Lawmaker Alleges 40 Million Baht Bribery Attempt
A lawmaker alleged that a man offered Digital Economy Minister Chaiyachok 40 million baht to shut down prosecution of online gambling websites, though Chaiyachok denied accepting and no warrant has been issued despite the serious bribery pr
On July 2, 2025, at Parliament, Rangsiman Rom, a list-based member of parliament for the Pheu Thai Party and chairman of the parliamentary committee on law, justice, and human rights, discussed progress in the bribery attempt case involving Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaiyachok Chidchob. Allegedly, a man named Khiew proposed offering Chaiyachok 40 million baht at a rate of 10,000 baht per URL to halt prosecution of 4,000 online gambling websites. Although Chaiyachok denied accepting the bribe and filed a complaint with the Central Investigation Bureau, no warrant has been issued to question Khiew during the 30-day investigation period, with police citing concerns that Khiew might not appear.
Rom identified the alleged intermediaries as Vorasissada Liang Prasitr, formerly a Satun MP, and Chit-ching, an assistant MP from Ayutthaya. He questioned whether Vorasissada was acting as a messenger proposing the bribe or merely reporting the incident, noting that he never filed formal charges despite waiting over 10 days. Rom expressed concern that the mere rejection of the bribe does not erase Khiew's criminal liability, as proposing a bribe itself constitutes a completed offense.
Rom highlighted suspicions of possible collusion, noting that despite the significant sum and number of websites involved, no action has been taken against Khiew. He stated that the case reflects corruption and money laundering issues linked to state agencies, and revealed that Khiew allegedly paid bribes to the Digital Economy ministry before Chaiyachok took office without investigation or warrants. Rom recommended the Anti-Money Laundering Office investigate the financial trail and criticized both the Digital Economy Ministry's internal investigation process and police investigative procedures for their apparent deficiencies.
