5 years in prison for “Yam Thamonphan”, husband gets 20 years for opening gambling website – money laundering

Bangkok, The Criminal Court sentenced "Yam Thamonphan", a former actress in a historical drama, to 5 years in prison. Her husband "Phumipat" was sentenced to 20 years in prison for opening a gambling website and laundering a large sum of money. Other defendants received reduced sentences, with one person acquitted and two people evading bail. At the courtroom 912 of the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road, the court read the verdict in the online gambling and money laundering case, black number A.669/2566, in which the Office of the Attorney General 5 for Special Litigation was the plaintiff suing 1) Mr. Chetsachai, 2) Mr. Phumipat or Aum, the husband of Yam Thamonphan, a former actress in historical dramas, 3) Mrs. Sudjai, 4) Mr. Naruepol, 5) Mr. Athit or Bang, 6) Mr. Pakorn, 7) Ms. Thamonphan or Yam, a former actress in historical dramas, 8) Mr. Thitiwat, 9) Mr. Pitupong, 10) Mr. Worawut, 11) Mr. Kittipop, and 12) Ms. Ploynisa, as defendants 1-12, respectively, for the offense of jointly distributing for commercial purposes any obscene pictures, advertisements, photographs, etc., jointly arranging for gambling, or creating enticements, etc. Directly or indirectly allowing others to gamble, colluding to commit money laundering and money laundering. The prosecutor stated that the defendants' offenses were summarized as follows: Between May 15, 2022 and September 1, 2022, defendants 1-8 and their associates had the audacity to launder money by dividing up the tasks. Mr. Phuwanon Kotchaphum, the defendants' associates, who have not yet been brought to court, transferred money, which was property obtained from the offense of jointly organizing gambling or using tricks to lure, help advertise or persuade, directly or indirectly, others to gamble on electronic media without permission from an official, jointly participating in or participating in gambling in a game that violates the provisions of the Gambling Act B.E. 2478, which is a basic offense under the offense of being an organizer of gambling without permiss ion, with a total value of 5 million baht or more, which is an offense related to gambling under the Gambling Act and organizing gambling on electronic media by transferring money from a deposit account at Siam Commercial Bank, account name of the defendants' associates, who have not yet been brought to court, to a deposit account. Kasikorn Bank savings account, account name Mr. Pakorn Lao Krai, belonging to the 6th defendant, 46 times, totaling 39.6 million baht, which is the transfer, receipt of transfer or change of the condition of assets related to the offense in order to hide or conceal the source of the assets or to disguise the true nature, acquisition, location, sale, transfer, or acquisition of any rights to assets related to the offense, which is a joint action on money laundering in violation of the law, in accordance with the intention of the eight defendants and their associates as stated in the aforementioned conspiracy. Later, during May 18, 2022 - September 22, 2022, the 1st to 8th defendant s and their associates had the audacity to launder money by dividing up the tasks. The 1st defendant withdrew money, which was property obtained from the offense of jointly organizing gambling or using tricks to lure, help advertise or persuade, directly or indirectly, others to gamble in electronic media without permission from the authorities, jointly participating in or participating in gambling in a game that violates the provisions of the Gambling Act B.E. 2478, which is a basic offense under the offense of being an organizer of gambling without permission, from a Kasikorn Bank account, account name Mr. Pakorn, the 6th defendant, 25 times, totaling more than 350.4 million baht, which was the transfer, receipt of transfer or change of property related to the offense in order to hide or conceal the source of the property or to disguise its true nature. The incident occurred in Pathum Wan Subdistrict, Pathum Wan District, Bangkok, Arun Amarin Subdistrict, Bang Khun Non District, Bangkok, Om Noi Subdistrict, Krathum Baen District, Samut Sakhon Province and other related places. Request to punish the defendant according to the Gambling Act of 1935, Sections 4, 4 bis, 5, 6 and 12, the Gambling Act (No. 4) of 1942, Section 3, the Gambling Act (No. 7) of 1961, Section 3 and the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 1999, Amended No. 5, together with the Criminal Code, Sections 33, 83, 91 and 287. The defendants denied the charges. Defendants 1-8 were taken from prison. Defendants 9-12 were granted bail. However, today, Defendants 9-10 came to court. Defendants 11-12 fled and did not come to court. The court considered the testimony and evidence presented by both parties and sentenced the first defendant to a total of 12 years and 21 months in prison, the second defendant, Mr. Phumipat, to 20 years in prison, the third through sixth defendants to 2 years and 4 months in prison each, the seventh defendant to 5 years in prison, the eighth defendant to a total of 12 years and 18 months in prison, the ninth defendant was acquit ted, the tenth defendant was sentenced to 4 months in prison and fined 8,000 baht, the prison sentence was suspended for 2 years. Source: Thai News Agency