BANGKOK – Thailand’s Parliament has announced an investigation into senior politician and former army chief Prawit Wongsuwan after he was filmed slapping a reporter during a press encounter on August 16.
The incident occurred when Prawit lashed out at Duangthip Yiamphop, a journalist from the public broadcaster ThaiPBS, as she attempted to question him about the appointment of Paetongtarn Shinawatra as Thailand’s new prime minister. In a video of the incident, the 79-year-old politician was seen striking Duangthip multiple times around the head, angrily demanding, “What are you asking? What? What?”
Prawit, who served as Thailand’s army chief in the early 2000s, played a key role in the 2014 coup that ousted then-Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Paetongtarn’s aunt. He later served as deputy prime minister under the military-backed government until 2023.
In response to the incident, the Thai parliament issued a statement confirming that it would launch a formal investigation. If Prawit is found guilty of a serious ethical violation, he could face suspension as a member of parliament or even a lifetime ban from politics.
The Thai Journalists’ Association condemned Prawit’s actions, describing them as an attack on press freedom. “The Thai Journalists Association considers his actions to be threatening and harassing toward the rights and freedom of the press,” the association said in a statement.
ThaiPBS has formally lodged a complaint, and the broadcaster’s executive editor, Noppadol Srihatai, criticized Prawit for undermining journalism. “He was seen hurting a reporter, and we cannot accept it,” Noppadol said. “As a public organization, we must protect journalists’ rights so that media work won’t be affected in the future.”
Prawit has since apologized to the reporter, stating that he “did not have any bad intention” in the incident. A powerful figure in Thailand’s pro-military and pro-royalist establishment, Prawit has long been a key player in the country’s political scene. In 2018, he faced a corruption probe over his collection of luxury watches but was cleared by the National Anti-Corruption Commission.