Anti-Corruption Commission Identifies Boonthong with Unusual Wealth of 107 Million Baht Linked to Rice Pledging Fraud; Seeks Asset Seizure
The National Anti-Corruption Commission has indicted former Commerce Minister Boonthong Teriraphirom for accumulating 107 million baht in unexplained wealth during his oversight of Thailand's rice pledging program, seeking asset seizure thr
On May 18, 2025, Surapong Intharawat, Secretary-General of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), announced that the NACC has resolved to indict Boonthong Teriraphirom, former Commerce Minister, for unusual wealth accumulation totaling 107,020,830 baht. During his tenure from January 18, 2012 to June 30, 2013, while serving as Vice Chairman of the National Rice Policy Committee and Chairman of the Rice Distribution Sub-committee, he reported legitimate income from salary and position allowances of only 2,083,320 baht, with his spouse earning an additional 200,000 baht annually in land rental income. However, investigation revealed substantial unexplained bank deposits across multiple accounts held by him, his spouse, children, and two companies he founded where his mother-in-law had withdrawal authority. Supreme Court final judgments in criminal cases numbered Amorndham 25/2558, 1/2559, 178/2560, and 179/2560 confirmed Boonthong committed fraud in the rice pledging program and state-to-state (G to G) rice sales, causing severe damage to the national budget. The identified assets include 300,000 baht in his name, 3.1 million in his spouse's accounts, 70.6 million in his children's accounts, and 33 million in two company accounts. The NACC has determined all 107,020,830 baht in assets constitute unusual wealth and has referred the case to the Attorney General to petition the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Politicians to order asset forfeiture to the state under the 2017 Anti-Corruption Organization Act, Section 118.
