Surachate Hakparn Explained

Surachate Hakparn
Native Name:สุรเชชษฐ์ หักพาล
Native Name Lang:th
Order:Deputy Commissioner-General of the
Term Start:1 October 2022
Term End:18 April 2024
Birth Date:29 October 1970
Birth Place:Sadao, Songkhla, Thailand
Alma Mater:Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School
Royal Police Cadet Academy
Mahidol University
Education:Eastern Asia University
Spouse:Sirinadda Hakparn
Rank:15px Police General
Serviceyears:1994 – 2019
2021 – 2024
Branch:Royal Thai Police
Allegiance: Thailand

Police General Surachate Hakparn (Thai: สุรเชชษฐ์ หักพาล; born on 29 October 1970), nicknamed Big Joke, is a former Thai police officer who held the office of deputy national police chief of Thailand.[1] He has been dismissed by royal command over alleged links to an illegal online gambling operation.[2] [3] He previously served as the chief of of Thailand. He had held several posts, including commissioner of the MPB, or Tourist Police Bureau.[4] [5] [6]

Early life

Surachate Hakparn was born in 1970 in Songkhla province. His father was a junior police officer who had close ties to Samer Damapong, a former deputy police chief.[7]

Career

He enrolled in Class 31 of the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School. Afterwards, he joined Class 41 of the Royal Police Cadet Academy (RPCA). A rising star among RPCA Class 41 alumni, Surachate rose quickly through the ranks. After being appointed deputy inspector at age 24 in Chiang Mai province, he rose to inspector in 2000 at age 30, deputy superintendent in 2004, and superintendent in 2008.[7]

In 2012, he was appointed the deputy commander of Songkhla Police Force. During this time, he also led a forward command overseeing four insurgency-hit border districts, which added to his service record. In 2015, he was promoted to the rank of police major general.[7]

Since leading a crackdown on foreigners illegally staying in Thailand in 2017, Surachate has become one of the most visible faces of the Royal Thai Police. His handling of the case of a Saudi woman who narrowly avoided deportation from Thailand on her way to Australia earned him praise.[7]

In a short period of time, he rose through the ranks and became an acting commander of the office of the Commissioner General, where he was responsible for policy coordination with the prime minister. After that, he was appointed deputy commander of the Patrol and Special Operations Division, and then he was promoted to the position of chief of the Office of the Commissioner-General.[8]

After that, he was appointed the deputy commander of the Patrol and Special Operations Division, and then he was promoted to the position of chief of the Office of the Commissioner-General. He was then appointed commander of the Tourist Police Division and the Patrol and Special Operations Division. In August 2018, he was named assistant spokesman for Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan.[9] He was appointed as the chief of the Immigration Bureau in September 2018 and removed from his post in 2019 for unclear reasons. As chief of the Immigration Bureau, he frequently appeared in news headlines.[10]

He was reappointed to the Royal Thai Police in an advisory position by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in March 2021. The position was newly created and is equal in rank to an assistant police chief position.[11] [12] Later that year, he assumed the position of deputy police chief.

On January 29, 2024 he was one of the leaders of the attempted deportation of the opposition musical group Bi-2 in Bangkok by Russian diplomats, which was prevented by the Israeli consulate [13]

Surachate was suspended from the post of deputy national police chief over a conflict with national police chief Torsak Sukvimol in March 2024 by Thai prime minister, Srettha Thavisin, but reinstated in April.[14] He was again suspended from the police force a day later along with four other police officers over alleged links to an illegal online gambling operation.[15] By a royal command published on August 18, 2024 and retroactive to April 18, Surachate was dismissed from the force due to a pending investigation of a serious breach of discipline stemming from the alleged involvement in the online gambling network.

References

Surachate Hakparn

Notes and References

  1. News: . 'Big Joke' faces down critics . en . Bangkok Post . 2023-02-17.
  2. News: Limited . Bangkok Post Public Company . End of the line for ‘Big Joke’ . 2024-08-16 . Bangkok Post . en.
  3. Web site: 2024-08-16 . Big Joke’s fall: Fastest rising ‘cat with 9 lives’ finally ousted . 2024-08-16 . nationthailand . en-US.
  4. Web site: Nation . The . 2019-04-09 . A mysterious fall from grace . 2022-12-03 . nationthailand . en.
  5. Web site: Connor . Carla Boonkong & Pranee O' . 2022-11-14 . Net widens on Chinese money gangs, top policeman warns of powerful financial interests . 2022-12-03 . Thai Examiner . en-GB.
  6. News: . No joke: Surachate is back with all his rights intact . en . Bangkok Post . 2022-12-03.
  7. Web site: The curious career of Surachate Hakparn, Thailand’s resurrected police star . 2022-12-03 . www.thaipbsworld.com . en-US.
  8. Web site: 2019-04-06 . ผบ.ตร. ลงนามย้าย พล.ต.ท. สุรเชษฐ์ ขาดจากผู้บัญชาการ สตม. แล้ว มีผลทันที . 2022-12-03 . THE STANDARD . th.
  9. News: . 'Big Joke' tipped to be immigration chief . en . Bangkok Post . 2022-12-03.
  10. Web site: Writer . Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff . 2019-04-06 . Immigration Chief Transferred to Inactive Post . 2022-12-03 . Khaosod English . en-US.
  11. News: Limited . Bangkok Post Public Company . Big Joke"s return to police force now official . 2024-08-16 . Bangkok Post . en.
  12. News: Limited . Bangkok Post Public Company . "Big Joke" gets new position at police HQ . 2024-08-16 . Bangkok Post . en.
  13. News: "A slap in the face to the Russian Foreign Ministry." Bloggers about the rescue of the Bi-2 group . 2024-02-02 . www.svoboda.org . ru.
  14. Web site: 2024-06-27 . Police Commission backs dismissal of deputy chief ‘Big Joke’ . 2024-08-08 . nationthailand . en-US.
  15. Web site: 2024-04-19 . ‘Big Joke’ temporarily suspended from police post . 2024-08-16 . nationthailand . en-US.