BANGKOK, THAILAND – Thai police expanded a corruption probe surrounding former deputy police chief Surachate Hakparn, as a key figure in Surat Thani alleged unlawful detention and a forced written statement.
Gold-bar bribery allegations around ex-police deputy
The Anti-Corruption Division confirmed that four individuals linked to General Surachate Hakparn, known as “Big Joke,” were now facing criminal proceedings. Homes and workplaces of several suspects had been searched on 26 December.
Surachate had turned himself in to acknowledge existing allegations. According to police, mobile phone records and CCTV footage were among the central pieces of evidence.
Gold bars tied to NACC decision on online gambling
At the core of the case were gold bars weighing 246 baht, with an estimated value of more than 10 million baht. Investigators said the gold was allegedly used to influence a decision by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).
The matter was linked to an online gambling investigation pending before the NACC. A formal bribery complaint over the alleged use of gold bars had been filed with the Anti-Corruption Bureau on 30 December, naming Surachate and several alleged associates.
Gardener from Surat Thani alleges coercion
At the same time, the southern province of Surat Thani came under scrutiny. There, 55-year-old former gardener Surasit Paekerd levelled serious accusations against regional investigators; he was one of the suspects named in Bangkok and had previously worked for NACC commissioner Ekawit Wacharawalop in Surat Thani.
He said officers from the Investigation Division Region 8 arrived at his house on 25 December in two black vehicles, accompanied by an estimated seven to eight police officers. They reportedly claimed to be investigating a drug offence and began a search around 1 p.m. that lasted until about 4 p.m.
Claim of overnight holding and dictated text
Surasit stated that no illegal items were found and he believed the matter was over, but the situation then escalated. Officers allegedly shouted at him, forced him into a vehicle and took his mobile phone.
He said he was then taken to Tha Chang Police Station and held overnight on the third floor of the building. The subsequent questioning did not concern drugs, he reported, but focused on specific individuals and vehicles.
Surasit further recounted that he was first shown a handwritten page and then given a blank A4 sheet. Officers allegedly dictated the text and ordered him to copy it word for word.
“They threatened that I would have to rewrite the text as many times as necessary until it was free of errors.”
said Surasit Paekerd, former gardener and named suspect.
He said he followed the instructions but later described the document as not written of his own free will, while keeping silent so far on its exact contents. By his account, he was denied a copy of the record despite requesting one and still did not know whether he had been treated as a witness or a suspect; he said he had never met General Surachate personally.
Complaint under Enforced Disappearance Act considered
Out of concern for his safety, Surasit travelled to Bangkok after his release and contacted lawyer Amorn Kusol. On 29 December, both returned to Buppharam Police Station in Surat Thani.
There they met Police Lieutenant Colonel Thianwich Suusuk and filed a formal complaint over alleged unlawful deprivation of liberty. According to the lawyer, the complaint targeted officers from Region 8 and could fall under the Enforced Disappearance Act.
The attorney added that his client intended to pursue further legal action against officers involved and to lodge an additional complaint directly with the Region 8 investigative authority.
More suspects summoned in active graft case
Meanwhile, police said the corruption investigation was continuing under the supervision of senior commanders. Four further suspects were summoned to formally acknowledge the allegations: Ekawit Wacharawalop, Samart Konkaew, Sorapong Wongsuwan and Surasit Paekerd himself.
Investigators stated that the charges mirrored those already acknowledged by General Surachate and another accused person. Evidence was being further analysed by specialised teams, and the proceedings were described as ongoing.
Police chief and key witness to present case overview
The Royal Thai Police Commissioner General was expected, according to officials, to give a detailed assessment of the case. He was to appear alongside representatives of several involved agencies.
A key witness, Police Colonel Pakphum Phismay, was expected to provide additional information. Officials also announced plans to outline timelines and operational procedures related to the operation.
Surachate dismisses case as fabricated
General Surachate Hakparn had previously defended himself in public, insisting the case was constructed.
“False statements were promoted by former associates,”
said Surachate Hakparn, former deputy police chief.
He claimed some of these individuals might be seeking reinstatement in the police service. Investigators had not yet addressed these accusations in detail, but stressed that the case was being handled according to established procedures.
Systemic strain on Thai police and oversight
The affair now spanned several police regions, anti-corruption investigators and named individuals. It involved bribery allegations, disputed detention conditions and the alleged use of gold bars in an official procedure.
Case files referred to the handling of evidence, the questioning of suspects and the role of the NACC. Police and the Anti-Corruption Bureau continued to rely on recorded telephone conversations and video surveillance.
The matter was being dealt with at the highest levels of police and oversight structures. Its outcome depended on further evidence gathering and formal legal processes, while the former gardener from Surat Thani, with his lawyer’s support, continued to challenge the conduct of the officers involved.
Earlier systemic corruption claims resurface
Back in October, the case had taken on an additional dimension when the Police Complaints Review Board (PCRB) recommended criminal action against 200 officers of the Royal Thai Police. The move was based on systemic corruption allegations originally raised by Surachate himself and included former national police chief General Torsak Sukwimol among those affected.
The current gold-bar scandal thus deepened an already simmering crisis of confidence within Thailand’s security institutions.