Bangkok: "Saeng" has spoken with the Governor of the Bank of Thailand and is preparing for an intense discussion on the issue of unusual withdrawals. "Saeng" revealed that he has spoken with the Governor of the Bank of Thailand (BOT) and is preparing for another round of intensive discussions regarding information on large-scale cash withdrawals. He has instructed the ECT office to monitor targeted areas and those with intense competition.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Saeng Boonmee, Secretary-General of the Election Commission of Thailand (EC), addressed the issue of the Bank of Thailand discovering irregularities in cash withdrawals over the past 10 days, totaling more than 250 million baht, primarily involving the exchange of 100- and 500-baht banknotes. This is considered suspicious and has led to the referral of the matter to the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) and the EC for investigation. Mr. Boonmee stated that he had discussed the general principles with the Governor of the Bank of Thailand and will soon deliberate on the details of how to collaborate effectively for the benefit of the nation. He emphasized that since the Bank of Thailand and the EC do not have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), they must find ways to work together effectively in the short term. The Governor expressed his strong willingness to fully support the EC's work.
"He is willing to provide this information to the Election Commission, which, according to the law, we can receive without violating any rules. However, there must be a proper channel for providing it. The Election Commission does not have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Bank of Thailand (BOT) like the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) does, so we are currently exploring ways to transfer the data. As for the AMLO, we already have a coordination process, and if they find any irregularities, they will notify us," Mr. Saeng said.
Mr. Saeng also stated that, regarding the office, he has instructed the investigation team to monitor and track areas where intense competition is observed and where the money is expected to have already been distributed.