The 69th election campaign for the People's Party was shaken again after one of its MP candidates was prosecuted for involvement in a gray-area business. This is the second such case since the candidate announcement, bringing renewed public attention to the vetting of political personnel.
Today (15 Jan 2026) at 08:00 at the Future New Building, Mr. Natthapong Ruangpanyawut, People's Party leader, held an urgent press conference regarding Mr. Ratchapong Soisuwan, the party's MP candidate for Tak's 2nd district, who was arrested by the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) police under a criminal court warrant no. 196/69 dated 13 Jan 2026. He is charged with "jointly organizing gambling or devising schemes to advertise or directly or indirectly induce others to gamble in electronic media without official permission, conspiracy to launder money, and money laundering." The police arrested him at his residence in Nuanchan area, Nawamin Road, Bangkok.
This incident occurred amid an intense election campaign atmosphere, putting the People's Party under pressure from both political rivals and public scrutiny, especially regarding the rigor of candidate qualification checks and links to gray-area businesses. This has sparked debate about politicians' ethical standards and the party's credibility in the eyes of voters during this critical election period.
The 'Orange Party' has faced candidate-related problems twice during the 69th election, with candidates prosecuted after registration. This has put pressure on the party's image and raised public questions about the candidate vetting process.
- Mr. Boonrit Rarungroj, former MP candidate for Bangkok's 33rd district, was arrested for "conspiring to launder money by transferring or receiving assets related to criminal offenses to conceal their origin or to help others avoid or reduce punishment, involving at least two people." The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) has temporarily seized assets linked to the crime, and he is currently detained with bail opposed due to the high penalty and flight risk.
Status: Candidate replaced by Mr. Taepipop Limjitkorn.
Mr. Ratchapong Soisuwan, MP candidate for Tak's 2nd district, was arrested on charges of "jointly organizing gambling or devising schemes to advertise or directly or indirectly induce others to gamble in electronic media without official permission, conspiracy to launder money, and money laundering." Investigations revealed he was a beneficiary of the gambling website involved.
Status: Candidate replacement was not possible in time.
Following the incident, Mr. Natthapong Ruangpanyawut, People's Party leader, issued a statement reaffirming the party's firm stance on "Zero Tolerance" against corruption, crime, and serious offenses in all forms, regardless of the individual's position within the party.
Mr. Natthapong acknowledged that such incidents during the election campaign inevitably impact the party. However, the People's Party has never ignored arising issues; it has consistently requested criminal background checks and conducted thorough vetting of candidates at every stage.
Regarding this being the second such incident involving the People's Party, Mr. Natthapong stated that internal checks are conducted daily. He admitted that political parties have fewer tools and authority than government agencies to verify candidates and urged state agencies to apply uniform, rigorous, and non-discriminatory scrutiny to all parties to ensure fairness and public confidence in the electoral process.
The allegations against the two People's Party candidates still require legal proof to uncover the truth, but politically, the cases are considered closed ahead of the upcoming 2026 election.