DSI Won't Seek Arrest Warrant for Phawut After Lawyer Requests Court Date Postponement

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) issued a second summons to Phawut Pongwithayapanu, a People's Party MP list candidate, in a forex investment fraud case after his lawyer requested the court appearance be postponed to August 3. On July 31, 2569, at DSI headquarters on Chaeng Watthana Road in Bangkok, the Special Investigation Task Force issued summonses to 22 suspects, including Phawut and actor Rathapum Tokongthrap (Film), in an unauthorized forex trading scheme. Charges include conspiracy to defraud the public, operating an unlicensed securities brokerage, conducting unregistered futures trading, entering false data into computer systems, and money laundering conspiracies. On July 24, Phawut authorized his attorney Phirat Treepeach to file documents requesting postponement of the initial summons, explaining he had received the summons on short notice and needed time to gather documents, and was also tied up with parliamentary committee meetings. The DSI approved the second summons for July 31 instead. In a telephone interview, Phawut said he was attending committee meetings and had not yet appeared before investigators, but his team submitted documents requesting the appearance be rescheduled to August 3, which he confirmed he would attend. At 10:50 a.m., Phawut sent his staff member Aphichest Thabutr to submit documents requesting the second summons be postponed from July 31 to August 3. Actor Rathapum Tokongthrap (Film) was originally summoned for August 3 at 10:00 a.m. and has not yet requested a postponement. The DSI confirmed it will not seek an arrest warrant for Phawut because he has previously appeared voluntarily before investigators and has informed the DSI he will not appear on July 31, so this does not constitute defying the summons. The rescheduled appointment remains August 3.