Thai police officers try to bribe deputy police chief for promotions, send money to an imposter instead
Suspect appeared credible after the first officer, who paid a one million baht bribe was promoted, but this was a coincidence
Several police officers in Thailand face investigation and possibly serious disciplinary action after paying about 5 million baht (US$156,000) for promotions to a person they believed to be the high-profile deputy tourist police chief Surachate Hakparn, aka Big Joke.
The real Big Joke told a news conference at the Royal Thai Police Office in Bangkok that the imposter was actually taxi driver Paijit Saiya, 40.
Mr Paijit created an account on chat app LINE using Pol Maj Gen Surachate’s photo, and pretended to be him. The suspect first contacted Pol Lt Col Pong-anant Chubram, investigative superintendent in Nakhon Phanom province, in 2014.
He then developed a relationship through the chat application and phone calls with six other police officers, including Pol Col Ukkrit Songchaisa-nguan, deputy commander of Kalasin provincial police.
Before the 2016 police reshuffle, Pol Col Ukkrit paid one million baht (US$31,000) to the suspect, asking for a promotion. Pol Col Ukkrit was promoted, but that was based on his proven capabilities, Pol Maj Gen Surachate said.
However, the promotion made the chat line Big Joke credible. Later five other police officers followed suit.
Pol Lt Col Pong-anant gathered 4.21 million baht in total from the five officers and Pol Col Ukkrit, who wanted another promotion in the 2017 reshuffle. Their payments ranged from 100,000 (US$3,119) to 2.5 million baht (US$780,000) each. The policemen were from the level of a squad leader to a deputy commander.
