Top police officers are shaken as 'Big Joke' exposes why gambling bribe issues won't be resolved easily. A former senior officer points out that after filing complaints, silence followed and the investigation system has stalled. The bribery system allows gambling dens to rent out time slots. There is a push to purge gray-area officers who passively profit while monitoring signals for website owners.
Big Joke, Police General Surachate Hakparn, former Deputy National Police Chief, has come forward to expose about 30 police officers accepting benefits from gambling websites. He revealed that he sent a letter to Police General Kittirat Phanpetch, the National Police Chief, on 20 August 2024, but a year later, no action has been taken despite claims of setting up a committee. His whistleblowing has prompted criticism from senior former officers over his harsh language, which they say affects the Royal Thai Police’s image.
Thairath Online’s special investigative team sought further information. Earlier, a senior former officer admitted that there are bad elements within the police and urged the National Police Chief to investigate urgently. Recently, the team contacted Police Major General Suphisarn Phakdinanurat, former commander of the Crime Suppression Division, who said that the evidence Big Joke disclosed was based on investigations but had not progressed in any formal procedures. This is why Big Joke repeated the exposure, expanding the allegations to include 30 others, after his prior submissions were ignored.
The key focus in the Big Joke case now is how the police investigate internally. So far, the media has only reported the story without any internal procedural action to uncover the truth in official records or case files.
The individuals linked to gambling bribery accusations are mostly police officers in high positions, especially in the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD). Big Joke has assessed and traced connections back to former unit chiefs and others involved with financial links. The Royal Thai Police headquarters is aware of these allegations but awaits verification.
Big Joke stated that the submitted evidence must be scrutinized to determine if the testimonies, roughly 300 pages, are preliminary statements. Additional testimony claiming innocence remains subject to the discretion of prosecutors to decide whether to proceed with charges.
When asked why gambling bribes by police have become a focus recently, Police Major General Suphisarn explained that most gambling has moved online, organized into networks called “Khon,” who own gambling dens. These owners rent out time slots on gambling websites, dividing the day into 3–4 shifts, paying rent to the original site operators, who earn income from leasing these periods.
Previously, the main online platform rental was controlled by Inspector Suar, but current intelligence shows that the largest operator is a politician who runs an online gambling platform. This platform allocates segments to provincial 'Khon' to seek local customers, using advertising or customized invitations to attract online gamblers in various forms.
Most police receiving gambling bribes are no longer junior officers at local stations like in the past. Instead, they are officers with online expertise or in units that can directly audit these activities. Though fewer in number, these officers work within networks to facilitate the corruption.
In conclusion, the National Police Chief should thoroughly investigate the disclosed information. If verified, appropriate sanctions must follow; if not, clear explanations should be provided to prevent public distrust.