Thai Police Scandal Unfolds Amid Gambling Allegations

In a bold move, Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, the former deputy national police chief, testified before the Thai House Committee on State Security, Border Affairs, National Strategies and Reforms, alleging that more than 30 police officers were involved with online gambling syndicates. During his three-hour testimony, Surachate presented financial documents showing money transfers from gambling websites to officers’ personal bank accounts.

Surachate revealed that the same evidence had been submitted to national police chief Pol Gen Kitrat Phanphet in August 2024, but the lack of follow-up led him to escalate the matter to Parliament for transparency. Among those named in the report is a police general identified only as “T,” whose wife, brother, and sister allegedly received funds linked to gambling operations.

The accused officers are believed to include members of a special taskforce established to combat online gambling activities. Surachate, who was dismissed from the police earlier this year, stated that he was acting as a private citizen exercising his right to expose wrongdoing.

He emphasized that his intent was not to tarnish the police as an institution but to address corruption within a limited group of individuals. “The police are not the enemy,” Surachate stated, “but corruption must be confronted.”

The allegations have reignited public debate over Thailand’s long-standing challenges with illegal gambling networks and the effectiveness of anti-corruption measures within its law enforcement agencies.