Any hope Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn might have had of becoming national police chief this year has evaporated with the official announcement in the Royal Gazette of his dismissal from the force.
The high-profile officer known as “Big Joke” was removed from his position due to a pending investigation of a serious breach of discipline, said the announcement. The order was retroactive to April 18.
The Royal Gazette announcement, countersigned by Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, also stated that a royal command to dismiss Pol Gen Surachate under Sections 140 and 179 of the Royal Thai Police Act BE 2565, and Police Commission regulations, had been issued.
The dismissal disqualifies Pol Gen Surachate from being considered as a candidate for national police chief. The current chief, Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol, will retire on Sept 30.
The dismissal order stems from allegations that Pol Gen Surachate was involved in an online gambling network, into which investigations are continuing. The Police Commission voted 12:0 in June to affirm the order.
He later filed an appeal with the Police Officers’ Merit System Protection Commission. However the commission on Aug 5 reached a consensus that the order was appropriate and legitimate.
Pol Gen Surachate has one more legal card to play. He has filed a complaint against the order with the Supreme Court, according to Pol Gen Ek Aungsananon, a member of the Police Commission.
If the court rules in his favour, the dismissal order would be revoked, allowing him to be reinstated as deputy national police chief, said Pol Gen Ek.
It is not known when or if the Supreme Court will consider the case.
Pol Gen Surachate has claimed on several occasions that he was being persecuted because he was the front-runner to succeed Pol Gen Torsak. The allegations of criminal activity are part of the campaign against him, he has said.
A long-simmering conflict between factions loyal to Pol Gen Surachate and Pol Gen Torsak intensified last year after the latter was chosen as chief despite having less seniority than any other candidate. Pol Gen Torsak is the brother of ACM Satitpong Sukvimol, Lord Chamberlain and head of the Crown Property Bureau.
The feud became such a distraction for the force that then-prime minister Srettha Thavisin in March moved both police generals to inactive posts pending the outcome of an investigation.
The investigation report concluded that there had been factional conflict on the force for a long time, but said that investigations into alleged wrongdoing were for other bodies to decide.
It recommended the reinstatement of Pol Gen Torsak and also said Pol Gen Surachate had been “unfairly dismissed from duty pending investigation”.
Nevertheless, the Police Commission still went ahead and approved the dismissal order.
Pol Lt Gen Surachate was long considered a rising star on the police force. He was rarely out of the headlines, placing himself front and centre at the scene of high-profile cases involving everything from immigration violators to illegal motorcycle racers, as well as computer crime cases involving another unit that he headed.
The son of a policeman, Surachate was born in 1970 in Songkhla. After joining the force, he quickly rose through the ranks to command a local station and later moved to Bangkok to head the 191 task force. From there he moved to the tourist police before landing the top job at the Immigration Bureau in 2018, and later becoming a deputy chief.
In 2020 a gunman fired eight shots into Pol Gen Surachate’s parked Lexus while he was at a “business meeting” in Bang Rak district of Bangkok. The case has never been solved.
According to a police source, three police generals are candidates to become the next chief: Kitrat Phanphet and Thana Chuwong, currently deputy chiefs; and Kraiboon Suadsong, an inspector-general.
