BANGKOK, THAILAND – A prominent anti-corruption lawyer submitted extensive evidence of alleged bribery, position trading and money laundering to the leadership of the Royal Thai Police and called for immediate investigations.
Lawyer delivers dossiers to national police chief
Anti-corruption advocate and victims’ lawyer Atchariya Ruangrattanapong, known in Thailand as “Genius”, again filed documents at Royal Thai Police headquarters, targeting senior officers with allegations of bribe payments, extortion and the sale of posts. The files were to be forwarded to national police commissioner Gen. Kittirat Phanphet, following a formal petition Atchariya had already submitted on 18 November 2025 over alleged bribery linked to online gambling and the trade in police positions. He said he would personally substantiate his claims before the Police Committee and the Police Commission on 26 November.
Online gambling, fake accounts and alleged extortion
According to Atchariya, a police colonel had created fake accounts on gambling websites and extorted money in more than 300 cases, which he initially believed the officer had carried out alone. The petition placed particular focus on the deputy commander of Police Region 5, who was alleged to have received 2 million baht from an online gambling site, while other colonels, including a former head of an investigative unit in Region 2, were also named. The alleged incidents fell within the period when Prasert Chantarawongthong served as minister of digital economy and society.
Forged documents and systematic kickback demands
Documents submitted by Atchariya stated that police officers had forged official letters to seize accounts belonging to gambling sites and then demanded that account holders surrender 50% of their balances. A deputy inspector of the Technology Crime Suppression Division was alleged to have seized online gambling accounts in more than 300 cases, demanding 100,000 baht each time. Atchariya declined to say whether his lists implicated direct superiors but stressed that a single deputy inspector could not, in his words,
“manage such a large amount of money alone.”
said Atchariya Ruangrattanapong, lawyer.
Calls for probes and disciplinary transfers
Atchariya asked the national police chief to set up an investigative committee for all named cases and to transfer implicated officers to the Royal Thai Police Operations Centre while strict disciplinary measures were considered during the current transfer season. He emphasised that his evidence had already been reviewed by the Department of Special Investigation and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, stating,
“The evidence has been available since 2024 and extends to the present.”
said Atchariya Ruangrattanapong, lawyer. He accused the officers concerned of violating their official duties.
Allegations against commanders in Regions 8 and beyond
Beyond Region 5, another complaint targeted the commander of Police Region 8, whom Atchariya accused of demanding benefits in connection with transfers and appointments, prompting the national police commissioner to convene an urgent meeting on 17 November. The activist said he personally knew the general and could confirm his behaviour, alleging that after becoming regional commander the officer had demanded a 20–30% increase in bribe payments, causing discontent among subordinates. Later reports suggested that 8 million baht had allegedly been demanded for the promotion of other officers to higher ranks.
Position trading up to general rank
Atchariya said he possessed evidence of position trading across the Royal Thai Police, claiming promotions from deputy superintendent to superintendent had cost 5–7 million baht. Such payments were said to allow officers to choose coveted postings. Upcoming appointments from deputy commanders down to inspector level were scheduled for 28 November within the 2025 fiscal year, and Atchariya predicted that publication of his evidence could disrupt the promotion process.
Money flows, proxies and cryptocurrency
According to Atchariya, some officers had posed as other individuals to facilitate position trading. He highlighted the alleged involvement of a former police lieutenant general, now head of the complaint panel of the National Police Commission, and a civilian woman who had allegedly acted in her husband’s name. The lawyer submitted financial evidence to the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), speaking of 2.5 billion baht in assets linked to politicians and their networks, with overall money flows in the network possibly exceeding 15 billion baht.
AMLO filings on crypto-linked laundering
On 17 November, Atchariya handed additional documents to AMLO alleging that a network had laundered more than 1 billion baht and concealed funds via cryptocurrencies. The evidence covered the period from 2020 to the present. He sharply criticised Songkhla provincial police for forwarding only 36 million baht in assets to AMLO, questioning their approach to seizures in light of his own stated figure of at least 2.5 billion baht and urging that all relevant assets be confiscated.
Questions over seizures in thousands of gambling cases
Atchariya filed another AMLO complaint against Pol. Lt. Gen. Trairong Phiwpaen, now deputy inspector general of the Royal Thai Police and former chief of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau. He questioned the seizure of assets from more than 2,000 online gambling cases, alleging that only about 10% had been forwarded to AMLO and that some suspects had been released back into society. He accused certain officers of helping suspects manage their assets.
Political ties and claims against senior figures
The lawyer also presented documents that allegedly linked Songkhla MP Chonnapat Naksua (Klatham) to gambling and possible money laundering, calling on AMLO to seize the 2.5 billion baht he cited based on money flows since 2020. Further allegations were directed at Pol. Gen. Winai Thongsong, member of the Royal Thai Police Commission, licensed boxing promoter and operator of a registered boxing stadium, with Atchariya claiming to hold evidence of supposed fight-fixing tied to bets worth 12 million baht. Winai denied any involvement in such betting, while Atchariya said he would not file a separate lawsuit against him, explaining,
“I have already been involved in more than 300 court cases.”
said Atchariya Ruangrattanapong, lawyer.
Distancing himself from ‘Big Joke’
Atchariya stressed that he was not acting on behalf of former deputy police chief Pol. Gen. Surachate Hakparn, known as “Big Joke”. He announced that at the 26 November meeting he would raise questions about alleged 300 million baht in gold purchases attributed to Surachate. He also made clear he had never been paid to withhold evidence and was acting independently of individual officers or politicians.
AMLO: seizures based solely on evidence
Suthisak Suman, director of AMLO’s legal department and deputy spokesperson, said the agency would act if the information submitted by Atchariya substantiated criminal networks, stating,
“Discrepancies between previously seized assets and the current evidence would support additional measures.”
said Suthisak Suman, AMLO deputy spokesperson. AMLO reiterated that asset seizures were based solely on evidence, not orders, and that each seizure was reviewed by a committee including judges and legal experts, with assets liable to confiscation regardless of whether they belonged to police, officials or private individuals.
Wide-ranging investigations and political fallout
According to Atchariya, ongoing and planned investigations covered online gambling and alleged police extortion, position trading and bribery for promotions and preferred postings, money laundering through bank accounts and cryptocurrencies, financial ties to politicians and their circles, and potential failures in asset seizures. The evidence was said to span from 2020 to the present and to implicate several high-ranking figures, including police generals, lieutenant generals, members of the Police Commission and a “Khunying”. The next Police Commission meetings at the end of November were expected to clarify the scope of misconduct, while AMLO and the Royal Thai Police examined financial records, appointments and the conduct of accused officers.
Impact on promotions and looming election battles
Planned appointments on 28 November could, in Atchariya’s view, be jeopardised if his evidence were fully taken into account, and he warned that incomplete seizures might prevent criminal networks from being fully prosecuted. Observers noted that, despite public fatigue over almost daily corruption revelations, the scale and detail of the latest allegations had drawn renewed attention and could mark a turning point. Political analysts expected the next general election to be heavily influenced by corruption issues, especially the role of “Grey Capital” in politics and the state, with the People’s Party pledging to keep its candidates free from such influence.
Oversight, legal process and next steps
In recent months, parliament had also intensively exposed misconduct, and analysts said any no-confidence motion expected in December could trigger fierce political conflict, although many believed Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul might dissolve parliament before such a motion was filed. Atchariya pledged full cooperation with investigative bodies and to submit further evidence in stages, while authorities confirmed receipt of his complaints and set up committees to review the files. According to AMLO and the Royal Thai Police, all steps would take place under legal supervision, committee oversight and judicial review to ensure that proceedings in the complex web of police, online gambling, politics and financial networks were grounded in verifiable facts.