Thailand, March 11th, 2025 — Pol. Lt. Gen. Archayon Kraithong, spokesperson for the Royal Thai Police (RTP), announced that Pol. Gen. Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, the former Deputy National Police Chief, has been officially dismissed from service along with four other officers.
The dismissal followed the recommendation of a disciplinary committee chaired by the most senior deputy police chief and all other deputy chiefs.
The committee found grounds for dismissal after a disciplinary investigation and proposed the action to the national police chief, Pol. Gen. Kitrat Phanphet, who signed the order. The decision has been reported to the Police Civil Service Commission (PCSC), which can either endorse or amend the order.
Surachate has 30 days to appeal the decision with the Merit System Protection Commission (MSPC), which has 120 days to review the case, extendable by 60 days twice.
If the MSPC rules in his favor, Surachate must be reinstated within 30 days. If the MSPC upholds the dismissal, Surachate can take the case to the Administrative Court within 90 days.
