Thailand has suspended one of its top police officers for alleged involvement in illegal gambling and financial fraud. Police have stated that Deputy Chief of Police Surasat Hakparn was formally suspended on Tuesday.
Surashat, known as ‘Big Joke’, was suspended pending investigation for alleged involvement in an illegal online gambling network registered in 2023 under the name ‘Betflix’. He has been charged with money laundering. He has denied the charges, but has been suspended on the grounds that his position could be affected while the investigation continues. Thai police said his dismissal was in line with ‘disciplinary procedures for officers under investigation’.
Most forms of gambling are illegal in Thailand. His suspension comes as Thai authorities try to shut down illegal gambling sites and websites, which are often owned by foreigners. The long-serving Surasha has been linked to powerful figures in the previous military-backed government.
He was appointed as head of the Immigration Bureau in September 2018 by then Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan. He went missing for a period in 2019 before then-Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha appointed him as a special advisor on police strategy in 2021. No reason was given as to why he had disappeared. Surashat has been given 30 days to appeal the dismissal.
“He has the right to fight the case and appeal,” Aung Sanont, a former police chief and current member of the National Police Committee, told public broadcaster Thai PBS. Last month, Thai Prime Minister Phatthana Shinawatra urged the Royal Thai Police to step up efforts to combat human trafficking and drug-related crimes.
