The Appeals Court upheld the acquittal of “Long Ju Somchai,” a prominent figure in the Eastern region, and his associates accused of illegal gambling and money laundering, citing insufficient evidence to convict.
At 10:00 a.m. on 16 March 2026, in courtroom 903 of the Criminal Court, the Appeals Court delivered its verdict in criminal case number Or 1421/2564. The Special Case Prosecutor 1 charged Mr. Somchai Jutikitdecha, known as Long Ju Somchai, a prominent figure in the Eastern region, along with Ms. Jutamas Wongniyom, Ms. Uraiwan Wongniyom, and Mr. Yutthanakorn Malichuen as defendants 1-4 respectively, with offenses under the Gambling Act B.E. 2478 (1935), the Anti-Money Laundering Act B.E. 2542 (1999), and the Emergency Decree B.E. 2548 (2005).
The prosecution alleged that between July 2020 and November 2020, the defendants conspired to facilitate illegal gambling activities involving fantan, hi-lo, baccarat, and dragon tiger card games to unlawfully obtain assets. They also allegedly conspired to launder money by transferring funds multiple times through commercial bank accounts to conceal or disguise the origins of the illicit assets.
The incidents occurred in Nong Prue Subdistrict, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province; Choeng Noen Subdistrict, Mueang District, Rayong Province; and other related locations.
All defendants denied the charges.
The Criminal Court reviewed the evidence presented by both parties, including cross-examinations, and found that the prosecution's evidence contained several suspicious points and lacked sufficient weight to prove that the defendants committed the offenses as charged. The court therefore acquitted the defendants.
The prosecution appealed, requesting that the defendants be punished.
This morning, defendants 1 to 3 attended the verdict hearing accompanied by close supporters, while defendant 4 remains imprisoned.
After reviewing the case files, the Appeals Court noted that the prosecution's witnesses did not confirm seeing defendants 1, 2, or 4 at the gambling venues on the dates alleged, nor did they implicate them as organizers of the gambling activities. Regarding the money laundering charges, the prosecution's evidence was also insufficiently convincing. For defendant 3, the court found only one record of a money transfer into their account, which was inconsistent with the pattern of multiple large transfers typical of perpetrators moving illicit assets. Furthermore, the prosecution's evidence showed larger transfers to other individuals not charged in this case. Therefore, the prosecution's evidence remained reasonably doubtful and insufficient for conviction. The court gave the defendants the benefit of the doubt, agreeing with the lower court's judgment.
The court's decision to acquit was upheld.
After hearing the verdict, Mr. Somchai and his family appeared cheerful and left immediately without granting any interviews.