"Krit" came forward to meet investigators, admitted he was the person in the audio clip, confirmed he was not involved in corruption, apologized to the Deputy Prime Minister who was implicated but unrelated, and announced he would take legal action against those who leaked the audio.
The case involves Deputy Prime Minister Songsak Thongsri, who had his lawyer file complaints against Ms. Kandaporn Maneepunyakul (Som), Mr. Pongsakorn Saothon (Krit), and the disseminator known as “Bang Jack” for releasing an audio clip linked to local government exam cheating intended to politically discredit him.
At Thung Song Hong Police Station at 13:20 on 1 July 2026, Mr. Pongsakorn Saothon, or Krit, 46, from Khon Kaen Province and a construction contractor, accompanied by lawyer Yutthapong Phetchoti, met with Police Lieutenant Colonel Chairat Thamsiha, the investigator handling the case, to confirm his identity, demonstrate his innocence, and clarify facts about the leaked audio clip.
After meeting with investigators for over an hour, Mr. Pongsakorn said he came to confirm he was the person in the audio clip and to show his good faith to investigators. He firmly denied any involvement in the exam corruption ring and explained why various individuals were mentioned in the clip.
During parts of the interview, Krit raised his hands in apology, expressing regret to Deputy Prime Minister Songsak Thongsri for the damage caused by being implicated in the audio clip. He stressed that Songsak had no knowledge of or involvement in the cheating, just as he himself was uninvolved. He noted that currently, only the audio clip is public, and the corruption case had just led to arrests last week.
Krit said he is ready to cooperate fully with the justice process and intends to take legal action against “Khun Som” for leaking private conversations between two people to the public, causing damage. He said it is up to the investigators to verify the facts and intent behind the leak.
When asked about the leaked audio, Krit said the incident occurred late last year and firmly denied any negotiation or seeking of benefits from the conversation. He has already provided explanations to investigators, as details are part of the case file and cannot be disclosed further.
Regarding his previous statement that the clip was intended to be forwarded to the National Anti-Corruption Commission for review, Krit said he had already detailed this earlier and would not repeat it because the case is now in the legal process. He emphasized, “There is only one truth,” and urged the public to follow the facts that will emerge and expose the entire corruption network.
Krit affirmed he has never personally known or spoken with Deputy Prime Minister Songsak and that his current explanation was to express regret and apologize for the impact the Deputy Prime Minister suffered from being mentioned in the clip.
Regarding his relationship with “Khun Som,” Krit said they met once through an introduction and are not personally acquainted. Although the conversation in the clip sounded close, that was because he is naturally easy to talk to others. He declined to disclose who contacted whom or conversation details, saying such information is part of the case file.
“I speak in a way that quickly builds closeness with everyone, so my tone sounds warm,” Krit said, then asked reporters, “Are we close yet? If not, I have to talk more. If we are close, then I talk even more.”
Krit added he does not know Khun Som’s exact status but confirmed she is a real person, not AI, and admitted the voice in the clip is his. He reiterated that he came forward to take responsibility for implicating an important person and causing damage.
Lawyer Yutthapong Phetchoti said no charges have been filed today but Krit came to give facts to investigators to help gather evidence and identify who recorded or leaked the clip, and to determine if there was intent to harm Krit's reputation. If wrongdoing is found, all involved will face legal action.
The lawyer added that regarding the complaint filed yesterday by Deputy Prime Minister Songsak against Krit, no charges have yet been made. Krit came voluntarily, not under summons, to show himself, confirm he is not evading, and to fully cooperate with the investigation.
Krit again denied any involvement in the exam corruption or being named as a co-offender. He said he is familiar with many local politicians due to his political connections but if wrongdoing is proven, he will cooperate with authorities and the justice process. He is ready to provide information if called upon by relevant agencies.
After the interview, Krit walked to his car to leave. When reporters asked if his actions today were a way to cover up, Krit replied, “Who would cover up like this? If I had done wrong, would I dare to come forward?” Asked if he would sue the page that released the audio clip, he said, “We'll see.”
When asked if Deputy Prime Minister Songsak had seen the mention of Krit in the clip, Krit said, “He has.” Asked if he was worried about any retrospective repercussions, Krit replied, “A little.”
At the same time, at Thung Song Hong Police Station, Mr. Pattarapong Suphakson, known as "Lawyer Aun Buriram," representing the page "CSI LA," submitted a letter to Police Colonel Yutthasilp Karin, chief of Thung Song Hong Police Station, requesting that all cases related to the “Som-Krit” audio clips be transferred to the Crime Suppression Division. He argued that since the victims, evidence, and nature of offenses are the same, consolidating the cases would simplify proceedings, even though the pages involved are different. The CSI LA page was reported by the Ministry of Interior's Permanent Secretary to the Crime Suppression Division, while Songsak filed a complaint against the “Bang Jack” page at Thung Song Hong Police Station yesterday.
Lawyer Aun also revealed more details about the local government exam corruption network, saying 14 victims from Sisaket and Buriram provinces have filed complaints through him. They had paid money to subdistrict administrative and municipal clerks in their areas, with evidence including chat messages and bank transfers of 600,000 baht each. Some paid a 50,000 baht deposit to confirm but were not appointed. This network is different from the clerks in Phuket province already prosecuted.
Tomorrow (2 July), he will take the victims to file complaints with the National Anti-Corruption Commission and the Prime Minister's Office. Later this week, they will file complaints with Pol. Maj. Gen. Jaroonkiat Pankaew, deputy commander of the Crime Suppression Division, seeking prosecution of local clerks acting as brokers, similar to the case against the Phuket clerks, to establish a consistent standard.
Regarding the case against the CSI LA page at the Crime Suppression Division, due to the clip implicating the wife of a Ministry of Interior official and damaging her reputation, CSI LA has not yet decided on a counter-suit. However, if the official does not withdraw the complaint and the case proceeds to court, they will consider filing a counter-claim.