A Thai journalist is pursuing legal action against a politician, alleging threats and physical assault following a dispute over claims involving the Prime Minister of Thailand, Anutin Charnvirakul.
The journalist, whose identity has been withheld, sought assistance from social media figure Guntouch “Gun” Pongpaiboonwet, citing concerns about his safety and the possibility of further incidents. He added that the alleged incidents began last year, but legal proceedings have progressed slowly.
The journalist said he and the accused politician lived in the same condominium and initially worked together on the building’s committee after it was affected by an earthquake in Myanmar. He explained that disagreements over management later fractured the committee into separate groups
The dispute escalated after the politician shared a photo of himself with Anutin in a condominium LINE group and claimed he had been appointed to a committee working closely with the PM.
The reporter subsequently contacted a Bhumjaithai Party member, who stated that no such appointment had been made.
Fearing that party members would alert the politician to drop the claim, the reporter noted that interpersonal tensions rose rapidly before culminating in a confrontation in October last year.
During this incident, the politician was allegedly under the influence of alcohol when he argued with the reporter and threatened defamation legal action.
When the reporter later attempted to secure CCTV footage of the interaction from the condominium control room, the politician allegedly followed him inside. A second confrontation ensued, resulting in injuries to both the journalist and the residents who were present.
He also alleged that the politician took a USB drive containing footage of the earlier exchange, along with personal and work-related documents.
The reporter further claimed that the politician attempted to damage his reputation and interfere with his employment, and that he continued to receive threats. He filed a complaint with Sutthisan Police Station, but said progress has been slow.
Gun later held a press conference where the journalist presented his account publicly. He said he had been contacted by several politicians seeking to address the matter on behalf of the accused.
Gun stated that he denied negotiating with anyone and thought all parties should proceed through legal channels to ensure a fair investigation.
As of now, the accused politician has not issued a public response. The Thai journalist assault case remains under investigation.
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