"Chang Ae" opened up, admitting he received money transferred from the "Good Deeds Organization" into his account during the construction of a pool villa in Phuket, before "Got" ordered him to transfer it onward to a personal account. He confirmed that "Bum Panadda" had visited Phuket before.
Regarding the controversy over donations from the "Good Deeds Foundation" of Bum Panadda Wongpudi, an actress, host, and beauty queen, funds were transferred from both the foundation's account and a personal account to a contractor. The contractor claimed that "Got Athip Anantawan," Bum Panadda's husband, instructed him to transfer several million baht to a personal account, sparking criticism on social media, as previously reported.
On 29 Oct 2023, "Chang Ae," the contractor, spoke on the program "Hon Krasae," stating he runs a business in Phuket and had practiced shooting with "Got," Bum Panadda’s husband, whom he has known for about 10 years. Got had invited him to do business several times before, but they only recently agreed on this project.
"Chang Ae" revealed that Got said he owned two plots totaling about 2 rai and wanted help building houses, one rai per plot, near the sea in Mai Khao, Phuket. The land deeds were under Bum Panadda’s name, acquired in 2023. Chang Ae started construction in April 2025, initially building a single vacation house. Got said he planned to live there with Bum. Chang Ae offered a price and BOQ for over 2 million baht, excluding pool, landscaping, and infrastructure. The first payment of around 500,000 baht came from Got, and the second from Bum’s personal account.
After laying the foundation, Got changed plans and invited Chang Ae to build eight pool villas for sale as a joint venture, revising the contract accordingly. Chang Ae signed with Got and modified the designs, calculating a loss and profit estimate at about 180 million baht.
Eak Saimaidongrod noted that the land deeds showed two plots: one obtained in 2021 and another in 2023. The 2021 deed, acquired before their marriage, is likely Bum’s separate property, while the 2023 deed is probably marital property.
When asked why building eight villas cost as much as 180 million baht, Chang Eak explained that price was the selling price after deducting costs to assess profitability. Construction cost per villa was about 8 million baht, totaling roughly 64 million baht for eight. Contracts were standard, paid in ten installments per villa based on completed work. Got transferred the first installment directly to him, and construction proceeded normally.
Got then mentioned personal problems but did not specify, ceasing contact abruptly despite their usual daily calls. By then, construction had reached the third villa’s frame. Chang Ae supported the project while the partnership shares were Got 60% and Chang Ae 40%. He wanted Got to sign contracts to avoid issues investing in others’ land, but Got remained unwilling. When problems arose, Chang Ae had already invested money and covered expenses without reimbursement. Got rarely visited the site and never signed contracts, so Chang Ae sought to recover funds by invoicing actual site costs.
Early in the year, unable to reach Got, Chang Ae called Bum to inquire. She asked about the matter, and he explained it concerned project expenses, which were overdue by three to four installments, about 1.2 million baht at that time. Chang Ae asked what was causing the delay; he was marketing the project and had interested buyers. Bum said Got likely wanted her to see the project first, as it was his pride, and that he had not yet sold it, so funds remained tied up.
Regarding the term "kickback," Chang Ae admitted discomfort and preferred it be called returning excess transferred funds. After losing contact, workers claiming to represent the foundation in Bangkok posted no-entry signs and fenced the area. Chang Ae messaged Got’s lawyer asking if he could still access the land but received no reply. When he called, he was advised not to enter.
Asked if Bum Panadda had visited during construction of the first to third houses, Chang Ae said she visited once. After that, he was unsure, though others said Bum and Got came, but he did not meet them. He did not know if Bum was aware of the accounts, as he communicated only with Got to discuss matters privately.
Regarding permits, Chang Ae said he applied for the construction permit, but the landowner, Bum, was named on it. The permit covered two phases: first for the vacation house under Bum’s name, then for the pool villas, for which his and Got’s company, The Arthur, submitted documents and began construction on 3 Apr 2025.
Chang Ae added that during construction, funds came from three accounts: Bum’s personal account, Got’s personal account, and an account titled "Good Deeds Organization by Ms. Panadda." When money arrived from this last account, Got would notify him to transfer it back. Whether these funds corresponded to pool villa construction payments required checking invoices. If the foundation’s money was not returned to Got, it would count as pool villa construction funds. However, Chang Ae affirmed he was not the foundation’s builder.
Chang Ae admitted feeling stressed and said he did not want to expose anyone but became involved after seeking attorney Decha’s help with tax and legal issues. The Revenue Department had investigated large money inflows, and he faced charges for forest encroachment. Journalists discovered this, making it a public issue and causing discomfort. He emphasized knowing those involved for years and not wanting to harm anyone’s reputation. His intent was to resolve problems but instead faced more complications.
When asked how he returned funds received from the organization to Got, Chang Ae said some transfers were via banking apps, others were cash withdrawals redeposited. He could only transfer up to 2 million baht daily. Sometimes company money was transferred. In total, he received about 45 million baht and returned over 20 million, mostly by immediate transfers but occasionally delayed by transfer limits or being out of town.
Asked if he knew taxes were due on incoming funds, Chang Ae said he discussed with Got, who promised to cover transfer fees. Chang Ae worried more about tax implications, as authorities might view the money as income. Got said he would pay but later became unreachable. Chang Ae spoke with Got’s accountant, who said he would ask Got but then went silent.
On the program, a slip was shown of a transfer from the Good Deeds Organization account at 09:39 on 31 Jan 2023 to Chang Ae’s account. Comparing this with the house payment schedule showed the amount of 688,619.35 baht matched the second house’s installment payable to Chang Ae.
Another transfer from the Good Deeds Organization account occurred on 13 Dec 2022 for 764,000 baht, which matched the amount billed by Chang Ae to Got.
Source: Hon Krasae program.