Parit exposes widespread 'Senator Election Fraud' in multiple provinces, pressing concerns that collusion between the Election Commission and political factions is causing the Thai justice system to become completely compromised.
On 9 July 2026, Parit Wacharasindhu, a party-list Member of Parliament from the Prachachon Party, posed a live oral question to Pol. Lt. Gen. Ruthapol Nawarat, Minister of Justice, to follow up on Special Case 24/2568 concerning a network orchestrating collusion in the election of senators—what Parit terms 'Senator Election Fraud'—involving vote trading, candidate recruitment, and vote buying to gain state power. The case involves 229 suspects in the DSI stage, including MPs and ministers.
Parit revealed new evidence showing the network is larger than previously thought, detailing province-by-province findings. In Nakhon Phanom, audio recordings captured a senator candidate offering six-figure sums in exchange for votes, covering airfare and accommodation, supported by a 31,000 baht airline ticket receipt. In Ayutthaya, a meeting of senator candidates was held at a hotel abbreviated as K.R. by the river, attended by a former deputy speaker from a political party. In Nong Bua Lamphu, money transfers from a senator's wife or assistant to at least eight other candidates occurred 15 times, totaling tens of thousands of baht, exchanged for appointments as senate aides to share future salaries.
Suspicions also arose in other provinces: In Singburi, meetings at a restaurant led to rides to Nakhon Nayok, allegedly backed by a political party. In Sukhothai, senator candidates were forced to resign in front of an MP, with team chat groups instructing on how to respond to officials. In Suphanburi, candidates were pressured to sign resignation letters before a minister. Parit questioned why, despite interviewing over 753 witnesses and reviewing thousands of documents, the DSI recommended prosecution of only eight suspects. He lamented that the Justice Minister applies a different standard than in the Forex case two weeks ago, where political names were clearly exposed after over 200 days of investigation.
Parit warned, "If by early September the Election Commission dismisses the entire case and the DSI uses that dismissal as a shield to dismiss their side as well, it will show that the country is not only experiencing senator election collusion but a full-scale collusion among the Election Commission, DSI, and political factions to support the Blue regime. This will darken our already gray justice system to complete opacity."
Pol. Lt. Gen. Ruthapol Nawarat, Minister of Justice, explained that eight suspects have been charged with conspiracy, being part of a criminal gang, and money laundering, which aligns with the information he has. He noted that no DSI officials or special prosecutors have formally reported financial trail details yet. The main cause remains under review by the Election Commission, which has not made a final decision. He views the matter as not urgent, given it has dragged on for over two years, and said he cannot interfere in or obstruct the investigation as minister.
Regarding the recent dismissal and transfer of the Ministry of Justice's permanent secretary, the minister confirmed it was a routine reassignment after a four-year term, moving the official to assist the Prime Minister's Office. He denied any political motives or connections to resistance against personnel transfers in the DSI. He said he could not provide further details on Parit's other questions or concerns.