Cyber Police Raid ‘Big Joke’s’ Residence

[Bday Prang]

 Its worrying that a few people actually bought into the fantasy that this guy was some sort of White Knight on a crusade to rid the kingdom of corruption and reform the police. 

 Worrying that some people can be so easily misinformed and by information from such a limited  and dubious source that being Thai mainstream media or probably more likely the small percentage of it that gets translated.

 

Of course the guy is corrupt, he's very nearly at the top of one of the most corrupt entities in the world.

How do people think he got there? 

                   Do they really  think he started as a junior constable, and that armed only  with his strong anti corruption ethic and sense of right and wrong  he kind of snitched his way to the top, reporting all the corrupt officers who stood in his way like some sort of super hero?

 Well i'm sorry to spoil the fairy tale but that's not how things work here, He would have been identified as a wrong un during basic training and never have made it into the force

                     He is as corrupt as the rest of them , but either he or who ever is running him is a bit more media savvy than others. It even  seems to have, bizarrely,  got him a few supporters on here yet I don't know any Thais that see him as a saint

[thailand49]

9 hours ago, 2baht said:

 Oh damn, I thought he was the only good cop! ????

I told you but you wouldn't listen.  ????

[thailand49]

Just now, thailand49 said:

I told you but you wouldn't listen.  ????   Don't worry he got names and places he be back doing photo ops again soon. 

 

[Dan O]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Weird stuff about the raided house where police found BJ...

 

From the various news reports, it seems that's where he was living, at least some of the time. He's referred to as the owner of the house. But other references say the house was "registered" in the name of someone else, a civilian, who hasn't yet been publicly identified.

 

Wonder what's going on with all that?

 

This situation is typical Thai news reporting. Mostly speculation by various officials, many not connected to the actual events but presented as facts by the news agencies. The ongoing speculation used to gain media attention by using sensationalized headlines and half stories by the news agencies never stops and follow up investigation by news agencies is almost always non existent.. 

 

It was already reported that the couple suspected police involved that report to BJ were already known and under investigation some 2 weeks ago and it wasn't all 30 of the current suspects referenced in this latest reporting.

 

  It was reported the BJ owned all 5 houses but the facts appear to be that those other houses were not owned by him and registered to an unnamed source although may not be included in the search warrant. The reporting about the search warrant for the house was for BJ's house but not for the houses where the already known suspects lived which was part of the issue for BJ to question the search as his address was on the warrant but not the known suspects.

 

It was reported that the money trail lead to BJ in a couple of the stories and unnamed sources but already published reports by the Cyber Crime division conducting the investigation show the money trail lead to the few people already suspected of involvement. They were part of his "team" but the trail did not lead to BJ but that was used as part of the supporting info to gain a search warrant. 

 

Is he involved, who knows but there are plenty of holes in these stories and the lack of quality news reporting and investigation into providing facts for those stories allows for questionable claims by all sides. 

[Mr Meeseeks]

23 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

He is as corrupt as the rest of them , but either he or who ever is running him is a bit more media savvy than others. It even  seems to have, bizarrely,  got him a few supporters on here yet I don't know any Thais that see him as a saint

☝️ This.

[BenStark]

23 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

Its worrying that a few people actually bought into the fantasy that this guy was some sort of White Knight on a crusade to rid the kingdom of corruption and reform the police. 

 Worrying that some people can be so easily misinformed and by information from such a limited  and dubious source that being Thai mainstream media or probably more likely the small percentage of it that gets translated.

It is worrying that some people on this forum always pretend to know everything about every everything in Thai government, and that others take their "wisdom" for granted.

 

Bit like the ex SAS or MI6 guys you meet in any popular bar in Pattaya

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, KhaoNiaw said:

Part of the corrupt game he was very much part of. I'm not a hater or you can't deny the benefits he brought at the beginning of his time. But it was implemented for a very specific purpose and the man had absolutely no interest in democracy, completely setting back the more open and critical media that was just beginning to emerge. Anyway not really the topic under discussion here. 

I don't know who are talking about.

[soi3eddie]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

Big Joke denied the allegation and refused to allow officers to enter his home.

They gave him a choice? WTF!

 

[jvs]

2 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

He's just had his house raided, what more proof do you need? ????

Some one elses house got raided but he is a hero?Funny.

[chickenslegs]

1 hour ago, Dan O said:

Is he involved, who knows but there are plenty of holes in these stories and the lack of quality news reporting and investigation into providing facts for those stories allows for questionable claims by all sides. 

One of the reasons why investigative reporting is rare here in Thailand ... https://cpj.org/data/killed/asia/thailand/?status=Killed&motiveConfirmed[]=Confirmed&motiveUnconfirmed[]=Unconfirmed&type[]=Journalist&type[]=Media Worker&cc_fips[]=TH&start_year=1992&end_year=2023&group_by=location

[billd766]

2 hours ago, MikeN said:

You don't miss what you have never had, but once you get used to the lifestyle you always want more. Does the name Thaksin ring a bell ?

Does Prayuth Chan O Cha ring a bell with you?

 

2 hours ago, KhaoNiaw said:

Wasn't it legal because he made it legal? 

Does making a military coup make it legal?

[Tanlic]

How I see this and I am guessing: There's no way other police accuse a Police General in public of anything without hard evidence.....if they did their career/s would be over. This leads me to believe he's been up to some hokey pokey

[MangoKorat]

Amusing that the 'commandos', in full armour are hiding behind the SUV, whilst all the unarmed/unprotected police are just hanging around casually. Perhaps they have divine protection?

[Dan O]

49 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

One of the reasons why investigative reporting is rare here in Thailand ... https://cpj.org/data/killed/asia/thailand/?status=Killed&motiveConfirmed[]=Confirmed&motiveUnconfirmed[]=Unconfirmed&type[]=Journalist&type[]=Media Worker&cc_fips[]=TH&start_year=1992&end_year=2023&group_by=location

51 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

One of the reasons why investigative reporting is rare here in Thailand ... https://cpj.org/data/killed/asia/thailand/?status=Killed&motiveConfirmed[]=Confirmed&motiveUnconfirmed[]=Unconfirmed&type[]=Journalist&type[]=Media Worker&cc_fips[]=TH&start_year=1992&end_year=2023&group_by=location

While investigative reporting as your link illustrates is certainly a dangerous job there is a big difference in that and gathering facts for everyday stories as this one is and not using sensationilized comments, rumor and replies from unconnected sources as facts. 

 

[chickenslegs]

2 minutes ago, Dan O said:

While investigative reporting as your link illustrates is certainly a dangerous job there is a big difference in that and gathering facts for everyday stories as this one is and not using sensationilized comments, rumor and replies from unconnected sources as facts. 

Investigation into the activities of the 2-I-C (sorry, second in command) of the Thai police force is not (IMO) "everyday stories".

 

I have seen no evidence to indicate whether or not BJ is a "Good Guy" or not.

 

But, regarding the "everyday stories", it does seem to me that the defamation laws prevent honest reporting. Reporters/People can be imprisoned, even if they tell the truth.

 

Not to mention LM laws.

[Bday Prang]

4 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

When you work in government service, you often have both legal and moral obligations involving the reporting and disclosure of your finances and assets.

           Absolutely and big joke could almost be forgiven for smiling as he proudly declares the results of his obviously phenomenal business acumen. Another poster showed a report which declared his wealth at 100 million! I guess we could take that with a pinch of salt, but something tells me he will certainly  not be worth any less than that

         . What is his current salary ? 1.5miilion baht ??  and he certainly would not have been earning that much 10 years ago . So  Its amazing how he has managed to find time to invest what would need to be every baht he ever earned  so wisely and successfully  whilst at the sametime single handedly fighting vice and corruption at all levels within the RTP. How did he manage to fit it all in?

            Of course there is absolutely nothing unusual or remotely suspicious about a senior police man who I believe likes to make out that he comes from a humble background, recently declaring  his wealth to be in excess of 60 times his annual salary

             Rightly or wrongly I also reckon that a guy who owns 5 houses in one street probably owns a few others too

[AustinRacing]

9 hours ago, scorecard said:

More unproven divisive assumptions. 

 

Earlier in the thread it was clearly explained why he delayed their entry,

Some people believe everything written in media. Ask your Thai friends about this guys’ history. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

3 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

Rightly or wrongly I also reckon that a guy who owns 5 houses in one street probably owns a few others too

For years now, he's probably been the most talented and visible self-promoter among the RTP ranks, inserting himself into various high-profile cases and widely portraying himself as a do-gooder.

 

I'd like to hope, in the wake of the day's events, that he'll now have some public 'splainin' to do about the extent and nature of his various real estate and other assets...

 

But his rivals in the police hierarchy may not want to press Surachate to hard on those points -- and prefer instead to focus on the alleged online gambling issues -- lest they invite public inquiry into the extent of THEIR finances and assets.

 

[pegman]

Thailand police departments and the military pay peanuts. Without corruption both would fall apart like a house of cards. If you are a member of either service you were expected to play the game. Otherwise there would be no advancement for you. I see Big Joke as no different than say Sonny Corleone. Being part of either of their respective organizations comes with the assumption that they are dirty.

[couchpotato]

3 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

For years now, he's probably been the most talented and visible self-promoter among the RTP ranks, inserting himself into various high-profile cases and widely portraying himself as a do-gooder.

 

I'd like to hope, in the wake of the day's events, that he'll now have some public 'splainin' to do about the extent and nature of his various real estate and other assets...

 

But his rivals in the police hierarchy may not want to press Surachate to hard on those points -- and prefer instead to focus on the alleged online gambling issues -- lest they invite public inquiry into the extent of THEIR finances and assets.

 

By the end of the week it will be over..  on Thai channels this evening the honchos are backtracking already, that it was a mistake and no charges are forthcoming for him, and the new police chief comes into a happy scene.

He keeps his Deputy position (although a bit lo-key for a while), then he is back to crime busting. It's all a game.

[Dan O]

1 hour ago, chickenslegs said:

Investigation into the activities of the 2-I-C (sorry, second in command) of the Thai police force is not (IMO) "everyday stories".

 

I have seen no evidence to indicate whether or not BJ is a "Good Guy" or not.

 

But, regarding the "everyday stories", it does seem to me that the defamation laws prevent honest reporting. Reporters/People can be imprisoned, even if they tell the truth.

 

Not to mention LM laws.

Confirming information on a story like this is everyday reporting everywhere in the world except here.

 

I never said anything about digging into every minute detail of the case but getting basic facts have nothing to do with defamation or LM laws.

 

This is just the typical thai news reporting, grab whatever comments anyone has to say, thrown together with guessing, opinions and speculation, add a distorted Headline and throw it up on the wire. Its often (political) propaganda and not much more

Edited September 25, 2023 by Dan O

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, AustinRacing said:

Some people believe everything written in media. Ask your Thai friends about this guys’ history. 

What do you believe my Thai friends will tell me?

[scoobyguy]

Karma for picking on expats.

[Artisi]

4 hours ago, MangoKorat said:

Amusing that the 'commandos', in full armour are hiding behind the SUV, whilst all the unarmed/unprotected police are just hanging around casually. Perhaps they have divine protection?

Amulets. 

[scorecard]

9 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

I have to say that I find this interesting.  There is a lot of smoke but I need to see some meat.  \

 

To some of these people that hate him and do not want him as Chief it is the imperfect storm.

 

Think of all the crap people have dug up on politicians they don't like take Pita for an example.

 

Hate to use trump as an example but it is easy to get an arrest warrant all you  need do is give a judge a brown envelope or find a judge that has an axe to grind or could be affected by Big Joke taking over.  The trick is proving that it is as big a crime as they want people to believe and getting the conviction.

 

As to 30 people hell how many of the lower class don't have a wager on a football game or a fight.  

 

Unless someone shows me proof that he has done anything wrong or senior people in his staff that work directly for him are involved I tend to take this with a grain of salt.

 

 

Interesting.

He's been in the bigger limelight for several years now and made hundreds of arrests ets.

 

How come in these several years thre's been no real revelations about BJ having broken laws, committed crimes, being involved in illegal activities etc?

[scorecard]

7 hours ago, KhaoNiaw said:

Part of the corrupt game he was very much part of. I'm not a hater or you can't deny the benefits he brought at the beginning of his time. But it was implemented for a very specific purpose and the man had absolutely no interest in democracy, completely setting back the more open and critical media that was just beginning to emerge. Anyway not really the topic under discussion here. 

When did BJ speak out / what did he say to show he has no interest in democracy?

 

How, where, what did he personally do / say which  'set back ctritical media'?

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, scorecard said:

What do you believe my Thai friends will tell me?

No response, that says something!

[klauskunkel]

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

he believes that what has occurred is a political maneuver within the Royal Thai Police, aimed at tarnishing his reputation.

a tarnished organization trying to tarnish an individual who is also part of that same tarnished organization...

thank you the BiB, you are never boring 

[scorecard]

17 hours ago, AustinRacing said:

Initially he refused them entry until his people removed all evidence. Ok now you can come in. 

The report doesn't say this, not mentioned at all.

 

Seems that trump' habit of fake reports, totally fake facts has caught on. 

[2baht]

19 hours ago, scorecard said:

Hoping he's the next national chief cop.

I think they are shaking him down because someone else wants the top job!