Sathit denied the news from a popular page, calling it 100% political discrediting. He revealed that Chaiyachana’s legal team will file a complaint and warned party candidates that any election law violations will lead to immediate disqualification. Meanwhile, Chaiyachana insisted he has no connection with the arrested individual and questioned the motive behind election-period attacks.
At 08:30 on 21 Jan 2026 GMT+7, at the Democrat Party (DP), Mr. Sathit Wongnongtoey, Deputy Leader in charge of party strategy, addressed a post from the CSI LA page stating, “Urgent: Police preparing to search the home of the Blue Party’s deputy leader, a well-known figure from the South, initials ‘T.’, linked to drug trafficking.” Many speculated this referred to Mr. Chaiyachana Dechadecho, Deputy Leader for the Southern region. Sathit said the news was found to be unfounded after investigation, merely a political fabrication. The actual fact was that on the evening of 20 Jan 2026 GMT+7, Nakhon Si Thammarat police arrested a drug suspect sharing the surname Dechadecho, the same as Chaiyachana. The arrested individual confirmed no relation to Chaiyachana; only the surname matched. The news was then twisted and combined with mentions of 10 politicians and posted on some news pages suggesting a police search of the Blue Party deputy leader’s home. He affirmed that investigation found no truth to these claims, which only caused damage to the deputy leader’s reputation.
Sathit stated that today Chaiyachana’s legal team will proceed to file complaints against those intentionally causing damage. He confirmed this is 100% a political matter, noting that since the party holds strong support in the South, some may deliberately spread misunderstandings to affect votes and cause harm. The Democrat Party remains committed to clean politics and will not tolerate party members who violate laws.
When asked about widespread vote-buying rumors and prior statements by Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva on imposing disciplinary measures against candidates, Sathit said the party champions clean politics starting with itself. The party has resolved that during elections, if there is information or complaints about candidates violating election laws, it will immediately form an investigative committee. If wrongdoing is confirmed, the party will publicly withdraw support for that candidate. Although legally the party cannot sever ties completely, it can publicly refuse to support or abandon such candidates.
“Chaiyachana” insists he has no involvement with the arrested individual and questions the purpose behind election-period attacks.
Mr. Chaiyachana Dechadecho, Deputy Leader of the Democrat Party, posted on his personal Facebook clarifying: “I solemnly affirm that I, MP Chaiyachana Dechadecho, have no connection whatsoever with the arrested individual, either directly or indirectly. If anyone has financial evidence or communication records linking me to this case, please present it publicly or to investigators. I welcome scrutiny. However, if these accusations are baseless and intended solely for political gain during elections, I reserve the right to pursue full legal action to protect my reputation and the truth.”
Chaiyachana also told the program “Workers’ News Offscreen” that he does not know Mr. Jakkrit Dechadecho, also known as Sun or “Sun Thungjeen,” who was arrested for drug offenses. Sharing the Dechadecho surname does not imply acquaintance, as many people in Nakhon Si Thammarat bear it. In fact, his parents originally had Chinese surnames, but his father requested use of the Dechadecho surname from a respected senior police officer, and it has been used ever since. When asked if leaked images might complicate his defense, Chaiyachana said as a politician, he is often photographed, which is natural, and he urged fairness. He also asked why his surname was targeted politically now amid the party’s resurgence in the South during elections.
Later on 21 Jan 2026 GMT+7, reporters at his residence in Ron Phibun district, Nakhon Si Thammarat, reported that Deputy Leader Chaiyachana Dechadecho addressed the issue raised by the popular page. He said the police arrested a drug suspect with the same surname as him but reiterated that he does not know or have any connection with the suspect. He called on authorities to thoroughly investigate the matter.
He explained to the people of Nakhon Si Thammarat that many people use the Dechadecho surname; he does not know the occupations or places of all who share it. Some he may know, others not. Originally, his father, Mr. Vitoon, had the surname “Saedan” and his mother “Saelim.” His father requested to use the surname “Dechadecho” from Police Colonel Yong Dechadecho. The family has used the Dechadecho surname for 50-60 years. They maintain charitable interactions with the late Police Colonel Yong, who passed away in Bangkok.
The Democrat deputy leader further stated that reports claiming the drug suspect was linked to him and that police would search his home are false. He reserved the right to take legal action under the Computer Crime Act against pages or individuals spreading this, as it damages him and the Democrat Party’s reputation. He urged everyone to consider how painful it would be if a family member shared the surname and was arrested, then politically exploited. He called on all political parties and politicians to engage in constructive politics, present good policies to solve national problems, rather than exploiting such incidents for political gain to harm opponents, which he believes is wrong.
“To the people of Nakhon Si Thammarat, I affirm that my life has never been involved with drugs. If I have broken any law, I am willing to face the justice system and be investigated by authorities. It is good to distinguish truth from falsehood. I thank everyone for their support; since last night until this morning, many have encouraged me. I also thank all media for fair coverage,” Chaiyachana concluded firmly.