Phawut gave his first interview after being named in the Forex case, firmly denying he will resign as MP. He emphasized he is not involved in scam or investment solicitation businesses. He explained his absence was to obtain financial records from banks. Regarding the link to Thanathorn's sister's company, he said he will explain directly to the DSI.
25 Jun 2026 GMT+7 Mr. Phawut Pongwittayapanu Phawut Pongwittayapanu, a party-list Member of Parliament from the People's Party, attended a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Communications, Telecommunications and Digital Economy and Society. This marked his first public appearance in a week after being suspected in an illegal investment network case. Forex Illegal, according to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI). He first emphasized that he is not involved in scam businesses, Forex, pyramid schemes, transnational crimes, or soliciting investments. He said that as the news showed, he was only one trader. When his name was announced, he accepted that he used to be a businessman but had never experienced being publicly named a suspect before.
"I thought, 'What is happening to me?' When I saw the DSI starting to suspect me, I checked what was going on. I reviewed all my bank data. However, bank statements are only accessible for six months online, and I have accounts in several banks. For some banks, I had to visit branches to request nearly five years of records. The banks said this requires submission to headquarters and takes about 4-5 days. So the data was incomplete, and I was hesitant to speak out. I wanted to have complete information before speaking and preparing to explain to the DSI. That's why it took some time."
When asked if the data was now complete, Phawut replied, "The data is still incomplete because some banks take a long time. I'm waiting a bit longer. As soon as the data is complete, I will meet the DSI as soon as possible to clarify. I'm confident I did nothing wrong." He said the data showed he was trading; he admitted to trading gold futures on a platform and reiterated he is not involved in Forex or scam cases.
When asked about 28 million baht transferred in 14 transactions and whether he had verified the sources, Phawut said not all bank figures were complete. Once all figures are gathered, he will explain to the DSI again and asked for patience. Regarding whether decimal differences in trading amounts could cause discrepancies, he said he also wondered and wants to review data before comparing with the DSI. Without complete data, he hesitates to discuss, but from what he sees, the figures are normal trading amounts. He added he hasn't traded recently because he also lost money.
Asked if he had any hypotheses about the source of the funds, Phawut said to wait as the data is incomplete and he is not ready to comment. He stressed he is just a trader among many in Thailand, where trading is common online. He noted a legal gap means brokers may not yet have licenses.
Regarding a clip promoting QRS Global, one of four Forex brokers, showing reward points exchanged for a trip to France, Phawut said when trading, one must learn. He took classes and was interviewed about his experience. The clip was him sharing his experience and learning, not inviting others.
"I never said, 'Everyone, let's trade.' I just shared how I traded and what I learned. Some misinterpret this as solicitation, but I did not invite anyone. Also, the reward points are like those from normal retail shopping. I redeemed some points too. There were dozens interviewed that day. I was surprised why only I became a big issue. I am simply a trader."
Asked how he would defend himself if the DSI formally charged him and whether he would resign as MP, Phawut said he is still a suspect and must clarify. He emphasized transparency per the People's Party policy. He denied rumors of resigning from the party, confirming he remains and is ready for the process.
When asked again if he would not resign if charged, Phawut said it depends. Currently, he is only a suspect and confident he did nothing wrong as he is just a trader. Toward the end, when asked about the discovery of company links to Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit's sister, Phawut promptly denied and said company matters must be explained directly to the DSI. He added it may not be appropriate to discuss this publicly here and reaffirmed he continues to perform his MP duties fully. ."
