26-9-2023 (BANGKOK) Police in Thailand executed a series of raids targeting an illegal online gambling network called “Betflix.” These covert operations across six provinces led to the search of approximately 30 locations, including the central Bangkok residence of Deputy National Police Chief Surachate Hakparn, one of the country’s most prominent law enforcement officers.
Most forms of gambling are illegal in Thailand, and authorities have been diligently working to dismantle illicit gambling websites, often owned by foreign entities, that have proliferated in recent years.
Surachate, who is well-known in Thailand for his frequent media appearances to provide updates on investigations, categorically denied any involvement in the alleged gambling ring. He confidently told reporters that he had no concerns because he was not connected to the illegal activities.
Police Major General Trairong Phiwpan explained that these raids were a result of an investigation into a gambling website named “Betflix” and its 12 subsidiary sites. He noted that investigators had issued 23 arrest warrants, including eight for police officers. However, Surachate claimed that he was not among the officers with warrants against them.
During the raid, officers at Surachate’s house initially were unaware of whose residence they were searching. Known by the nickname “Big Joke” (for his seniority rather than his sense of humour), Surachate questioned the “irregular” search warrant for his home and suggested that the operation was driven by internal politics within the police force.
This incident comes just days before the selection of a new police chief, with Surachate rumored as a potential candidate. He has earned the nickname “the cat with nine lives” due to his longstanding career and connections to influential figures in the previous government.
Surachate was appointed as the Chief of the Immigration Bureau by former Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan in September 2018. In 2019, he disappeared from public view for unclear reasons, but he resurfaced in 2021 as a special adviser on police strategy under then-Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s administration.
The current Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin, who assumed office last month, acknowledged that he was closely monitoring the situation. He stated that there might be a need to establish an independent investigation committee because of the significance of the issue, emphasizing that it impacts public perception and morale regarding the police.
The Thai police have been plagued by allegations of endemic corruption for an extended period.
