Former Democrat MP Claims Bhumjaithai Received Donations Before MP Swearing-In
Former Democrat MP Sirichok Sopa alleges that Bhumjaithai MP Suchada Sang Thaenthap donated 150,000 baht to the party before becoming an MP, questioning how Parliament could deduct a salary for a non‑MP. He notes the donations stopped after she moved to a different ministry, raising doubts about the funds' source. Sirichok calls on the party to provide a full explanation of its donation‑receipt system.
On 15 October 2069, former Songkhla MP Sirichok Sopa posted on his Facebook page Sirichok Sopa, addressing the Bhumjaithai Party's response to allegations about donations from MP Suchada Sang Thaenthap of Chaiyaphum. He wrote: "How can Parliament deduct an MP's salary for the party before she becomes an MP? I dug a pit and today the Bhumjaithai spokesperson walked right into it!
After exposing a list of Suchada's donations totaling 150,000 baht to Bhumjaithai, the party's spokesperson quickly claimed the money was a clean salary deduction through Parliament, not "dark money." Having been an MP before, Sirichok said he knows how salary deductions work and that is why he chose to reveal the donations made before Suchada became an MP.
He provided documents showing that from January to June 2068 Suchada donated 10,000 baht per month, totalling 60,000 baht, while she held a position as secretary to the Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation and had not yet been an MP. He asked how Parliament could deduct salary for someone not yet an MP.
The donations ceased after July 2068, even after she was appointed secretary to the Minister of Digital Economy and Society. Sirichok questioned why the donation stream stopped when she moved ministries, wondering if the higher education ministry had a payroll‑deduction system for party contributions that the digital ministry lacked, or if the contributions were simply voluntary.
He stressed that he is not alleging illegality, only seeking clarity on the money's origin, who paid it, and what system the party uses to receive donations from office‑holders. Sirichok said he disclosed both the pre‑MP donations and the later salary deductions to force the party to explain every period. He challenged the Bhumjaithai spokesperson to verify the dates in his documents before asserting all funds came from MP salary deductions, insisting the issue is the accuracy of the party's explanation, not the amount.
