House Committee Probes Crypto Gambling Money Trail, Bhumjaithai MPs Boycott

The House Committee on Law, Justice and Human Rights, chaired by list-MP Rangsiman Rome of the People's Party, met at 09:35 on October 29 at Parliament to continue tracking financial flows linked to online gambling. Invitees included Suchada Saengthan, Taiyang Saeng, former Democrat MP Sirichok Sopha, and agencies such as the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DE).

Before the hearing, Sirichok told reporters that investigators had not targeted any specific company but sought money trails where Thai firms were used to gamble on shuffle.com. They found over 100 million baht passing through Bitkub, which confirmed the transactions, and onward to Maxbit, which also verified the flow. Sirichok called for the SEC to tighten oversight of crypto businesses — not to penalize legitimate trading but to curb money laundering and gambling-related transactions.

Sirichok distinguished legal crypto trading from illegal gambling use: buying crypto is no more illegal than buying dollars, but converting it to gamble violates the Gambling Act B.E. 2478. Asked whether Bhumjaithai MPs would walk out again, he said it depended on whether list-MP Supachai Chaisamut had finished submitting his asset declaration, adding they were not personally close despite a long acquaintance.

On KYC procedures, Sirichok noted these firms can employ blockchain analytics tools to flag risky transactions and block them, a practice the SEC will mandate in 2027 but which he believes should already be standard.

Reporters were barred from recording the session to allow agencies to speak freely. Rangsiman said the DE Minister sent a letter citing official duties and delegated the permanent secretary, but contact had not yet been established. Suchada and her husband did not respond to the summons. Only two of five Bhumjaithai committee MPs attended — Natthachon Srikoko (Songkhla) and Rinlita Adisorn (list) — while Pheu Thai and Kla Tham party MPs were also absent.