Thailand: Former police chief accused in massive corruption scandal

Former Thai police chief Torsak Sukvimol is the subject of a corruption investigation involving more than 200 police officers .

Corruption problems within the Thai police force regularly make national headlines, and many voices are calling for a thorough reform of a corrupt institution.

See: Thai police scandals call for reform

A seven-month investigation by the Police Complaints Review Commission found enough evidence to indict Torsak Sukvimol and more than 200 of his colleagues.

They are accused of disciplinary offences related to bribery involving online gambling networks.

The commission, which includes several retired police generals, is tasked with prosecuting cases of professional misconduct based on evidence and documents collected from several agencies, as well as a detailed review of financial records covering several years.

The case originated from a complaint filed in March 2024 by the renowned lawyer Sittra Biabungkerd, who accused the then-police chief of being linked to corruption cases involving illegal gambling syndicates.

See: Corruption in Thailand: Evidence leads to police chief's wife

Sittra has since been placed in pretrial detention for fraud and money laundering following his arrest last November.

A bitter feud at the top of the Thai police force

Former National Police Chief Torsak Sukvimol and former Deputy National Police Chief Surachate Hakparn at a press conference in June 2024. Photo: Royal Thai Police.

Torsak, 61, served as Thailand's police chief for a year, from 2023 to 2024, but his tenure was marred by a bitter feud with his top deputy, General Surachate Hakparn.

Surachate, known for effectively fighting corruption, did not hesitate to attack high-ranking individuals, making him a danger to corrupt politicians and police officers.

He was the one who should have been appointed police chief instead of Torsak, but internal maneuvers removed him from the position.

The two top police officials at the time accused each other of profiting from online casino operators.

Surachate was quickly dismissed in June 2024 due to his " alleged links " with these networks and it took 19 months for police to reach a conclusion on an investigation into Torsak based on evidence provided in March 2024.

According to some speculation, General Torsak attacked General Surachate and his team because they had pursued corrupt police officers in the case of the mafia boss nicknamed Kamnan Nok.

In this case, two police officers, one incorruptible and one corrupt, lost their lives while working under General Torsak.

See: Mafia boss has incorruptible agent killed in front of 28 police officers in Thailand

According to Surachate's men, the corrupt policeman was "suicided" because he was ready to talk, which endangered high-ranking officials, and he was a close associate of Torsak.

Following this conflict, the then Prime Minister, Strettha Thavisin, transferred the two men to inactive posts within the Prime Minister's office and ordered an investigation.

The dispute ultimately led to Surachate's dismissal from the police force and Torsak's suspension until his mandatory retirement in September 2024.

See: Good news for all corrupt police officers in Thailand

In 2023, a few days before the Police Commission appointed a new National Police Chief, Surachate's house in Bangkok was raided by cybercrime officers investigating money laundering and online gambling.

See: Attack on Thailand's police 'clean man'

Surachate denied these allegations, claiming they were concocted by rivals within the police force to block his path to the position of police chief.

Srettha Thavisin and the Police Commission then chose Torsak, the least senior of the four candidates for deputy chief, as the new police chief.

Surachate was the most senior candidate who should have been appointed to the position, but the search of his home allowed him to be sidelined.

Critics claimed that Torsak was not the best candidate for the position and that his appointment violated existing rules and regulations.

According to a retired police officer, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, now in prison , was allegedly involved in this case.

See: Police War in Thailand: The Shadow of Thaksin Shinawatra?

Torsak's incredible rise within the Thai police force

Police General Torsak Sukvimol.

Unlike most other senior police officials, Torsak is not a graduate of the Royal Police Cadet Academy.

He holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Thammasat University and a master's degree in liberal arts from Sripatum University.

Among his elder brothers is ACM Satitpong Sukvimol, Private Secretary to His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn , Grand Chamberlain of the Royal Household Office and Director General of the Crown Property Office.

Torsak was born on January 27, 1964 in the province of Phetchaburi, the youngest of five children.

Torsak began his career at the oil company Caltex, where he reportedly earned nearly 100,000 baht (2,675 euros) per month.

He resigned after seven years with the multinational oil company to pursue his childhood dream: a career in the police force.

At the end of 1997, Torsak underwent officer training intended for non-graduates of the Royal Police Cadet Academy.

He joined the police force in February 1998, at the age of 33, as an assistant inspector in the Patrols and Special Operations Division.

Two years later, he was transferred to the Crime Suppression Division (CSD), where he worked for 17 years.

He was promoted to the rank of inspector, then deputy commander of the CSD, overseeing important tasks such as crowd control, special commando operations and the security of members of the royal family.

In May 2016, he was promoted to the rank of commissioner with the rank of police colonel, and then continued his rapid rise through "accelerated promotions" that appeared to circumvent the regulations of the Police Commission.

In March 2018, he was appointed deputy commander of the CSD.

In October of the same year, he became commander of the 904th division of the Royal Guard of the Police, which is attached to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CIB), although this position is reserved for candidates who have held the position of deputy commander for at least five years.

In 2019, he was appointed Deputy Commissioner of the IBC, then Commissioner in October 2020, even though he was one of the least experienced candidates.

He was promoted to deputy chief of the national police in 2021, deputy chief in 2022, and finally chief of police in 2023.

After being appointed IBC commissioner, Torsak said he never expected to "go this far".

Three years later, he climbed even higher and reached the highest position in his profession, only 25 years after starting his career in the police force.

See also:

Thailand: 9 police officers killed in plane crashes due to corruption

Thailand: From executioner to victim, a corrupt police officer caught up with his karma

Thailand: Police gang arrested for extorting expatriates

Thailand appoints new national police chief

Corruption in Thailand: Many police officers are heavily in debt

Source: Thai PBS World