BANGKOK, THAILAND – A defamation probe into former deputy police chief “Big Joke” deepened a fierce power struggle at the top of Thailand’s police.
TV outburst puts ex-deputy chief in the crosshairs
Former deputy police chief Surachate Hakparn, widely known as “Big Joke”, again found himself at the centre of political turbulence after a television interview in which he described the Royal Thai Police as “the biggest criminal syndicate in Thailand.” The leadership of the force responded forcefully, opening an investigation for insulting officials on orders from National Police Chief General Kittirat Phanphet. The step pushed an already bitter internal power struggle within the police hierarchy to a new level.
The accusations were tied to explosive allegations that Surachate had been making public for months, including claims of corruption, illicit financial flows and alleged networks at the top of the force. Pressure increased further when the PCRB recommended criminal proceedings against former police chief Torsak Sukwimol and 200 other senior officers.
A single sentence that shook the country
The controversial remark was made on 30 October 2024 during a widely watched TV interview and spread rapidly across social media. According to the investigation file, the wording not only “damaged the reputation of the police agency” but was also “capable of generating hatred.” Surachate later rowed back, stressing that most officers were honest and that only a “group at the top” was corrupt, but the impact was already felt and the leadership moved ahead with legal action.
From investigative circles it was said that
“the dignity of the police was violated.”
said unnamed investigators, adding that the goal was to establish a clear line against public attacks.
Alleged system of corruption under scrutiny
For months, Surachate had been publishing internal information together with activist lawyer Atchariya Ruangrattanapong, material that reached numerous state bodies. The Senate, the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and a powerful parliamentary committee chaired by opposition politician Rangsiman Rome were all examining the disclosures. These institutions exerted heavy pressure, particularly because the data underlying the PCRB decision had first become public in March 2024.
This raised questions over why no internal reforms followed and why accused officers remained in service while Big Joke himself was dismissed. Those unanswered issues weighed heavily on the top ranks of the police.
Police leadership goes on the offensive
On 21 November, Police Lieutenant General Trairong Phiwpaen handed over a thick file of documents at the Central Investigation Bureau, signalling that the police were now confidently acting as plaintiffs. Another report by Police General Itthiphon Atchariyapradit examined interviews given between 4 and 17 November 2025 and again classified Surachate’s statements as criminal defamation. According to that report, he had repeatedly voiced his accusations and thereby “sustainably undermined confidence in the police,” rendering his later clarification irrelevant.
The national police chief then authorised all necessary legal steps, stating that the matter did not concern Surachate alone.
“Anyone who defames the police will be prosecuted.”
said the police chief, according to the account of the proceedings.
Power struggle spills into politics
While investigations continued, Big Joke remained the loudest critic of the police leadership. He called for the suspension of General Kittirat by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, pushing the dispute directly into the political arena. Surachate warned that if Anutin failed to act, this could amount to a “breach of duty,” turning the confrontation into a political time bomb.
He traced the conflict back to his claim that he had been deliberately “pushed out of the race for the police chief post” in 2023 and 2024. Documents he presented in 2024 had triggered a nationwide shock at the time, initially ignored but later effectively confirmed by the PCRB. This left the lingering question of why he was removed while the 200 accused officers kept their positions.
Uncertain outcome in escalating police scandal
Investigators now had to review video recordings, witness statements and social media clips as part of the defamation case. At the same time, state oversight bodies were examining the underlying corruption allegations against senior officers. Surachate Hakparn thus remained at the centre of the affair, portrayed as a man challenging the system while that system struck back.
Observers noted that the case had the potential to become one of Thailand’s biggest police scandals, with open questions over how far the power struggle would escalate and who would ultimately retain control.