The big comeback for Big Joke?

By The Thaiger

 

 

Former police poster boy and Thai immigration Chief, Surachat Hakparn, aka. “Big Joke” says he wants to return to police duties and “come back in from the cold”.. He participated in 2 hours of prayers at the Wat Bueng Kradan in Phitsanulok city in Central Thailand, praying for a return to his roles in the Thai police force.

 

At the height of his fame he was “Maj. Gen. Surachat Hakparn, Immigration Chief”. Having political leaders like Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan on his side, he seemed to have his rise to the top of Thailand’s police force assured. He appeared at every major drug bust, anytime errant foreigners were rounded up he’d be there too. He was the hot tip to take over the top job of the Thai police force.

 

Surachat was in the news just about every other day during 2017 and 2018 and then in April 2019 he was abruptly sidelined from police duties to a desk job at Police HQ in Bangkok. Not long after he took an extended overseas trip.

 

Then, after he’d quietly returned earlier this year, came the bizarre shooting of his car, a white Lexus, parked out the front of a massage shop in Silom. Surachet was allegedly getting a massage in the spa when the two suspects fired at his car in a drive-by. The two were captured on CCTV but were both wearing full-face helmets making ID impossible.

 

The former Thai immigration denied that the incident, where gunshots were fired into his car, was a staged stunt. He addressed a media scrum, a situation he’d been in before many times, speculating that the shooting incident was linked to the Immigration Bureau’s controversial procurement procedures for its biometrics and smart car projects.

 

In a written statement, whilst still heading up the immigration police in 2019, Surachat urged national police chief Chakthip Chaijinda to consider cancelling the projects. The projects, together worth 2 billion baht and which have since gone ahead, involved the purchase of biometric equipment to scan faces and fingerprints of passengers at Thailand’s six major airports. At the time Surachat cited long delays and questioned the equipment’s efficacy as reasons for wanting to cancel the project.

 

Full Story: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/the-big-comeback-for-big-joke

 

-- © Copyright The Thaiger 2020-07-28

 

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2 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

He participated in 2 hours of prayers at the Wat Bueng Kradan

How can he possibly fail to make a resounding comeback after all the effort he has put into it! ???? 

Good luck fella! 

Pure conjecture.

Many farangs came to like him - at least in Chiang Mai, where he made some welcome improvements at the Immigration Office.

Ain't gonna happen; he upset too many Immigration staff my making them 'work' including longer hours and even cut their perks back !

2 minutes ago, trainman34014 said:

Ain't gonna happen; he upset too many Immigration staff my making them 'work' including longer hours and even cut their perks back !

True enough, but the place also seemed better organized when he was running the show.

41 minutes ago, NB1986 said:

"He addressed a media scrum, a situation he’d been in before many times, speculating that the shooting incident was linked to the Immigration Bureau’s controversial procurement procedures for its biometrics and smart car projects" 

Yet the stories in the media seem to focus on the arrests of Indians, Chinese and elderly farang on overstay.

 

no effort spared to publicise those heinous crimes.

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

the bizarre shooting of his car, a white Lexus,

Should've got the gunmetal colour or better still a Chrysler Crossfire .. 

I have to admit for me personally, things ran better with big joke, I mean there was no TM30 that we had to complete when we returned from holidays after being in another province, I recall how everyone felt back then, with the TM30 only recently being scrapped, unless you move into another province.

 

We had things to read on immigration, there were no BMW smart cars back then if memory serves me right, seriously, things are too quiet without this guy at the raines, is it possible that he cleaned all of those overstayers up while his new incoming took the credit, bring him back, and the Shinawatra's while your at it as it was all positive news, with this lot, it's all doom and gloom.

Always sad to see a fallen star trying to get back to the stage again. 

I know how he feels. 

 

8 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

Ain't gonna happen; he upset too many Immigration staff my making them 'work' including longer hours and even cut their perks back !

Including big signs near passport desks etc., 'no bribes/no corruption etc.'

 

And he seemed to be quite serious and genuine on this (and other) points, but maybe seniors on masse who wanted their cut had enough power to depose him?

 

Bottom line; I've never read any real and specific details of why he was demoted/dismissed, that seemed to be kept well under wraps.

 

Edited July 28, 20205 yr by scorecard

11 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Yet the stories in the media seem to focus on the arrests of Indians, Chinese and elderly farang on overstay.

Same as what his successor is continuing to do.

Posts using trolling memes have been removed as well as other troll posts. 

18 minutes ago, sweatalot said:

Same as what his successor is continuing to do.

Of course as that's all they can do.

 

Any real investigations against real criminals would involve actual investigative techniques, stepping on others' toes and making others lose face. 

 

They pick the low hanging fruit and make a big song and dance about it because that's their level. 

As prawit, bj's "boss" and "godfather", seems to have postively re-trenched, I can see bj looking for a return.

 

Why he chooses to do this publicly remains a mystery? Usually this stuff is done in the shadows, but maybe he's softening the ground, or just can't quit being a prima donna?

 

Also mysterious is that some foreigners think bj is some paragon of virtue.

 

 

 

 

Come back all is forgiven 

Get a real job.

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The big comeback for Big Joke?

Oh, god, I hope not! (Is the sentiment of this statement okay seeing as it's not in the form of a gif? I'm very much confused as to why this would be considered trolling). 

 

This man was a complete megalomaniac. And let's not forget, he was also one of Prawit's darlings. If you wanna be taken seriously about stamping out corruption, maybe don't be so closely affiliated with someone who's so obviously corrupt. 

 

13 hours ago, CGW said:

How can he possibly fail to make a resounding comeback after all the effort he has put into it! ???? 

Good luck fella! 

Two hours praying. That should at least get him a desk job as an IO at the office of his choice.

13 hours ago, MisterTee said:

Many farangs came to like him - at least in Chiang Mai, where he made some welcome improvements at the Immigration Office.

You mean he emptied it of foreigners, like he was trying to do with the rest of Thailand?

I can understand why so many posters on this forum enjoyed his demotion, and are now slagging him off big time.

 

If he returns, some of them may be his next target, and of course, what would the cynics have to post when police start doing their jobs

13 hours ago, MisterTee said:

Many farangs came to like him - at least in Chiang Mai, where he made some welcome improvements at the Immigration Office.

I remember being in CM nearly 2 years ago. There was a big screen in the city centre and guess who was front and centre in it? That's right - Big Joke. I can't remember exactly what it was about, but I do remember it was a warning of some kind to foreign tourists. 

 

Call me crazy, but when I'm on holiday and spending money, I don't wanna be lectured. 

 

 

8 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

I remember being in CM nearly 2 years ago. There was a big screen in the city centre and guess who was front and centre in it? That's right - Big Joke. I can't remember exactly what it was about, but I do remember it was a warning of some kind to foreign tourists. 

 

Call me crazy, but when I'm on holiday and spending money, I don't wanna be lectured. 

 

 

Yep Id ride my bike daily and see  it..the sign said "Hey..YOU..falang, Dont even think about making fun of my name".....i though to myself as I rode by, you must be joking....

 

As per not being able to ID the 2 shooters I guess when I commit a crime all I need is a full face helmet....

9 minutes ago, ChakaKhan said:

Yep Id ride my bike daily and see  it..the sign said "Hey..YOU..falang, Dont even think about making fun of my name".....i though to myself as I rode by, you must be joking....

 

As per not being able to ID the 2 shooters I guess when I commit a crime all I need is a full face helmet....

And ride someone elses motor scooter. The ????

27 minutes ago, Susco said:

I can understand why so many posters on this forum enjoyed his demotion, and are now slagging him off big time.

 

Not sure what impact foreigners' opinions have, but most Thais see him as a jumped-up bagman who got caught skimming from the top dog. And only survived because he paid back the skim + the vig, and has a powerful 'godfather'. Once prawit is gone I suspect bj will skeedaddle.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 29, 20205 yr by mtls2005

7 minutes ago, Grumpy John said:

And ride someone elses motor scooter. The ????

My mbike is still registered to the thai I bought it from years ago...never been an issue.......Im off to the bank!

I would love if he could get rid of all the illegal agents corrupted IO's making people pay extortion to both for a visa that cannot be obtained, one example : demanding Landlord papers or landlord present at immigration

Wishful thinking, I hope this idiot remains in the doldrums where he belongs. The Immigration didn't know what new laws they would get from day to day. He might have made some improvements to office efficiency but he did nothing for tourists or long stayers unless you had pots of money.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

I could do without him. His attention seeking antics without getting anything of substance done just served to increase xenophobia in the Thai population.