Bangkok: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Lt. Col. Thammanat Prompao has denied any involvement with a scammer gang and defended party member Channopat Naksua, asserting that everyone has a past. Lt. Col. Thammanat, serving as an advisor to the Kla Tham Party, clarified that the alleged connections between party MPs and scammer gangs are part of an “old story” and that Mr. Chanonpat has already addressed the issue. He noted that these matters have been resolved through legal processes before entering the political scene.

According to Thai News Agency, Lt. Col. Thammanat explained that various cases are often categorized under the umbrella term “scammers,” despite the varying nature of these cases, which include online gambling, human trafficking, and public fraud. He urged the media to clearly present information to avoid confusion and reiterated that the party does not condone scam activities.

Facing accusations of damaging the party’s reputation, Lt. Col. Thammanat disclosed that his legal team has been instructed to pursue legal action against those implicating him. He acknowledged the party’s rapid growth might attract political attacks but committed to resolving issues internally. Highlighting that all politicians have a past, he deemed it unfair to target their history, especially when they have already faced legal scrutiny. He called on all parties to prevent the investigation from turning into political assaults and confirmed that the Kla Tham Party remains focused on its work.