The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has charged Charn Phuangpetch over an excessively overpriced fitness equipment purchase, with prices exceeding the market by 300,000 baht, causing Pathum Thani Provincial Administration a loss of 44.5 million baht. Alongside this, Chaimongkol Chairab is charged with corruption involving a 3 million baht overpriced blanket purchase during his time as Sakon Nakhon Provincial Administration chief.
11 Aug 2026 GMT+7 Mr. Surapong Intarathaworn, Secretary-General of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) said, : The NACC committee resolved to indict Mr. Charn Phuangpetch, former Chief Executive of Pathum Thani Provincial Administrative Organization (PAO), for purchasing fitness equipment for Pathum Thani PAO at prices above market value, causing a financial loss totaling 44,574,012 baht.
Investigation found that in the 2012 and 2013 fiscal years, while serving as PAO Chief Executive, Mr. Charn approved a fitness equipment procurement project based on proposals from PAO council members, incorporating it into the three-year development plan and annual budget ordinance without documentation showing price sources as required by the Ministry of Interior regulations. Additionally, Mr. Sataporn Wongpanich, Director of the Engineering Department, and Mr. Pratheung Kanthasamas, civil engineer, failed to properly survey prices. Instead, they used previous year's equipment prices of 500,000 baht per set as an estimate despite differing specifications. Furthermore, the procurement process did not appoint a committee to determine standard prices. Mr. Charn approved purchasing 12 contracts over two fiscal years (151 sets) totaling 74,118,500 baht.
Mr. Surapong said that the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) inspected and surveyed prices for similar fitness equipment from suppliers in the area and neighboring provinces and found that the actual average price was 195,658 baht per set, whereas Pathum Thani PAO purchased at 500,000 baht per set, exceeding market price by 304,341 baht per set, resulting in a total loss of 44,574,012 baht to the PAO.
The NACC committee thus resolved that Mr. Charn is criminally liable under Penal Code Sections 151 and 157, the 2018 Anti-Corruption Act Section 172, and the 1997 Provincial Administrative Organization Act Section 77. Meanwhile, Mr. Sataporn and Mr. Pratheung are criminally liable as accomplices and have committed serious disciplinary offenses. The NACC has forwarded the investigation files to the Attorney General for criminal prosecution and referred the disciplinary matters to the competent authorities for removal and disciplinary actions, while notifying the Election Commission of Thailand accordingly.
At the same time, the NACC also resolved to indict Mr. Chaimongkol Chairab, former Member of Parliament for Sakon Nakhon from the Palang Pracharath Party and former Chief Executive of Sakon Nakhon PAO, for corruption involving the procurement of winter blankets for Sakon Nakhon PAO. In the 2010 fiscal year, with a budget of 11 million baht, investigation found that on 20 November 2009, Sakon Nakhon Province declared a disaster emergency due to cold weather affecting 18 districts and requested winter blankets to support victims. Mr. Chaimongkol approved the Treasury Department to proceed per regulations. He sent price inquiries to five community enterprise groups. Four groups offered prices between 235 and 238 baht per blanket, while one offered 160 baht per blanket. Procurement staff averaged these to 221.40 baht per blanket and proposed this as the median price for Mr. Chaimongkol’s approval.
Mr. Chaimongkol approved a special case procurement at 220 baht per blanket for 50,000 blankets totaling 11 million baht, despite the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department (DPMD) setting general retail prices between 120 and 160 baht per blanket. Moreover, the group offering 160 baht was excluded from the bidding. Mr. Chaimongkol signed the purchase at 220 baht per blanket with the community enterprise group offering this price, totaling 11 million baht, which exceeded the DPMD’s specified price and caused a 3 million baht loss to the PAO.
The NACC resolved to indict Mr. Chaimongkol under Penal Code Sections 151 and 157 and the Provincial Administrative Organization Act, and forwarded the investigation to the Attorney General for criminal prosecution.