A Thai woman accused an ex-Member of Parliament (MP) and a prominent businessman of extorting 9 million baht from her by promising to help her avoid legal punishment. Despite paying the amount, she was imprisoned.
The woman, identified as Punim, shared her ordeal on her Facebook account on June 26, asking her followers whether she should reveal the identities of the politician and businessman who allegedly defrauded her.
“I lost millions of baht to people who claimed they could help me. I ended up in jail for over a year. Should I reveal their names? They threatened to shoot me because I asked for my money back. What should I do?” she wrote in the post.
Her story gained traction online, receiving over 1,700 reactions. Many urged her to disclose the suspects’ identities if she had solid evidence, while others advised her to seek help from journalists or social media influencers for her safety.
Channel 3’s news team later interviewed Punim at her accommodation in the northern province of Phitsanulok, which she previously used as a manufacturing base for her Oho brand supplements.
Punim told reporters that she was charged in 2014 for producing and distributing a dietary supplement without a permit. Channel 3 added that her supplement contained substances dangerous to consumers’ health as well.
Punin revealed that she was sentenced to two years and three months in prison. She appealed the court’s decision to avoid jail time.
At that point, a reportedly former MP offered to assist her, claiming he could keep her out of prison in exchange for 4.5 million baht. Trusting his status, she agreed and transferred the money. However, he later cut off contact with her.
Subsequently, a second man, a prominent businessman, approached Punim, claiming he had close ties to prosecutors and judges. After observing his apparent business success, she believed him and transferred another 4.5 million baht as an operational cost.
Punim ultimately received no legal leniency and was imprisoned for more than a year. Upon release, she attempted to contact both men to reclaim her money but met with death threats instead.
She told the media that she decided to speak out because she needed part of the money to repay her debts. As of now, neither the politician nor the businessman has come forward to respond to the allegations.
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