Ex-Senate Candidates Expose Bribery and Vote-Rigging

Matichon•Politics•3d ago

Reader Briefing

Former Senate candidates and a current Senator shared evidence of bribery and vote-rigging at an iLaw event.

•Hathairat Paholtap claimed she was offered a six-figure sum and that 19 Senators sought 3 million baht each to vote for the Senate President.
•Pianporn Deetes expressed hope that perpetrators of misconduct during the Senate selection would be indicted by the end of the month.
•Nattapong Saroj admitted to participating in a Senate vote-rigging process and has provided evidence to the DSI.

•iLaw, led by Yingcheep Atchanont, organized an event on August 23 at Maruay Garden Hotel to expose fraudulent mechanisms in the Senate selection process.
•Hathairat Paholtap stated that between June 24-26, 2024, Sorachat Wichaya Suwannaphrom called her approximately 10 times and offered a six-figure sum to join his group.
•Hathairat Paholtap claimed that on July 23, 2024, a list of 19 Senators was prepared to be presented to Bhumjaithai Party authorities to request 3 million baht each in exchange for voting for the Senate President.
•Hathairat Paholtap reported that a Senate candidate from Kanchanaburi informed her on June 27, 2024, that a major political party offered 500,000 baht.
•Pianporn Deetes criticized the Group 8 selection process for combining anti-mining activists with capitalists and questioned the work of the Election Commission.
•Pianporn Deetes stated that a former Member of Parliament from Mae Hong Son contacted and pressured her before the provincial selection.
•Nattapong Saroj admitted to joining the vote-rigging process and provided evidence and testimony to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).

Full article content is available on the original source.

Pianporn Deetes

"This system and these actions must not happen again; let it be the only time in the universe, the only time in the world."

ระบบและการกระทำแบบนี้จะต้องไม่เกิดขึ้นอีก ขอให้เป็นครั้งเดียวในจักรวาล ครั้งเดียวในโลก

Hathairat Paholtap(หทัยรัตน์ พหลทัพ)

Former Senate candidate for Group 18 (Mass Media).

Pianporn Deetes(เพียรพร ดีเทศน์)

Former Senate candidate for Group 8 (Environment).

Yingcheep Atchanont(ยิ่งชีพ อัชฌานนท์)

Director of iLaw.

Sorachat Wichaya Suwannaphrom(สรชาติ วิชย สุวรรณพรหม)

A Senator who allegedly contacted Hathairat Paholtap to offer money.

Nattapong Saroj(ณัฐพงษ์ สาโรจน์)

Former Senate candidate for Group 17 from Nakhon Si Thammarat who admitted to vote-rigging.

iLaw(โครงการอินเทอร์เน็ตเพื่อกฎหมายประชาชน หรือไอลอว์)

An organization that organized the event to expose Senate selection fraud.

Bhumjaithai Party(พรรคภูมิใจไทย)ℹ️

A political party whose authorities were allegedly offered a list of Senators for the Senate President vote.

Election Commission(กกต.)

The body whose work process was questioned by Pianporn Deetes.

DSI(ดีเอสไอ)

The Department of Special Investigation that received testimony from Nattapong Saroj.

Maruay Garden Hotel(โรงแรมมารวยการ์เด้น)

The location where the iLaw event was held.

Myda Ngamwongwan Hotel(โรงแรมไมด้างงามวงศ์วาน)

The location where a meeting was allegedly planned by Sorachat Wichaya Suwannaphrom.