Thai cybercrime police arrested a 26-year-old man in Bangkok on Wednesday, October 28, over a Facebook post that falsely claimed Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had received 7 million baht in bribe money, according to several news sources. The suspect, Chairat Rekawattana, was detained under a court warrant and faces charges under the Computer Crime Act as well as forgery charges. He has denied owning the page that published the claim.
Chairat arrived at the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau’s offices at the Government Complex on Chaeng Watthana Road at about 11:40 a.m., accompanied by lawyers from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. Officers then showed him an arrest warrant issued the same day by the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road. When reporters asked whether he ran the page, called Godd Dam, he briefly said he did not.
People on his side said he had come in to present himself to investigators and had no intention of fleeing. His lawyer told reporters the defense had not yet seen the details of the allegations and would speak to the media later. Chairat was held overnight, and police took him from Thung Song Hong police station early Thursday morning for further questioning, Thai media reported.
Police say the case involves two offenses under the Computer Crime Act. The first is entering false information into a computer system in a way that could damage national security. The second is forwarding or sharing false information online. He also faces charges of forgery and using a forged document.
The investigation began on Monday, October 26, after Godd Dam, which had about 130,000 followers, posted an image of a bank transfer slip dated October 31, 2023. The post claimed the money was “tea money,” a common Thai term for a bribe. It said the money had been paid into an account in Anutin’s name when he was deputy prime minister and interior minister.
The claim fell apart within hours. Kasikornbank said that day that it could not find the recipient account number shown on the slip in its system. Government spokesman Ekkapob Pianpises called the post fake news and warned that anyone spreading it could face legal action. Cybercrime police also said their checks showed the slip was fake, and they cautioned that people who shared it, including politicians, could be prosecuted.
The Digital Economy and Society Ministry and the Justice Ministry worked with technology crime police to request data from online platforms to trace who ran the page. On Monday, police said they had identified a suspect but had not arrested anyone.
The arrest also followed a false start. Investigators first asked the Criminal Court for a warrant earlier in the week. They then withdrew the request to gather more evidence and went back to the court on Wednesday, when the warrant was approved. Pol Lt Gen Thinkorn Rangmat, who heads the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, said the suspect was detained under that warrant.
Anutin said on Wednesday that he had not ordered the arrest and that police had acted on evidence and a warrant approved by the court. He had said earlier in the week that he reserved the right to take legal action to protect his reputation. A national police spokesman said investigators would decide whether people who shared the post should also face charges.
Chairat is also named in a separate complaint over earlier material posted on the page. Special Branch police filed that complaint at Bang Khen police station, and Thai media report it includes an allegation under the lese majeste law. Police say they are still gathering evidence in that case before seeking another warrant.
The case comes as Anutin’s government prepares for a no-confidence debate set for December 7 to 11. In that debate, the opposition will question the prime minister and 17 other ministers.
None of the allegations against Chairat has been tested in court, and he has not admitted to operating the Godd Dam page. Police are continuing their investigation, including the separate complaint filed by Special Branch. Investigators have not yet said whether anyone who shared the fabricated slip will face charges.
