Democrat Party Demands Prime Minister and Finance Minister Explain Photo with Ben Smith

The Democrat Party demands that Anutin and Ekniti explain the photo together with Ben Smith, a suspect in money laundering, criticizing that it affects confidence in combating scammers.

On 3 December 2025 GMT+7, concerning the photo showing Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas together with Ben Smith (Benjamin Mauerberger), who is named in a U.S. draft law targeting international scammer networks and is one of the individuals whose assets have been frozen by the Anti-Money Laundering Office.

The Democrat Party issued a statement calling on these two key government figures to immediately clarify the matter to the public. Although the "relationship in the photo" does not immediately indicate wrongdoing, it is natural for the public to have doubts and feel uneasy because the government is directly responsible for combating this criminal network.

The party therefore calls on Anutin and Ekniti to explain the origin of the photo and clarify the nature of their relationship with Ben Smith. The government should consider removing from office any individuals who were formerly associated with Ben Smith, such as "former legal advisors" now holding government positions, to demonstrate sincerity, transparency, and genuine commitment to fighting the scammer network.

The Democrat Party emphasized that all these demands aim to enable the government to effectively continue the fight against scammers and maintain public trust, as this issue directly affects the confidence of the people.