Big Joke on the move again - former poster boy of RTP pops up at Phuket Sandbox commenting on security

[webfact]

 

He is the most well known policeman in Thailand both among Thais and foreigners - Lt-Gen Surachat Hakpan.

 

Now a special advisor to the Royal Thai Police he was the assistant commissioner of the Tourist Police, though he acted like the head, and the chief of the Imigration Bureau doing both jobs at the same time.

 

Until a spectacular and largely unexplained fall from grace and a paper shuffling role for the best part of two years at the PM's office.

 

Now his reintegration at the RTP is picking up pace and he is beginning to look like the man who flew around the world making busts one minute then dragging foreign illegals off the street the next.

 

All with a media savvy and surrounding team who followed him everywhere.

 

A new assistant commissioner in chief role was announced by the police commission yesterday coming after his return to the RTP fold as special advisor on police reform earlier.

 

Yesterday the ante was upped a notch in the rehabilitation of the man known as Big Joke. He went with Digital Economy and Society Ministry advisor Pranon Thaitawanno to Phuket to check up on many matters related to the Phuket Sandbox reopening to foreign tourists.

 

Thailand has put great store by this project, notes ASEAN NOW and the Lt-gen's presence is significant.

 

It clearly has nothing to do with his role in police reform and more to do with sending someone with a high profile to do a high profile PR job.

 

Daily News said he was there to offer advice on a wide range of matters though security for tourists was key.

 

Surachate was at pains to point out the island was well sealed and that people named in arrest warrants could not get in.

 

He didn't mention the biometrics system by name but clearly referred to it.  Some have suggested his criticism of the 2.1 billion baht system decided on before he became the chief of the Immigration Bureau led to his temporary downfall. 

 

Yesterday Surachate was back to his old self like in the days when he was doing press conferences in Nana one minute, jetting off to Dubai and Manila the next. 

 

He spoke of the need for the tourist police and kamnans and phu yai ban (local officials) to work together on security.

 

He offered his advice and help in the overcoming of obstacles.

 

He even mentioned the fourth quarter in reference to aims to get the tourist industry further developed by the end of the year in Phuket, and by extension elsewhere.

 

Like him or loathe him, we can all expect to see more and more of Big Joke in the news in the coming months. 

 

Especially as now he appears to have been entrusted with something of tangible worth rather than just the nebulous idea of police reform.

 

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[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Until a spectacular and largely unexplained fall from grace and a paper shuffling role for the best part of two years at the PM's office.

He trod on the toes of someone higher up the chain and interfered with a revenue stream...

now his position is to reform the police... yeah okay.

[Curmudgeonly59]

"...in Nana one minute, jetting off to Dubai and Manila the next."

Did a bit of that myself, when it was still fun. 

[Deli]

IF he would have balls... he could cover up a lot now. But his balls are hanging low, I guess.

[Albert Zweistein]

2 hours ago, Deli said:

IF he would have balls... he could cover up a lot now. But his balls are hanging low, I guess.

Might have lost them.

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

Internet search revealed nothing about why a 3star General (2nd highest police rank here) who appears to be a super-acheiver, highly energetic & competent ( by local standards) with past heavy responsibilities , has such a derogatory nickname…. and why it is even mentioned in the article which speaks of him in disdainful terms…without any explanation ( defamation avoidance?) 

 

if such a person is truly a “big joke” what does that mean for every other copper here ( all, except 4star generals, below him in rank, seniority and achievements I suspect ), all massive gigantic jokes then are they…….I think not…..

 

for example,chances of getting stabbed or assaulted here are probably what 5% of UK cities  ?. Cppers here are at least visibly out on the streets which from my long experience are near completely safe, compared to UK / USA/ Aus……

 

why not just report factually ? whatever happened to objective balanced journalism here….. ?

suppose personal attack by “tone” does not breach defamation laws here…..