Profile of Dr. Joe - Chaiwat Sathavornwijit, economic management team member of the People's Government and People's Party list MP candidate, former Bank of Thailand insider, following revelations of 160 billion baht cash withdrawn four months before the 2026 election.
On 12 Jan 2026, Chaiwat Sathavornwijit, People's Party list MP candidate, posted a question asking, "Where did the 160 billion baht in cash go during the four months before the election?" A senior banking insider whispered that in the past 2-3 months, unusually large cash withdrawals occurred across various banks, reaching hundreds of millions of baht. Chaiwat also shared Bank of Thailand (BOT) banknote statistics showing that from July to November 2025, 160.816 billion baht in banknotes were withdrawn from the BOT. In September 2025 alone, 127.01 billion baht was withdrawn—the highest monthly cash withdrawal in history—raising concerns the money might be used for vote-buying in the 2026 election. This sparked public debate and curiosity about who Chaiwat Sathavornwijit is.
Subsequently, the Bank of Thailand explained that the unusually high cash withdrawals in September 2025 were due to public concerns about expanded measures freezing so-called "ghost accounts," prompting people to withdraw cash for safekeeping and spending instead of online transactions. Additionally, many shops shifted to accepting cash payments more frequently. This situation was short-term, and by October, payment behaviors returned to normal. The BOT continues to closely monitor potential abnormal cash increases ahead of the upcoming election.
Chaiwat Sathavornwijit, nicknamed Joe or commonly called Dr. Joe, is 44 years old. He completed secondary education at Suankularb Wittayalai School. He holds a first-class honors bachelor's degree in computer engineering from the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, a Master of Science in Information Science, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Information Science from Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST).
Career history
In 2002, Engineer at Schlumberger Overseas S.A.
From 2008 to 2011, Researcher at Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
From 2011 to 2013, Senior Researcher at NEC Corporation, Central Research Labs.
From 2013 to 2023, Bank of Thailand, last position Deputy Director of the Organizational Strategy Group.
From 2020 to 2021, Advisor at Bank for International Settlements (BIS), Innovation Hub.
From 2023 to 2025, Member of Parliament (list MP), formerly with Move Forward Party and People's Party.
From 2024 to present, Deputy Leader of the People's Party.
For the 2026 election, Chaiwat serves as the People's Party deputy leader for foreign affairs, is part of the People's Government economic management team, and is the 18th-ranked list MP candidate.