Thai minister quit over $3M his wife reportedly got from scam network, then sued reporters
On 22 October 2025 Thailand's deputy finance minister Vorapak Tanyawong resigned, a month into the job, after the newsletter Whale Hunting reported that his wife had received about $3 million in cryptocurrency from a network tied to Cambodian scam centres that he had been tasked with investigating, AFP reported. He denied wrongdoing and said he was quitting to fight a legal battle. In November 2025 he filed a criminal defamation complaint and a 50 million baht damages claim against academic Sarinee Achavanuntakul over her comments, and he filed criminal defamation complaints against Whale Hunting co-founder Tom Wright, two of which a Thai court agreed to hear in October 2026, according to CPJ. On 15 September 2026 two US House committee chairs asked the State and Treasury departments to investigate him among others for possible scam-network links; he said the letter was not a finding and denied any involvement.
To fight this legal battle, I need time and I am afraid it will interfere with my main role at the ministry of finance
Thailand's Deputy Finance Minister resigned after we revealed his wife received $3M from a criminal network.
Thai politician Vorapak Tanyawong should drop his criminal defamation suits against journalist Tom Wright
ศาลได้นัดไต่สวนมูลฟ้องในวันที่ 16 กุมภาพันธ์ 2569
It is not an investigation finding or a ruling that I have committed an offence
"I have never participated in, supported or had knowledge of scam-centre operations."
Not yet contacted for this story.
No outcome recorded yet.