PUBLISHED : 21 Jan 2026 at 20:20

A lawyer representing former deputy police chief Surachate Hakparn displays a complaint against Pol Lt Col Krit Priyaket at the Central Investigation Bureau on Wednesday evening. (Photo: Wassayos Ngamkham)

Former deputy police chief Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn has filed a complaint accusing a former aide of making a false report, just hours after the latter lodged an assault complaint against him.

Sanyapatchara Samart, a lawyer for Pol Gen Surachate, filed the complaint against Pol Lt Col Krit Priyaket at the Central Investigation Bureau on Wednesday evening, saying his client wanted police to pursue the case.

Mr Sanyapatchara questioned why the alleged assault was only being reported now, given that Pol Lt Col Krit claimed the incident took place in 2017 — nearly nine years ago. He suggested the timing of the complaint raised questions about possible ulterior motives.

Pol Lt Col Krit alleged that Pol Gen Surachate slapped him on the left ear so hard that his eardrum ruptured in February 2017, subsequently leaving him with permanent hearing loss in that ear.

Another officer who previously worked for Pol Gen Surachate, Pol Col Aris Kooprasitrat, also accused him of emotional abuse causing him to suffer depression.

Mr Sanyapatchara said the alleged psychological abuse may be linked to Pol Col Aris having “switched sides” politically.

“Pol Col Aris will be the next to get a counter-complaint,” the lawyer said.

On Thursday, Mr Sanyapatchara said he would go to the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases to file a lawsuit — on Pol Gen Surachate’s behalf — against police investigators in charge of a bribery case against him.

The former deputy chief has been accused of ordering the delivery of gold bars worth 16 million baht to a member of the National Anti-Corruption Commission tasked with investigating earlier allegations of wrongdoing.

Pol Gen Surachate has long alleged that there was an organised campaign to block his path to the police chief’s position. The charges that ultimately led to his dismissal from the force were fabricated, he has claimed.

In November he took his accusations a step further, calling the police “the largest criminal gang in Thailand”, which has led to even more lawsuits.