Thailand is no stranger to police corruption, but allegations linking former national police chief Torsak Sukvimol to a massive bribery scandal have stunned the public.
A seven-month inquiry launched by the Police Complaint Review Board has found sufficient evidence to charge Torsak and over 200 fellow officers with disciplinary offences over bribery involving online gambling networks.
The board, which includes several retired police generals, is set to pursue misconduct cases based on evidence and documents gathered from multiple agencies, as well as a detailed review of financial records spanning several years.
The case stems from a complaint filed in March 2024 by celebrity lawyer Sittra Biabungkerd, who accused the then-police chief of involvement in bribe-taking from illegal gambling syndicates. Sittra has since been remanded in custody on fraud and money laundering charges following his arrest in November last year.
Bitter feud at the top
Torsak, 61, served as Thailand’s top cop for a year from 2023 to 2024 but his tenure was marred by a bitter feud with his most senior deputy, Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn.
The two most senior policemen at the time accused each other of profiting from online casino operators. As their conflict spilled into public view, threatening the force’s image and morale, then-PM Srettha Thavisin transferred both men to inactive posts at the Prime Minister’s Office and ordered an investigation.
The feud, which erupted during their fierce battle for the top job in the Royal Thai Police, eventually saw Surachate dismissed from the police force and Torsak suspended from duty until his mandatory retirement in September 2024.
In 2023, just days before the Police Commission was due to nominate a new national police chief, Surachate’s Bangkok house was among multiple locations raided by cybercrime officers investigating money laundering and online gambling.
The Police Commission subsequently chose Torsak, the least senior of the deputy chiefs among the four candidates, as the new police chief. Surachate was considered the most senior candidate despite being seven years younger than Torsak.
Critics claimed Torsak was not the best candidate for the post and that his appointment breached existing rules and regulations.
Unlike most other top police commanders, Torsak is not a graduate of the Royal Police Cadet Academy. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Thammasat University and a master’s in liberal arts from Sripatum University.
Torsak was born on January 27, 1964, in Phetchaburi province as the youngest of five siblings. Among his elder brothers is ACM Satitpong Sukvimol, private secretary to His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn, as well as grand chamberlain of the Royal Household Bureau and director-general of the Crown Property Bureau.
Pursuing childhood dream
Torsak began his career at the petroleum company Caltex, where he reportedly earned almost 100,000 baht a month. He quit after seven years with the oil multinational to pursue his childhood dream of a police career.
In late 1997, Torsak attended an officer training course for non-graduates of the Royal Police Cadet Academy. He joined the police force in February 1998 at the age of 33, serving as a deputy inspector at the Patrol and Special Operations Division.
Two years later, he transferred to the Crime Suppression Division (CSD), where he worked for 17 years. He was promoted to the rank of inspector and then deputy commander of the CSD, overseeing important tasks such as crowd control, special commando operations, and security for royal family members.
In May 2016, he was promoted to superintendent with the rank of police colonel, then continued his rapid rise through “fast-track promotions” that appeared to bypass Police Commission regulations.
In March 2018, he was appointed deputy commander of the CSD. In October that same year, he became commander of the Police Royal Guards 904 Division, which is attached to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), despite the post being reserved for candidates who have served as deputy commander for at least five years.
In 2019, he was appointed deputy commissioner of the CIB, rising to commissioner in October 2020 even though he was one of the least senior candidates.
He was promoted to assistant national police chief in 2021, deputy chief in 2022, and finally police chief in 2023.
After being appointed CIB commissioner, Torsak remarked that he never expected to “come this far”. Three years later, he rose even higher and reached the top post in his profession – just 25 years from his first day as a policeman.
