Former Deputy Minister of Interior has ordered the legal team to pursue legal action regarding an audio clip suggesting involvement in corruption linked to the buying and selling of local government official positions, insisting he has never engaged in corrupt acts.
On 28 June 2026 at the Bhumjaithai Party, Somsak Thongsri, Deputy Prime Minister and former Deputy Minister of Interior (Interior Minister 2), gave an interview about the spread of an audio clip alleging that a deputy minister was involved in corruption related to local government official exams. He said he had instructed the legal team to urgently collect all evidence, including names of those who spoke out and the audio clip itself, to determine if it implicated anyone connected to him. He affirmed they would proceed strictly according to legal procedures to clarify the matter, expressing his opposition to ambiguous news fueled by the clip. He added that if the clip caused public misunderstanding that he was involved, he would consider himself a direct victim.
When asked about details in the audio clip, Somsak said that from following the news, the voice was authentic but some parts had been edited out. Listening to the full clip reveals the speakers are quite confused about who they meant, and it does not directly target him. Instead, it references others and only connects him due to his position as Deputy Minister of Interior at the time.
“I firmly state this is not true. I have never done such things. Regarding the individuals named ‘Som’ or ‘Kit’ mentioned in the clip, I can say with certainty that I do not know who they are,” Somsak said.
Regarding academic analyses suggesting the current issues in the Ministry of Interior stem from internal conflicts and clashes among officials vying for key positions, Somsak denied these rumors. He viewed them as outside perspectives. The Ministry of Interior is a longstanding institution working to serve the public’s welfare. During his tenure, there were no problems. Today, differing opinions may exist, which is normal in any work, but there is no serious conflict leading to a crisis of confidence as some fear.
Somsak added that while he was deputy minister, members of parliament had already raised questions on this matter in the House. When Anutin Charnvirakul was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, lessons from that time were used to close loopholes by integrating relevant agencies to fully prevent corruption. Anutin also emphasized to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to treat this as a special case, proceeding to seize assets and impose the highest penalties.
“This matter must be dealt with decisively. The actual exam papers exist and are stored securely in the security room for answer scanning. If anyone wants to know who truly passed, they can compare the real answers from the security room. I am confident that eventually the truth will be revealed,” Somsak said with conviction.