Digital Economy Minister Skips Sixth Committee Hearing on 40 Million Baht Bribery Allegations

On 17 September 2025 at parliament, Rangsiman Rome, a party-list MP and deputy leader of the Pheu Thai Party and chair of the House Legal Affairs, Justice and Human Rights Committee, spoke to reporters before the hearing. The committee had summoned Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaiyachon Chidchob and Interior Ministry Permanent Secretary Worrasit Liangprasit to clarify allegations of a 40 million baht bribe related to online gambling enforcement. However, Chaiyachon sent the Permanent Secretary of the Digital Economy Ministry in his place, citing schedule conflicts. This marks the sixth time the committee has called the minister; Worrasit had indicated he would attend but requested to arrive late, though any arrival after 10:00 a.m. would be considered non-attendance due to legal procedures.

Rangsiman noted that while the committee has the authority to summon specific individuals, delegating representation raises questions, especially in such a sensitive matter involving direct parliamentary statements and allegations against multiple people down a chain of responsibility. "I'm still not entirely sure whether the Digital Economy minister understands the gravity of this issue, given he keeps sending others," Rangsiman said. "Interior Ministry Permanent Secretary Worrasit in the past sent no one because he understood he couldn't delegate someone on this—other ministry officials would lack knowledge. It needs to be clear whether the Digital Economy minister actually grasps the problem or why he keeps sending people unlikely to answer for the facts."

When asked how the matter would conclude if the minister did not provide information, Rangsiman stated that the committee had begun to doubt the facts: whether the allegation—that gambling website operators were bribing the minister with 40 million baht monthly—was true, or merely vague claims and false statements created to misuse parliament as a platform. "But whoever speaks this way in parliament carries a legal duty to address it. If there are no facts whatsoever, it is tantamount to lying, and there will be legal consequences." Rangsiman said the committee had gathered substantial evidence from police and other sources and was seeking to give the minister every opportunity before proceeding further, though the matter should not be difficult to resolve given the seriousness of bribery accusations against someone overseeing gambling enforcement.