

[10tazione]

From Bangkok Post: I don't want revenge, insists 'Big Joke'

"I don't want to get revenge. I have plenty of information. If I expose it, everyone at the Royal Thai Police [RTP] is doomed.
"But I will not reveal it yet. I still want to protect the [police] force,"...

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2653953

[fedssocr]

sounds like blackmail... For a guy who wants to be the top cop the idea that he's going to sit on incriminating evidence seems a little odd.

[Keithambrose]

But this is Thailand!

[PeterRS]

5 hours ago, Keithambrose said:

But this is Thailand!

Surely such incriminating (we assume) information would be used behind closed doors? Interesting that he says he wants to protect the police force and so "will not reveal it yet." Yet! Such a tiny three letter word so full of meaning!

[reader]

It may puzzle us farangs why a high-level cop would seemingly be so careless in advertising his wealth, but to a Thai it's no mystery at all. Consider this narrative from "Bangkok 8" between Colonel Vikon and Detective Jitpleecheep, the protagonist:

"Don't I know I'm vulnerable to an enquiry anytime? Don't I know that some army bastard or muckraking journalist, or some asshole who wants my job, can start digging anytime and find my stuff--my boat, my little house up north, my handful of bungalows on Samui--and start pointing the finger? Wouldn't I be happier with less assets and more peace of mind? Why d'you I think I keep that stuff where everyone can see it, when I could just sell up and put the money in a bank in Switzerland? Why?"

"Because this is Asia."

"Exactly. If I'm to do my job properly I have to have face. And my enemies have to see the war chest. You don't survive at the top of a greasy pole if you're a humble little cop piously shuffling files around."

 

[Lucky]

The novel, Bangkok 8, is well worth reading for Thailand fans. John Burdett wrote it.

[fedssocr]

I was watching Steve Rosse's new video last night and he mentioned that having wealthy police (before they took the job) makes people think they are not as corruptible because they don't "need" the money

[Keithambrose]

2 hours ago, fedssocr said:

I was watching Steve Rosse's new video last night and he mentioned that having wealthy police (before they took the job) makes people think they are not as corruptible because they don't "need" the money

Singapore has the same idea with their judges. They match their salaries to the CEOs of leading corporations. 

[khaolakguy]

9 hours ago, reader said:

It may puzzle us farangs why a high-level cop would seemingly be so careless in advertising his wealth, but to a Thai it's no mystery at all. Consider this narrative from "Bangkok 8" between Colonel Vikon and Detective Jitpleecheep, the protagonist:

"Don't I know I'm vulnerable to an enquiry anytime? Don't I know that some army bastard or muckraking journalist, or some asshole who wants my job, can start digging anytime and find my stuff--my boat, my little house up north, my handful of bungalows on Samui--and start pointing the finger? Wouldn't I be happier with less assets and more peace of mind? Why d'you I think I keep that stuff where everyone can see it, when I could just sell up and put the money in a bank in Switzerland? Why?"

"Because this is Asia."

"Exactly. If I'm to do my job properly I have to have face. And my enemies have to see the war chest. You don't survive at the top of a greasy pole if you're a humble little cop piously shuffling files around."

 

Nicely and accurately put! Who is afraid of a do-gooder with our resources?

[PeterRS]

7 hours ago, Keithambrose said:

Singapore has the same idea with their judges. They match their salaries to the CEOs of leading corporations. 

As they do their government cabinet ministers and Prime Minister. Their PM is the highest paid poitician in the world!

[vinapu]

1 hour ago, PeterRS said:

As they do their government cabinet ministers and Prime Minister. Their PM is the highest paid poitician in the world!

at least they have something to show for their troubles

[reader]

File under "Move along--nothing to see here"

From The Nation

No infighting, ‘people are just imagining things

Newly appointed Royal Thai Police chief Pol General Torsak Sukwimol on Monday dismissed rumours of infighting in the bureau, saying under his supervision, RTP will be a “home” for all police officers.

The issue of dissension within police ranks recently came up following raids on homes owned by Deputy National Police chief Pol General Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn.

Observers believe the raids may have been conducted to discredit him, as he was one of the top contenders for the National Police chief’s job.

Surachate had said earlier that he believed the raids on his six houses were motivated by politics within the force.

“I won’t seek revenge, but I have a lot of details that, if revealed, can put the entire Royal Thai Police Bureau under fire,” he had said.

However, the new police chief told Thai-language media on Monday that there will be no infighting under his supervision.

"I want to make the Royal Thai Police Bureau a home [for all policemen],” Torsak said, adding “there are no disputes in the bureau, people are just imagining things".

Last Friday, photographs of Torsak standing next to Surachate began circulating, with many netizens wondering if this might mark the end of the conflict.

Torsak said he had invited Surachate to meet him that day to discuss their differences.

He reportedly told Surachate “you can’t find someone more sincere than me. I’m an honest person with no tricks. I say what I believe. I have never stabbed anybody in the back.”

At this point, everybody is waiting to see how Torsak will allocate responsibilities among his deputies. Surachate is expected to handle security-related matters.