The Secretary-General of the Election Commission revealed that he has already spoken with the Bank of Thailand Governor and is preparing for a more thorough discussion regarding the large cash withdrawal data. The office has been ordered to monitor targeted areas with intense electoral competition.
On 29 Jan 2026 at 09:30 GMT+7, at the Election Commission office, Mr. Sa-wang Boonmee, Secretary-General of the Election Commission, stated that the Bank of Thailand found irregular cash withdrawals exceeding 250 million baht in the past 10 days, primarily involving exchanges for 100 and 500 baht banknotes. These transactions are considered suspicious and have been reported to the Anti-Money Laundering Office and the Election Commission for investigation. Today, he discussed the matter in broad terms with the Bank of Thailand Governor and plans to talk in detail soon about how to collaborate effectively for the country's benefit. Since no Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) exists between the Bank of Thailand and the Election Commission, they must find ways to cooperate in the short term. The Governor is very willing to fully support the Election Commission's work.
"He is willing to provide this information to the Election Commission, and legally, we can receive it without issue. However, there must be proper channels for sharing since the Election Commission does not have an MOU with the Bank of Thailand like the Anti-Money Laundering Office does. We are currently seeking ways to transfer the data appropriately. Regarding the Anti-Money Laundering Office, we already coordinate with them, and they notify us if they detect any irregularities," said Mr. Sa-wang. He added that he has instructed the investigation division to monitor and follow up closely on areas with intense election competition, where the distribution of these funds is expected.