Thai minister threatens suits over scammer link claims
Thammanat vows legal action in fiery response to fraud allegations
Thailand’s deputy prime minister announced plans to file lawsuits against those linking him to a fugitive scammer at the centre of a major fraud case.
A fiery war of words erupted in Thai politics after Deputy Prime Minister and Agriculture Minister Captain Thammanat Prompao launched a blistering legal counteroffensive against allegations tying him to a fugitive scam ringleader.
Thammanat declared he would file both criminal and civil lawsuits seeking damages in the billions of baht against anyone linking him to Benjamin Mauerberger, also known as Ben Smith, an alleged call centre scam boss who recently fled Thailand.
The agriculture minister said that more than 100 defamation complaints have already been submitted, with over 270 cases pending in Phayao province.
The storm began when People’s Party MP Rangsiman Rome raised questions in Parliament regarding Thammanat’s connection to Smith. Photos of the pair and suggestions of involvement with so-called “grey businesses” circulated, drawing sharp rebuttals from the minister.
“Is the scammer crazy? Would a person like me get involved with a scammer?” Thammanat retorted.
He stressed that he earns a legitimate income, pays his taxes, and is fully transparent about his finances.
Thammanat accused Rangsiman of being politically motivated, hinting that unnamed backers may be behind the parliamentary ambush.
“Were you paid by someone to take on this job?” he asked, pointing to alleged rivalries within “energy groups.”
He dismissed the now-viral photographs of himself with Smith as a distortion.
“It was just dramatising an act of goodness.”
Promising a legal reckoning, Thammanat warned his critics:
“Don’t come playing games with me—your mouth is brave, but your legs will shake.”
He also targeted media outlets reporting on the controversy, accusing them of spreading “fake news” and promising they “will face trouble,” reported The Nation.
He confirmed he is ready to appear before the House Committee on State Security to defend himself, but made one thing clear:
“If you dare to fight me, be ready to have dinner in Phayao court. Don’t come asking for my apology—I won’t accept it.”
The embattled minister revealed that several business figures also plan to launch lawsuits tied to the affair, further escalating the legal and political drama.
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