Former Finance Minister Woraphak Thanyawong firmly denies any involvement or support for scammers and transnational crime. He plans to use facts, evidence, and verifiable procedures to clarify the issue to both Thai courts and U.S. agencies.
On 16 Sep 2026 GMT+7, Mr. Woraphak Thanyawong, former Deputy Minister of Finance, posted on Facebook addressing reports that his name appeared in a letter from the chairman of certain U.S. House of Representatives committees sent to the U.S. Departments of State and Treasury.
He clarified that the letter was a request for U.S. government agencies to verify information and determine if individuals listed meet legal criteria for sanctions; it was not an investigation result or judgment that he committed any wrongdoing, nor does it mean he has been sanctioned by the U.S.
He unequivocally affirmed that he has never been involved in, supported, or had knowledge of scam centers, money laundering, human trafficking, cybercrime, or any transnational crimes as alleged.
Today, he officially contacted the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), U.S. Department of the Treasury, seeking a channel to submit facts and evidence for U.S. authorities to review. He is also sending letters to the chairpersons of the two committees requesting an opportunity to clarify facts and obtain relevant information about himself to address inquiries accurately.
He expressed full willingness to cooperate with the investigation and believes the best response to such serious allegations is through facts, evidence, and verifiable processes.
Regarding some previously published allegations against him, he has chosen to use the justice system to prove the facts by filing defamation lawsuits against those spreading such claims. One case is currently under court review, and another has completed preliminary hearings and awaits the court's ruling.
“I will not speculate whether the appearance of my name in the U.S. letter is connected to the allegations pending in Thai courts. What I will do is rely on facts, evidence, and verifiable procedures to clarify the matter to both Thai courts and U.S. authorities. For the details of some allegations under consideration in Thai courts, I will refrain from disclosing or disputing them publicly to avoid affecting the justice process. I will provide updates when appropriate,” Mr. Woraphak said.