Court Revokes Bail for Extortion Suspect Over Witness Threats
The Criminal Court has cancelled bail for Achariya Ruangratanaphong in one extortion case after provincial police said he threatened a police witness with phone calls in May. A second extortion case is set for a hearing on November 25 to decide whether his bail will also be revoked. Achariya remains in custody while the proceedings continue.
On October 8 at the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road, reporters said that on October 7 the court brought forward Achariya Ruangratanaphong, chairman of the Crime Victims Assistance Club and suspect in fraud and money‑laundering cases, who had been detained by the Cyber Police and held at Bangkok Remand Prison after being denied temporary release. He appeared for a hearing after the Provincial Police’s Investigation Division filed a request on October 5 to cancel his temporary release in two extortion cases (case numbers black‑letter An.2186/2569 and 1561/2569), which have been previously reported. The request said Achariya had threatened a police witness in May, calling and warning the officer to “watch out” and that he would “get revenge,” causing fear; the witness filed a complaint. During the witness questioning on October 7, Achariya was brought in to hear the order. Afterward, the Criminal Court ordered the cancellation of temporary release for one case and set a hearing for November 25 to decide whether to cancel bail in the second case. As a result, Achariya now has two cases for which the court has denied bail.
