"Big Joke" transferred to an inactive post

Anything and everything about Thailand
User avatar
Gaybutton
Posts: 21459
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
Location: Thailand
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1306 times

Re: "Big Joke" transferred to an inactive post

Post by Gaybutton »

Dodger wrote: Mon Apr 08, 2019 1:54 pm I was a bit surprised to learn that it is actually the Immigration offices themselves who are the most upset
This whole mess got started when immigration demanded that the embassies require proof before issuing income affidavits. I can understand that, but I've never really understood why the embassies refused to do it. If applicants came to the embassy with proof, what would be the hard part that made it too difficult for the embassies to 'ok' the proof and issue the affidavit or deny the affidavit due to insufficient proof? I would have been perfectly willing to pay more for the affidavit if the embassies would have done, what in my opinion, is part of their job and it took a bit more effort on their part to do it.

It seems to me it would be much easier for the embassies to come up with a list of requirements for proof than handing the problem over to Thai immigration - with the language barrier. I thought part of the job of embassies is to make life easier for their citizens living in foreign countries. I guess I thought wrong.

Image
Dodger
Posts: 1926
Joined: Sun Aug 01, 2010 2:58 am
Has thanked: 133 times
Been thanked: 479 times

Re: "Big Joke" transferred to an inactive post

Post by Dodger »

Gaybutton wrote: Mon Apr 08, 2019 2:17 pmThis whole mess got started when immigration demanded that the embassies require proof before issuing income affidavits.
I thought the U.S. Embassy was the only foreign embassy in Thailand which used the "Honor System" when issuing the affidavits. The other embassies, including Great Britain, Australia, and Sweden did require proof but these affidavits are now being refused by Immigration as well. This gives the appearance that it didn't matter if an embassy was verifying financial income or not. They (Immigration) felt that more substantial proof was needed, thus the requirement to have money (+65k) transferred directly into a Thai bank account came into play.

.
User avatar
Gaybutton
Posts: 21459
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
Location: Thailand
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1306 times

Re: "Big Joke" transferred to an inactive post

Post by Gaybutton »

Apparently the reason(s) for the removal of 'Big Joke' is a 'Big Secret.' Shhhhhh . . .
___________________________

'Big Joke' seen at headquarters

April 9, 2019

Surachate Hakparn, aka "Big Joke", removed on Friday as Immigration Bureau chief, reported to the Royal Thai Police head office on Monday after vanishing from the limelight since his reassignment, a police source said.

The once rising star of the police force arrived at the headquarters to report to his new superior and left immediately after that, according to the source.

He did not appear worried during his visit to the office, the source said.

On Friday night, Pol Lt Gen Surachate was hit with a surprise transfer order sending him to the Royal Thai Police Operations Centre. The order was signed by national police chief Chakthip Chaijinda. No reasons were given.

Pol Lt Gen Surachate's new role will likely now not involve contact with the general public. It is speculated his new appointment will be as a commissioner who coordinates with the PM's Office.

The source said Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, who heads the Police Commission, has given Pol Gen Chakthip the final say in selecting the candidates for Pol Lt Gen Surachate's replacement.

The source said at least three candidates will be vying for the Immigration Bureau's top seat.

The source added it was thought an IB deputy commissioner might be put in charge as acting commissioner. However, Gen Prawit preferred to have a new chief installed immediately and start the job right away.

Pol Lt Gen Surachate was reported to retain close ties to Gen Prawit.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/genera ... adquarters
___________________________________________________

‘Big Joke’ goes to work with big smile, stays mum about transfer

April 9, 2019

Former Immigration Bureau chief Pol Lt-General Surachate Hakparn, until recently considered a rising star in the police force, kept mum yesterday about his sudden transfer to an inactive post.

In his first public appearance following the transfer order from the national police chief, Surachate reported to work at the Royal Thai Police headquarters late yesterday morning sporting a big smile.

He also answered a phone call from a journalist who wanted to know about the transfer. “It’s inappropriate for me to talk about it. Let the boss provide the explanation. I don’t feel it’s right for me to talk,” the headline-making police officer said. When asked if he was all right, the officer said there was no problem at all.

On Friday, national police chief Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda issued an order transferring Surachate out of the Immigration Bureau to an inactive position at the police operation centre, and there has been much speculation about the possible reasons.

Not accessible online

At the same time, social media accounts under Surachate’s name, including Facebook and Instagram, could not be accessed. His Facebook account has more than 200,000 followers.

Surachate, also known as “Big Joke”, was considered a rising star in the police force, attaining the general’s rank in his mid-40s, which is considered quite early. He had the opportunity to serve with some top police officers in the past and is believed to be close to Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, who oversees the police force.

According to a source, the national police chief had assigned one of his deputies to investigate Surachate over six counts of wrongdoing, but this report could not be independently confirmed.

Meanwhile, deputy national police chief Pol General Srivara Ransibhramanakul yesterday denied media reports that he had been tasked with investigating Surachate’s alleged six counts of wrongdoing.

“This report is untrue,” he said.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/ ... l/30367376
User avatar
Gaybutton
Posts: 21459
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
Location: Thailand
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1306 times

Re: "Big Joke" transferred to an inactive post

Post by Gaybutton »

Still no word about who will replace him or whether there will be any immigration rule changes.
__________________________________________________________________________________

Image

A mysterious fall from grace

April 10, 2019

By The Nation

In second transfer within a week, new civilian post created for ousted immigration bureau chief

The high-profile former Immigration Bureau chief, Pol Lt-General Surachate Hakparn, once considered a rising star in the police force, was shockingly transferred yesterday to a newly created civilian post.

His designation as special adviser attached to the Prime Minister’s Office only fuels more speculation about his fate.

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, in his capacity as head of the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), issued an order dated yesterday transferring Surachate from Royal Thai Police to a civil servant in the Prime Minister’s Office.

According to the order, published in the Royal Gazette yesterday, Surachate is among state officials who have been moved to other jobs because they are undergoing investigation or have problems regarding personnel. The order said the NCPO saw it fit to add Surachate’s name to the list, but did not say why.

The NCPO order said the prime minister would seek royal endorsement for Surachate’s new post.

The Cabinet “acknowledged” the order at its weekly meeting yesterday, Deputy Government Spokesperson Colonel Taksada Sangkachan said.

The list of transferred state officials, to which Surachate’s name was added, dates back to May 2015 – a year after the NCPO took power after a military coup.

However, questions regarding the abrupt move remain unanswered, as those involved are maintaining a silence. Prayut, National Police chief Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda, and even Surachate himself, who was seen at a meeting at the National Police headquarters yesterday, refused to reveal the real reason behind this sudden exit.

Surachate was initially transferred to the Royal Thai Police’s operation centre in an order issued on Friday by the National Police chief. Then, in an additional order issued yesterday, the National Police chief said Surachate had been “removed” from all duties at the Immigration Bureau, before the premier decided to move him to the Prime Minister’s Office.

Chakthip also announced yesterday that Surachate was removed from all special task forces and ad hoc positions in the Royal Thai Police. Apart from leading the Immigration Bureau, Surachate was the deputy director of Action Taskforce for Information Technology Crime Suppression.

The Royal Thai Police was yesterday scheduled to discuss Surachate’s successor as Immigration Bureau chief, but the meeting was cancelled for unknown reasons, an official said.

Deputy police chief Pol General Srivara Ransibrahmanakul, meanwhile, refused to answer questions by reporters who wanted to know if he had been told to investigate allegations that had resulted in Surachate’s sudden transfers. He only said that he had not received any verbal or written instructions to do so.

Surachate, better known as “Big Joke”, was considered a rising star in the police force, attaining a general’s rank in his mid-40s. He quickly began climbing the career ladder after graduating from the Police Cadet School in 1995. It is rare for police officers to move from the rank of sub-lieutenant to police lieutenant-general in merely 22 years.

Surachate began making a name for himself from 2015, when, as chief of tourist police he began suppressing crimes committed by foreigners and tour operators.

He had the opportunity to serve some top police officers in the past, and is believed to be close to Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, who oversees the police force.

Prawit was not available for comment, as he did not attend the Cabinet meeting yesterday. Defence Ministry spokesman Kongcheep Tratravanich said Prawit’s absence was because he suffered from food poisoning, not to avoid questions from reporters.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/ ... l/30367441
_________________________________________________

'Big Joke' shunted out of police force pending investigation

By Wassana Nanuam

April 10, 2019

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has transferred Pol Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn, aka Big Joke, from the police force to the civil service, where he will serve as a special adviser to the Prime Minister's Office.

The order was signed by Gen Payut on Tuesday in his capacity as chief of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and published in The Royal Gazette the same day, effective immediately.

The order stated that Pol Lt Gen Surachate was another official assuming a temporary position pending an investigation. It effectively added his name to a list of 45 state officials sidelined pending investigations under another NCPO order. The original document was issued on May 15, 2015 by Gen Prayut using his authority under Section 44 of the interim constitution.

As a result of the order, Pol Lt Gen Surachate is completely detached from his former position of immigration police commissioner under the Royal Thai Police Office.

Assistant government spokesperson Taksada Sangkhajan said the cabinet meeting on Tuesday acknowledged Gen Prayut's order. She did not know when Pol Lt Gen Surachate would report to the Prime Minister's Office, or which area of work he would be assigned to.

Prime Minister Prayut did not explain the issue on Tuesday.

Following his appointment as immigration chief in October 2018 Pol Lt Gen Surachate rapidly became the kingdom's most high-profile police officer, featuring almost daily in headline stories aggressively pursuing foreigners in the country illegally, visa overstayers and criminals alike, under the slogan “Good Guys In, Bad Guys Out”.

He was also deputy director of Thailand's Action Taskforce for Information Technology Crime Suppression (Tactics), which targets cybercrime such as romance scams and online fraud and is also under the Royal Thai Police Office.

He was abruptly removed from the job of immigration chief last week. National police chief Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda transferred him to the Royal Thai Police Operations Centre on Friday night.

Pol Lt Gen Surachate was reported to retain close ties with Gen Prawit Wongsuwon, deputy prime minister, defence minister and deputy NCPO chief.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/genera ... estigation
Dodger
Posts: 1926
Joined: Sun Aug 01, 2010 2:58 am
Has thanked: 133 times
Been thanked: 479 times

Re: "Big Joke" transferred to an inactive post

Post by Dodger »

What goes around comes around.

45 state officials sidelined pending investigations. They have a thick surface to scratch.
User avatar
Undaunted
Posts: 2567
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2016 8:47 am
Has thanked: 23 times
Been thanked: 368 times

Re: "Big Joke" transferred to an inactive post

Post by Undaunted »

This is all much ado about nothing as long as his policies stay in effect!
"In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king"
User avatar
Gaybutton
Posts: 21459
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
Location: Thailand
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1306 times

Re: "Big Joke" transferred to an inactive post

Post by Gaybutton »

Border police chief to replace 'Big Joke'

April 19, 2019

The chief of border patrol police has been named head of immigration police, replacing Pol Lt Gen Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, a high-profile policeman who was transferred to an inactive position early in April.

Pol Lt Gen Sompong Chingduang, commissioner of the Border Patrol Police Bureau, was transferred to lead the Immigration Bureau at a meeting of the Police Board, presided over by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon on Friday.

Gen Prawit declined to elaborate on the sudden removal of Pol Lt Gen Surachate, who is believed to have close ties with him. “No panel will be set up to investigate into Pol Lt Gen Surachate. The case is closed,” he said, urging reporters to look for the cause of the transfer by themselves.

Police chief Gen Chakthip Chaijinda revealed Pol Lt Gen Sompong would replace Pol Lt Gen Surachate and Pol Lt Gen Wichit Paksa, commander of the Commissioner-General’s Office and police officer attached to the National Security Council, would substitute Pol Lt Gen Sompong as the border patrol police commissioner.

The reshuffle, which involves 55 positions of ranks ranging from major general to general, will take effect after it is published in the Royal Gazette.

Pol Gen Chakthip on April 5 transferred Pol Lt Gen Surachate from the Immigration Bureau to the central operation centre at the National Police Office and removed him from all task forces.

Four days later, the cabinet approved his transfer to the Prime Minister's Office as a civilian, indicating he was removed from the police force. On the same day, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha used his special powers under Section 44 of the interim charter to add him to the list of civil servants suspended pending an investigation for irregularities.

Pol Lt Gen Surachate shot to fame over the past few years after he was assigned several high-profile cases. He regularly held briefings on arrests involving at least 2-3 cases a day, ranging from street racing to illegal entry of some high-profile foreigners. He was deputy chief of tourist police before leading immigration police.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/genera ... e-big-joke
User avatar
Gaybutton
Posts: 21459
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
Location: Thailand
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1306 times

Re: "Big Joke" transferred to an inactive post

Post by Gaybutton »

The following is the first I've seen of the new immigration chief making a statement. Most of it applies to people traveling to Thailand, but not a word yet about the retirement visa problems.
__________________________________

New immigration chief bullish

exclusive interview: 'Big Joke' replacement gets straight to work, writes Wassayos Ngamkham

by: Wassayos Ngamkham

29 April, 2019

Fresh from his move from the Border Patrol Police Bureau, newly appointed Immigration Bureau (IB) commissioner Pol Lt Gen Sompong Chingduang has given assurances that his performance will be up to scratch in his new role.

The former chief of the Border Patrol Police Bureau replaces Pol Lt Gen Surachate "Big Joke" Hakparn, a high-profile crime fighter who was mysteriously transferred from the IB to an inactive position early this month.

Pol Lt Gen Sompong insisted that even though his new job is different from his border patrol work, he will draw on his experience as an investigator with the Crime Suppression Division to boost the IB's efficiency in screening foreign visitors to prevent transnational criminals from sneaking into the country.

"Although I came from the border patrol police, which is a different type of job, the IB already has a well-organised system, with foreign and legal affairs divisions and a coordination unit. The new surroundings here should not be a problem for me,'' he said.

He told the Bangkok Post the IB's job mainly involves safeguarding national security and providing assistance to tourists.

"If we focus too much on security, services for tourists will be affected, but if we are lax about security, the country could become a hideout for transnational criminals,'' Pol Lt Gen Sompong said.

It is necessary for the IB to collaborate and share information with Interpol and the immigration authorities of other countries to keep track of foreign criminal gangs, he said.

"We want to assist good tourists who have purchasing power. They bring income to the country. As for security arrangements, we focus on checking backgrounds of various people with Interpol and immigration authorities in other countries,'' Pol Lt Gen Sompong said.

He also said he had recently instructed the IB's investigation centre to work with other agencies to create a more connected system of logging foreign criminals.

The current priority is to crack down on pickpockets from neighbouring countries who target both Thais and foreign travellers during festivals and other key events, Pol Lt Gen Sompong said, adding authorities had also been told to remain on high alert along border areas with natural channels through which these criminals can pass unmonitored.

He also said the IB is ramping up the use of biometric technology at international airports to guard against transnational criminals. Biometric identification, such as retina scans, will play an increasingly important role in preventing the movement of criminals throughout the region.

On the issue of foreigners seeking asylum and resettlement in Thailand, Pol Lt Gen Sompong cited the recent case of a young Saudi woman who was stopped at Suvarnabhumi airport.

In January, Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunan, 18, had arrived in Bangkok on a flight from Kuwait, saying her family subjected her to physical and psychological abuse. She planned to seek asylum in Australia and feared she would be killed if repatriated by Thai immigration police who stopped her at the airport. Later she was granted asylum by Canada.

Asked whether he will continue with the policies of his predecessor -- Pol Lt Gen Surachate -- who was transferred to the Prime Minister's Office, Pol Lt Gen Sompong said: "We'll continue the good things started by the former IB chief. But if there are still things that need to be changed, we'll fix them for the benefit of the country."

Addressing the issue of North Ko­reans trying to use Thailand as a waypoint to seek refuge in South Korea, Pol Lt Gen Sompong said all foreign nationals will be treated equally.

"We will handle the issue straightforwardly in compliance with rules and regulations. Any foreigners who are in Thailand must follow Thai laws,'' he said.

Asked whether these North Korean refugees will be deported, he said that several aspects of their cases must be considered carefully before his agency decides on a final course of action.

"We have to come up with the best solution so that Thailand will not be affected. Our priority is to put the country's benefits first," Pol Lt Gen Sompong said.

"We will not try to please any particular country, or leave other countries upset. We must try to ensure any solutions are accepted by the international community while also complying with Thai laws."

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/securi ... ef-bullish
Post Reply