The Battle of the Bigs – Big Joke told to hand in his uniform by Big Tu

Thai Rath reported in their headline that Big Joke had been told to hand in his police uniform. 

Big Tu – the prime minister Gen Prayut Chan-ocha had condemned him to just being a civil servant from now on. 

While Big Pom – deputy PM and defense minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan – cried off with tummy trouble.

And Big Pe – national police chief Gen Chakthip Chaijinda – remained tight-lipped and cancelled a meeting. 

His deputy Srivara Rangsibrahmanakul was only slightly more forthcoming – but he told reporters not to speculate as he issued plenty of denials.

None of the Bigs were prepared to reveal the nature of any charges against the former immigration chief – though now it is known he is on a list of officials under investigation. 

Meanwhile the man at the center of all the drama – Lt-Gen Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn – the former poster boy of the Royal Thai Police, shuffled around quietly reporting to one place and another like a naughty schoolboy. 

He ended the day at 4.45 reporting for duty in a ten minute encounter with deputy PM Visanu Krua-ngarm to accept his role as “special adviser” in the PM’s office. 

Visanu said very little after except to tell people that Surachate had met with him.

Thai Rath presented a tumultuous day of comings and goings in a timeline from 8.30 pm to early evening. 

The upshot was that none of the “Bigs” were saying anything of note and thus the speculation was as rife as ever. 

Thaivisa notes that with a planned meeting at 1.30 pm today also cancelled until further notice it remains to be seen when the press and a baying Thai as well as foreign public are going to be any the wiser on what has caused this abrupt fall from grace of Big Joke. 

Thai Visa / Thai Rath

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