Big Joke changes name for better luck amid gambling scandal

The Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police (RTP), Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, changed his name, adding one more letter for better luck.

Big Joke was recently removed from his position following an alleged involvement in a gambling and money laundering operation. It is alleged there were financial connections between him and a gambling network.

The deputy commissioner denied all the allegations and claimed that a conflict within the RTP led someone to undermine and ruin his good name and reputation. These allegations affected the outcome of a promotion as RTP commissioner during the recent selection last year.

Big Joke refused to step down from his position, continuing to fight for justice. He has called for an investigation into the legality and fairness of the order to remove him but there have been no public updates on the investigation as yet.

This is not the first time Big Joke has faced career challenges on his path to becoming the RTP Commissioner. According to a report by The Standard, he was accused of accepting a bribe in a human trafficking case at a karaoke bar in Isaan in 2010, though he was later exonerated.

In 2019, Big Joke was reassigned from his role as Director of the Immigration Bureau to a position as an advisor to the Prime Minister’s Office. He was appointed as an assistant to the RTP Commissioner in 2021 and subsequently became the RTP Deputy Commissioner.

Big Joke faced another issue in 2023 after his home was raided due to his alleged involvement in the gambling operation, and his financial transactions, which were allegedly connected with the gambling ring, were found this year.

After multiple crises in his life, Big Joke decided to seek better luck with a new auspicious name. In Thai, his former name was spelt as สุรเชษฐ์. For his new name, Big Joke added one Thai letter, “ช”, making it สุรเชชษฐ์.

Several news agencies raised questions about the pronunciation of his new name. Some speculated that after the change it would be pronounced as Surachatesa or Surachaechot. However, Big Joke assured yesterday, July 30, that his name would be pronounced the same as Surachate.