Thai MP and police accused of involvement in 2.5 billion baht online gambling network
Big Joke’s claim reignites scandal over MP’s alleged role in gambling operations
A political activist accused a Member of Parliament (MP) from the Klatham Party and several police officers of involvement in and benefiting from online gambling operations with more than 2.5 billion baht in circulation.
Recently, former Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police (RTP), Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, gave an interview to the media in which he accused a southern politician, referred to only as “Ch.,” of being connected to online gambling.
Although Big Joke did not reveal the politician’s full identity, public speculation quickly focused on Chonnaput Naksua, an MP from the Klatham Party.
Chonnaput later stepped forward to deny the accusation, insisting that his financial transactions had been thoroughly investigated before he assumed his parliamentary seat.
The leader of the Klatham Party, Thammanat Prompow, also defended his party member, saying that Chonnaput had already faced similar accusations in the past and the investigation had been concluded. Nevertheless, the case continues to attract significant public attention.
Yesterday, political activist and President of the Crime Victim Assistance Club, Atchariya Rueangrattanapong, visited the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to submit evidence regarding Chonnaput’s alleged involvement in the online gambling network.
Following the submission, Atchariya spoke to the media and presented what he claimed to be financial connections between the gambling operator and Chonnaput, as well as several of his family members.
He further alleged that Chonnaput had admitted to wrongdoing and had attempted to negotiate with him over the past two days to settle the issue privately. However, Atchariya said he refused to negotiate or accept any offers.
The activist also called on Chonnaput to resign from the Police Affairs Committee, step down as an MP, and withdraw from politics permanently.
In addition to the gambling allegations, Atchariya accused the MP of having links to drug trafficking networks. He said he would file another petition with the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) to seize assets allegedly connected to online gambling, money laundering, and other illegal activities.
According to Atchariya, the financial transactions he uncovered also implicated several police officers, particularly within the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, who are supposed to be cracking down on illegal gambling.
He accused these officers of holding repeated press conferences about gambling crackdowns without ever forwarding the cases to court.
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