BANGKOK, THAILAND – A political killing, a market mass shooting, billion-baht online fraud rings and scandals in the police and monastic order severely strained trust in key Thai institutions in 2025.
Political opponent shot dead in Bangkok
On 7 January, 74-year-old former Cambodian opposition politician Lim Kimya was shot dead in central Bangkok. The ex-member of the dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party, known as a sharp critic of former Prime Minister Hun Sen, was walking with his wife near Wat Bowonniwet temple in Phra Nakhon district when a gunman opened fire. Witnesses said Lim was hit and died at the scene despite rapid assistance from emergency responders.
Police identified the suspected shooter as Ekkalak Paenoi, a former navy soldier who initially fled. Cambodian authorities later arrested him in Battambang province and extradited him to Bangkok, where a Thai court sentenced him to death for murder in October, commuting the penalty to life imprisonment after his confession. The motive officially remained unclear, but observers assumed a political background, and Human Rights Watch strongly condemned the killing.
Market shooting leaves six dead
One of the deadliest incidents of the year occurred on 28 July at the popular Or Tor Kor Market in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district, shortly before midday. A lone gunman opened fire in the open market hall, first targeting security staff of the market operated by the Marketing Organisation for Farmers (MOF) and then shooting at nearby stalls. Police identified the attacker as 61-year-old Noi Praidan, a former market vendor armed with a 9mm CZ Shadow 2 pistol.
Six people died in the attack: four security guards, one vendor and the shooter himself, who killed himself while sitting on a bench. Two women were injured and taken to hospital, where their condition was reported as stable, while witnesses described sustained, indiscriminate gunfire that struck some victims as they tried to hide under stalls and tables. Investigators later linked the rampage to a years-long personal conflict, saying Noi had harboured deep resentment since disputes with security staff in 2019–2020, after damage to his vehicle during deliveries, sparking a nationwide debate on gun ownership, mental health and conflict resolution.
Cybercrime crackdown targets billion-baht scam rings
In parallel, the government intensified its 2025 campaign against online scam networks that had become one of the most serious forms of cross-border crime. The Royal Thai Police established the Anti Cyber Scam Center (ACSC), a 24-hour hub to provide real-time support to victims and disrupt ongoing operations. Leading the effort was Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej, an assistant national police chief specialising in cybercrime, under whom cooperation with countries including China, the United States and Japan was significantly strengthened.
Nationwide raids and record asset seizures
The crackdown peaked on 3 December, when Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul presented extensive results from a nationwide operation. Police and partner agencies searched 50 locations across 22 provinces, arrested suspects and seized yachts, luxury cars, land plots and bank deposits worth 10.1 billion baht. Warrants were issued for 42 suspects, 29 of whom were arrested, while 13 remained at large.
Among those sought were Cambodian businessman Lim Liak, a Thai citizen, his Thai wife and an associate, in a case investigators viewed as part of a transnational money-laundering network linking Cambodian scam gangs with foreign business interests. Between 30 November and 20 December, the ACSC logged more than 21,000 cases via the thaipoliceonline.go.th platform, with losses in the high hundreds of millions of baht, as overall case numbers declined but average losses per case rose, suggesting criminals were targeting fewer victims for higher sums.
Authorities warn of sophisticated scam tactics
Authorities warned that criminal groups were using modern communication tools to pose as officials, promote fake investments or lure victims with supposed prize payouts. Particularly high losses stemmed from prize and prize-transfer scams, fraudulent investment schemes and phone intimidation through fake contacts with government agencies. They cautioned that syndicates were increasingly professional, focusing on larger, more lucrative operations across borders.
Monk scandals shake the Sangha
The Buddhist monastic order also came under intense scrutiny in 2025. According to the Central Investigation Bureau, 166 monks were arrested nationwide, and five high-ranking clerics were defrocked in high-profile cases and charged with offences including money laundering, embezzlement and fraud. A key focus was Wat Rai Khing temple in Nakhon Pathom province, where an undercover officer gathered evidence for eight months.
The abbot, Phra Thamma Wachiranuwat, was arrested after investigators reconstructed more than 300 million baht in donations that were allegedly diverted through several accounts. One account was linked to Aranyawan Wangthapan, a suspect in an online gambling case, which was also reported to have received over 300 million baht, while authorities examined whether total flows could reach several billion baht. Scholars of religion and legal experts viewed the cluster of cases as a sign of deep structural deficiencies in Sangha administration, particularly in oversight and accountability.
The “Sika Golf universe” and temple finances
Another major case became known as the “Sika-Golf universe”, originating from allegations against a former abbot of Wat Tri Thotsathep in Bangkok and rapidly spreading to other regions. Police uncovered suspicious transactions of more than 385 million baht over three years, with 35-year-old Wilawan “Sika Golf” Emsawat emerging as a central figure. From her mobile phone, investigators seized over 80,000 photos and videos showing intimate relationships with monks and discussions about money.
In total, 14 monks were implicated, three of whom were arrested for dereliction of duty and money laundering, while 11 others left the monkhood. Wilawan faced accusations including aiding misconduct and handling stolen goods. A third prominent case involved Luang Pho Alongkot Tikkapanyo, former abbot of Wat Phra Bat Nam Phu in Lop Buri province, known for his work with HIV/Aids patients, who was accused of mismanaging temple and foundation funds, misusing donations and laundering money, leading authorities to seize land and vehicles.
Top police officer falls in gambling-linked probe
Inside the Royal Thai Police (RTP), a long-running internal conflict continued in 2025, centring on former deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn. He was removed from duty in March over alleged links to an online gambling case connected to the BNKMaster platform, dismantled in 2023. Investigators linked him to a mule account that was allegedly used by the gambling network, prompting money-laundering investigations against him and four subordinates under the Royal Thai Police Act.
On 7 March, the Critical Disciplinary Committee recommended his dismissal, and national police chief Pol Gen Kittharath Punpetch personally signed the expulsion order, an unusual step as such decisions were rarely endorsed directly by the agency head. The move also suspended Surachate’s pension, and on 11 March the four subordinate officers were dismissed after investigators found their ties to the same online network, with all five filing complaints to the Police Ethics Protection Commission.
Appeals rejected as trust in institutions tested
On 4 December, the commission rejected the appeals and declared the disciplinary action lawful and appropriate, leaving Surachate and his former colleagues 90 days to challenge the decision before the Supreme Administrative Court. From deadly street violence to scandals at the top of the police and clergy, the events of 2025 intensified questions over whether reform and accountability could keep pace with evolving crime and abuses of power. Ongoing proceedings and investigations were expected to determine how far public trust in Thailand’s institutions could be rebuilt.