Why is Big Joke called Big Joke?

[alexlm]

Why is Big Joke called Big Joke?

What's his real name?

Who is he except chief of immigration if I'm not mistaken

[Vacuum]

  On 1/1/2019 at 1:56 AM, alexlm said:

Why is Big Joke called Big Joke?

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When he was a kid, he liked jok.

[Briggsy]

Any Thai name prefaced with "Big" means influential and powerful and not to be messed with. The nearest equivalent in English may be the Spanish "Don".

[NanLaew]

  On 1/1/2019 at 1:56 AM, alexlm said:

Why is Big Joke called Big Joke?

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Joke is a Thai nickname and he's slightly taller and bigger than the average Thai.

 

  On 1/1/2019 at 1:56 AM, alexlm said:

What's his real name?

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Pol Maj-General Surachate Hakpal

 

  On 1/1/2019 at 1:56 AM, alexlm said:

Who is he except chief of immigration if I'm not mistaken

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Formerly the head of the Tourist Police but after starting what is reported as being a successful (and ongoing) purge on illegal immigrants, illegal foreign workers and overstayers, he now holds down the top desk at Immigration.

[Briggsy]

  On 1/1/2019 at 3:23 AM, NanLaew said:

he's slightly taller and bigger than the average Thai

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You have applied an English meaning to the Thai honorific "Big". As with many English loan words, when they enter the Thai lexicon, they take on very different connotations. See post #3 above yours.

[sammieuk1]

Lord of overstayers, nemesis of dark skinned scammers, Big Joke of elite corruption????

[sammieuk1]

So good I said it twice????

[Spidey]

  On 1/1/2019 at 2:32 AM, Vacuum said:

When he was a kid, he liked jok.

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Usually eaten at breakfast.

 

So does his name mean "Big Breakfast". I like it, might change my name to that.

[scorecard]

  On 1/1/2019 at 2:34 AM, Briggsy said:

Any Thai name prefaced with "Big" means influential and powerful and not to be messed with. The nearest equivalent in English may be the Spanish "Don".

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And Joke is a fairly common Thai nickname (chualen), with no connection to the real meaning of the word joke in the English language.

[KhunBENQ]

  On 1/1/2019 at 3:56 AM, scorecard said:

And Joke is a fairly common Thai nickname (chualen), with no connection to the real meaning of the word joke in the English language.

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Indeed a very unlucky transcription. No joke but some "rice porridge".

 

  On 1/1/2019 at 3:23 AM, NanLaew said:

Pol Maj-General Surachate Hakpal 

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"Police Lieutenant General" since sometime in November when he got his third star.

And yes: Police Lieutenant General is a higher rank then Police Major General.

Don't ask me about such.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Thai_Police#Officers

 

The transcription of his name is (as usual) "flexible".

Closer to the pronunciation and following some rules is "Surachet Hakphan".

Mostly found "Surachet Hakpan".

For his FB page he uses yet another quite different spelling

https://www.facebook.com/SurachateHakparn/

 

[marko kok prong]

Word has it,that at one of early arrest's he collared the suspect, sofendtend him up a bit and the grisled criminal charged with numerous heiniouss crimes, at which which the criminal started laughing,

"ah,so it's a big joke is it" it is rumored he said, not finished he added casually over his shoulder ' 20 year's of joking may cure the criminal' just rumors, he is a True Thai Hero.

[swissie]

Actually his Thai nickname is "Chock". (Chock yai).
A Farang journalist misspelled it early on. This spelling error has stuck with him. His character and his actions have nothing to do with a "joke". As some Farangs have found out in the meantime.

[AbeSurd]

From post #6 onwards on this thread there's some informative discussion of the origins of Big Joke's nickname:

 

[dotpoom]

"Joke is a Thai nickname and he's slightly taller and bigger than the average Thai."

   I think the OP is aware that it is a nik name....what he is asking is..."why does he have that Nik name"?

   You explained the "Big" bit...but not the "Joke" bit.

[Emdog]

"Big Jerk" was already taken....

[BritManToo]

It means 'rice porridge', 'โจ๊ก' in Thai script, that spells out 'j-oh-k' when transliterated into Roman script.

So essentially 'Johk yai' in Thai bicomes 'Big Joke' in Tinglish becomes 'large portion of rice porridge', when properly translated, allegedly what he always had for breakfast.

[AbeSurd]

  On 1/3/2019 at 7:39 AM, BritManToo said:

It means 'rice porridge', 'โจ๊ก' in Thai script, that spells out 'j-oh-k' when transliterated into Roman script.

So essentially 'Johk yai' in Thai bicomes 'Big Joke' in Tinglish becomes 'large portion of rice porridge', when properly translated, allegedly what he always had for breakfast.

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Please see the link in post #13. I think you're right about the 'j-oh-k' part. As for the 'big' part, see what Briggsy has posted earlier in this thread.

[AbeSurd]

It's impossible to discuss this topic properly without referring to Thai script. And forum rules are supposed to only allow Thai script in the Thai language forum. Maybe the mods are happy to make an exception in this case? Or maybe move the thread?

[PerkinsCuthbert]

He considered "Large Congee" but ultimately fastened onto "Big Joke"

[madmen]

He is not real. It's all just a joke

[NoshowJones]

  On 1/1/2019 at 2:34 AM, Briggsy said:

Any Thai name prefaced with "Big" means influential and powerful and not to be messed with. The nearest equivalent in English may be the Spanish "Don".

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Looking at any of his many photoshoots, he is just a wee man. probably suffers from the "wee mans syndrome".

I bet he is the only guy in the immigration department with the rank of Maj/Gen. Oh! wait, did he not get another promotion? Wonder how much he paid this time. A big joke right enough, or maybe a wee joke. 

[NoshowJones]

  On 1/2/2019 at 2:33 PM, swissie said:

Actually his Thai nickname is "Chock". (Chock yai).
A Farang journalist misspelled it early on. This spelling error has stuck with him. His character and his actions have nothing to do with a "joke". As some Farangs have found out in the meantime.

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Maybe it's Jock, has Scottish ancestors. Wonder what he would look like in a kilt. Oh my Gawd! 

[PerkinsCuthbert]

  On 1/1/2019 at 2:34 AM, Briggsy said:

Any Thai name prefaced with "Big" means influential and powerful and not to be messed with. The nearest equivalent in English may be the Spanish "Don".

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Quite right, 'big' in a Thai context means something more akin to 'important' than to size. However, former PM Chavalit is known as 'Big Jiew' (บิ๊กจิ๊ว), 'jiew' coming from tae jiew, or chaozhou dialect of eastern Guangdong, still used among some sections of the Chinese Thai, former immigrant population. It actually means 'big little' if translated literally, but Chavalit being of diminutive stature, it is an obvious play on the juxtaposition of the words. 

Another example is the present PM, who is known informally as 'Big Too' (บิ๊กตู่). Any worthwhile Thai- English dictionary will tell its reader that 'ตู่' is a verb meaning 'to claim ownership without justification'. I leave readers here to make of that what they will.

[OzMan]

  On 1/1/2019 at 8:44 AM, KhunBENQ said:

"Police Lieutenant General" since sometime in November when he got his third star.

This is because Major General is short for Sargent Major General, although this extended form is no longer used. Sargent Major being a lesser rank than lieutenant. Same in the British Army.

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[AbeSurd]

  On 1/3/2019 at 9:49 AM, PerkinsCuthbert said:

Quite right, 'big' in a Thai context means something more akin to 'important' than to size. However, former PM Chavalit is known as 'Big Jiew' (บิ๊กจิ๊ว), 'jiew' coming from tae jiew, or chaozhou dialect of eastern Guangdong, still used among some sections of the Chinese Thai, former immigrant population. It actually means 'big little' if translated literally, but Chavalit being of diminutive stature, it is an obvious play on the juxtaposition of the words. 

Another example is the present PM, who is known informally as 'Big Too' (บิ๊กตู่). Any worthwhile Thai- English dictionary will tell its reader that 'ตู่' is a verb meaning 'to claim ownership without justification'. I leave readers here to make of that what they will.

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Very interesting but I think Briggsy's point is that 'Big' is a noun, not an adjective. Thais use 'Big' as a title. Mr Joke. General Joke. Big Joke. Sir Joke.

In Thai, the adjective usually follows the noun. So If they were using it as an adjective his nickname would be 'Joke Big'.

[Caine]

Because he’s a Big Joke like the rest of the Muppets 

[BigT73]

  On 1/2/2019 at 2:33 PM, swissie said:

Actually his Thai nickname is "Chock". (Chock yai).

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The "h" is silent.

[lust]

https://youtu.be/Ryoq3Rv97tg

[nrasmussen]

  On 1/3/2019 at 7:39 AM, BritManToo said:

It means 'rice porridge', 'โจ๊ก' in Thai script, that spells out 'j-oh-k' when transliterated into Roman script.

Correct, but colloquially it can also be used in the meaning of the English word "joke".

[AbeSurd]

It would be great if someone could provide a link to a Thai language newspaper article where the nickname of police officer Big Joke is used. And at the same time if you can highlight or point out exactly where in the article the name is, that would be perfect. I'd do it myself but unfortunately my Thai language skills are not good enough.