PHOTO: Thai Post

 

By Tanakorn Panyadee

National — A French man was arrested on extortion charges after he allegedly went around extorting money from ex-pats in Pattaya, blatantly claiming he had close ties with senior police officers, including the Thai deputy national police chief famously known by his nickname as “Big Joke.”

Pol. Gen. Surachate Hakparn, or Big Joke, announced the arrest of Herve Leonard, 58 (Some reports have said 59), on Thursday, February 2nd.

 

The French suspect was nabbed at a condominium on Phahon Yothin Road in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district on Wednesday, February 1st, on the accusation of extortion against many ex-pats in Pattaya.

 

Big Joke stated that Leonard extorted money from ex-pats in exchange for his protection, claiming he knew many senior Thai police officers, including Big Joke himself.

 

The suspect took advantage of previously being a volunteer to support police activities to snap photos with senior police and use them to back up his claim, Big Joke explained.

 

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2023/02/03/french-fugitive-arrested-for-alleged-extortion-in-bangkok-after-claiming-close-police-ties-with-big-joke/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2023-02-04

 

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this will not end well for Herve

Given Thailand loves to highlight the bad farangs, its strange they do not have a specific bad farang notice board to help catch suspects. Like a top 10 most wanted. 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Pol. Gen. Surachate Hakparn, or Big Joke, announced the arrest of Herve Leonard, 58 (Some reports have said 59), on Thursday, February 2nd.

The jokes on you now Frenchy....

Im sure he used to use the food court BigC Extra in Pattaya ????! 

First of all, they let them enter Thailand without a visa creating a paradise for fugitives from all over the world over here in Thailand!

If the police weren’t corupt he wouldn’t be able to sell the protection 

2 hours ago, d4dang said:

this will not end well for Herve

The nerve of Herve.....

51 minutes ago, Hakuna Matata said:

First of all, they let them enter Thailand without a visa creating a paradise for fugitives from all over the world over here in Thailand!

They arrive with passports....that is where prevention needs to occur! Hopefully, recently released Gary Glitter can't get one!

he is called "tourist" with visa expired in 09.2021.

Arrest warrant for extortion for 2 years, on the run in Bangkok, changing his appartment frequently. 

But what if this extortionist was really giving protection from police?

And who were his naive clients - businessmen or criminals?

 

In light of what happened recently with taiwanese actress and consequently with chuwit revelations about metropolitan police organised racket, it's pretty possible that Pattaya (much more corrupted and depraved police jurisdiction) has a very similar scheme going on. 

And that might include voluntary police (present and former).

Let him spill the bins.

https://e.vnexpress.net/news/travel/french-tourist-arrested-for-preying-on-expats-in-thailand-s-pattaya-4566436.html

OK. He extorted money from expats in exchange for protection. But the next question should be why these expats need protection. Apparently illegal activities by some expats. Hopefully the story doesn't end with this guy's arrest.

Despicable younger generations, even from France now.

Serves him right for engaging in a reserved occupation.

Sounds like Marc from the Eden club, but he was shot dead last April, extortion might be a French speciality !

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

The jokes on you now Frenchy....

Why did 'frenchy' not consider/realize that his activities would eventually come unstuck?

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Big Joke stated that Leonard extorted money from ex-pats in exchange for his protection, claiming he knew many senior Thai police officers, including Big Joke himself.

what a joke lol

 

I can protect you......................from what exactly

 

are there people actually believe this ##

2 hours ago, internationalism said:

And who were his naive clients - businessmen or criminals?

my guess is - there is a lot missing in this story..........................a lot

 

your above question is a very good one, the answer is obvious

1 hour ago, Mickeymaus said:

OK. He extorted money from expats in exchange for protection. But the next question should be why these expats need protection. Apparently illegal activities by some expats. Hopefully the story doesn't end with this guy's arrest.

he was selling condoms lol

5 hours ago, Olmate said:

Im sure he used to use the food court BigC Extra in Pattaya ????! 

yep the guy with onions around his neck and a beret tilted to one side eating frogs legs n snails  yep I think I saw him to ..lol 

2 hours ago, scorecard said:

Why did 'frenchy' not consider/realize that his activities would eventually come unstuck?

Jules Maigret strikes again...

he was arrested already once almost a year ago in prachuap khiri khan.

Looks, like he jumped his bail - that being illegally in thailand since 09.2020.

How he was able to convince court to release him?

Looks like his son was also charged with extortion.

 

 

 

on that fb page some pictures of him with police "Herve Christian Robert Leonard - Thailand's Most Wanted Fugitive"

He was arrested at his appartment close to Central Investigation Bureau offices

Wasn't there another French guy doing the same in Pattaya, but much younger than this one, too?

4 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

Despicable younger generations, even from France now.

He was 58/59, younger generation? Or were you being sarcastic?????

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26 minutes ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

He was 58/59, younger generation? Or were you being sarcastic?????

To a large cohort of members on here, that is a younger generation.

"I know La Blague Grande, give me ze money, hein!"

21 minutes ago, Salerno said:

To a large cohort of members on here, that is a younger generation.

Indeed, this guy belongs to the Generation X. I am a direct descendant of the Greatest generation.

1 hour ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Wasn't there another French guy doing the same in Pattaya, but much younger than this one, too?

yes, Thierry Perenon

https://www.dsi.go.th/th/Detail/DSI-เร่งสืบสวนชาวต่างชาติอ้างเป็นเจ้าหน้าที่--หากพบพฤติกรรมเรียกรับผลประโยชน์จะ-T0002449

 

and a background to this DSI statement is 

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/2018/03/03/foreign-dsi-agent-threatens-editor-remove-story-russian-whistleblowers/

 

he was only briefly detained by DSI

Claimed to work for the Big Joke and tried to extort 10 BTC from a publisher

https://www.facebook.com/CSILA90210/posts/1925054717572244

 

 

1 hour ago, internationalism said:

yes, Thierry Perenon

https://www.dsi.go.th/th/Detail/DSI-เร่งสืบสวนชาวต่างชาติอ้างเป็นเจ้าหน้าที่--หากพบพฤติกรรมเรียกรับผลประโยชน์จะ-T0002449

 

and a background to this DSI statement is 

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/2018/03/03/foreign-dsi-agent-threatens-editor-remove-story-russian-whistleblowers/

 

he was only briefly detained by DSI

Claimed to work for the Big Joke and tried to extort 10 BTC from a publisher

https://www.facebook.com/CSILA90210/posts/1925054717572244

 

 

Do you think he did work for BJ? Quite probably did.

it will be a bad joke and I'm sure he won't appreciate it.