BANGKOK, THAILAND – Former deputy national police chief Surachate Hakparn, known as “Big Joke”, was dismissed from the force over serious corruption and gambling allegations and now faced multiple criminal proceedings.
From media star to sidelined contender
For years, Surachate, 55, was one of the most recognisable faces of the Royal Thai Police and cultivated a highly public profile, including close contact with senior politicians such as former deputy prime minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon. Supporters portrayed him as a reform-oriented officer with a clear path to the post of national police chief, while critics viewed his rapid rise as highly controversial.
Cybercrime raid and shaken leadership race
On 25 September 2023, cybercrime investigators searched his residence on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in Bangkok under a court warrant as part of a long-running probe into a major illegal online gambling network and unusual financial flows involving police officers. Officers found no illegal items in the home itself but seized computers and digital devices from close associates, which later formed the core of the evidence against his circle over alleged online gambling and money-laundering activities.
Arrests in his command and loss of top job prospects
On the day of the raid, courts issued arrest warrants for eight senior officers under his command, who were detained nationwide and linked to illegal gambling websites and money laundering, while investigators identified more than twenty suspects in the network. The operation came just days before the appointment of a new national police chief, weakening Surachate as a leading candidate and favouring his rival Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol, whose elevation fuelled speculation about internal rivalries.
Counter-accusations and anti-graft involvement
Surachate denied the allegations and saw himself as the target of a plot, while senior police figures pointed to evidence against several of his subordinates and Torsak publicly rejected talk of internal conflict, pledging a fair process. Surachate then instructed his lawyer to file counter-complaints against Torsak at Tao Poon police station, accusing him of alleged financial links to so-called mule accounts, further deepening divisions within the force.
NACC probe into ‘Minnie’ platform
In March 2024, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) formally took over the case involving the online platform “Minnie”, in which Surachate and five close aides were implicated over suspected violations of Sections 157 (abuse of office) and 149 (bribery) of the Criminal Code. While a parallel case against Torsak progressed swiftly with the establishment of an inquiry panel, the investigation into Surachate stalled, later being linked to his perceived closeness to an NACC commissioner.
Dismissal from police and escalating public clashes
On 9 March 2025, then national police chief Pol Gen Kittharath Punpetch signed an order dismissing Surachate after a disciplinary panel found serious misconduct related to the gambling affair. Over the course of 2025, Surachate responded with a series of lawsuits against senior police leaders, including the police chief, mostly alleging abuse of office under Section 157, and he also publicly criticised Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
Accusations of a ‘criminal organisation’ and gold bar claims
Tensions peaked when Surachate described the police as a “criminal organisation”, accusing it of broad involvement in illegal gambling profits and links to Chinese grey capital, prompting the police chief to file a complaint to protect the institution’s reputation; Surachate later clarified he had not meant all officers. Shortly before the end of 2025, the Anti-Corruption Division of the Central Investigation Bureau (ACD) opened a case alleging that Surachate had offered an NACC commissioner gold bars totalling 246 baht, worth about 10 million baht, in an attempt to influence the gambling investigation.
New charges, key insider and evidence trail
On 5 and 6 January this year, the Royal Thai Police filed charges against Surachate and five alleged accomplices, citing video footage, audio recordings and witness testimony said to document the handover of the gold in the car park of the Southern Association in Bangkok, which investigators claimed showed an attempt to manipulate both criminal and disciplinary proceedings. A decisive blow came from within his own ranks when one of his close subordinates, already accused in the gambling affair, cooperated with investigators and, according to authorities, provided crucial evidence.
Court ruling, denials and uncertain future
The Supreme Administrative Court recently rejected Surachate’s lawsuit challenging his dismissal and upheld the legality of the decision, which followed the Criminal Court’s approval of arrest warrants for money laundering and conspiracy. Senior police officers pointed to extensive evidence in the alleged bribery case, while Surachate, the 65-year-old NACC commissioner and four other suspects firmly denied all accusations.
“He is in the country and ready to face any legal process.”
said his lawyers, as he largely withdrew from public view amid rumours of flight abroad.