The Rayong Court sentenced former Kao Klai MP Nakornchai Khunnarong to one year in prison. He knowingly lacked qualifications but still ran for election and was ordered to pay 8 million baht in compensation.
On 9 March 2026, Rayong Provincial Court delivered its verdict in a case filed by the public prosecutor against Nakornchai Khunnarong, also known as “Ice,” former MP for Rayong's 3rd district from the Kao Klai Party. He was accused of knowingly lacking qualifications due to a previous 2015 conviction for theft, yet he ran in the 2023 election and submitted false information to officials. Nakornchai admitted guilt to the court.
The court ruled that his actions violated the Election Act and the Criminal Code. The maximum penalty was two years in prison, but since the defendant confessed, his sentence was halved to one year without suspension to set an example. The court also revoked his voting rights for 20 years and ordered him to return 402,055 baht in position allowances and other benefits received during his term to the Secretariat of the House of Representatives.
Additionally, on 3 March 2025, the Rayong Provincial Court ruled in a civil case ordering Nakornchai to compensate the state for expenses related to holding a new election, amounting to principal and interest totaling 8,228,748 baht.