Chaiwut raises concerns that political parties with large online followings and strong digital campaigning skills that win every poll may be using the same networks as gambling sites. He praises police for purging gray capital from politics to regain public trust and believes the arrests are not acts of harassment.
15 Jan 2026 GMT+7 Chaiwut Thanakmanusorn, leader of the Rakchat Party and prime ministerial candidate, commented on the heated political issue and crackdown on illegal businesses, focusing on connections between politicians, online gambling sites, and gray capital groups. Following the arrest of members of parliament linked to online gambling, Chaiwut observed that political parties with large online fan bases and expertise in social media campaigning that consistently win online polls may be connected to or share networks with online gambling operations, as their advertising and marketing patterns are similar.
Meanwhile, Chaiwut expressed gratitude to police officers who arrested politicians involved with online gambling dens, emphasizing the need for serious efforts to eliminate this problem and reduce online gambling issues in Thailand. Regarding gray capital, he added that ongoing investigations and prosecutions of all political parties are appropriate. Those involved with illegal businesses, especially politicians or politically connected individuals, must be removed from political arenas and barred from managing the country. He firmly affirmed that strict law enforcement currently is not a political game or harassment against any side.
“The arrests are not harassment, because all parties must be treated equally. Today, we must take this matter seriously. I do not want gray capital or illegal business money to buy votes or interfere in politics.”