TLDR
- A Bangkok court ordered activist Atchariya Ruangrattanapong held for 12 days in an illegal betting probe.
- Police say the online Muay Thai betting ring handled more than $30 million.
- Investigators found 212 transactions worth over $1.2 million tied to him or linked accounts.
- Police are reviewing his personal account and a crime victims club account he leads.
- Atchariya denies the charges and says police fabricated evidence.
A Thai court has ordered activist Atchariya Ruangrattanapong to remain in custody. Police are investigating his alleged links to an illegal online boxing betting ring.
The Criminal Court in Bangkok approved a 12-day detention period on October 5. It also turned down his request for bail.
Cybercrime investigators told the court that releasing him could put the case at risk. They said he might tamper with evidence or influence witnesses.
The 59-year-old was arrested on October 3 near the Siam Om Noi boxing stadium in Samut Sakhon. Officers from the Technology Crime Suppression Division then questioned him for several hours under a court warrant.
Charges Linked to $30 Million Betting Ring
Atchariya faces charges of public fraud, money laundering and illegal electronic betting. He is also accused of breaking Thailand’s computer crime laws.
Police say the online Muay Thai betting ring handled more than 1 billion baht, or about $30 million. Muay Thai is a popular combat sport in Thailand.
Investigators said they found 212 transactions worth more than 40 million baht, or about $1.2 million. They believe these payments connect Atchariya or accounts tied to him to people in the betting operation.
Police also looked at his personal bank account. They said it recorded 1,196 transactions worth about 191 million baht, or $5.7 million, between January 2024 and April 2025.
Another account belongs to the Crime Victims Assistance Club, which Atchariya leads. Between 2013 and April 2026, it processed 5,140 transactions totaling about 168 million baht, or $5 million.
Investigators are checking whether some donations meant to help crime victims were moved into gambling activities.
Atchariya Denies Wrongdoing
Atchariya denies all the charges. He says the transactions have legal explanations and rejects claims that he gained hundreds of millions of baht through deception.
He has also questioned evidence tied to social media. Investigators said he told them material linked to a Facebook account could not be current because he stopped using Facebook in 2022. He says he now runs a YouTube channel.
The activist claims police built the case using evidence recycled from an earlier investigation. He has accused officers of planting evidence to target him for his years of criticism of law enforcement.
Atchariya has a history of public claims about gambling and police corruption. In 2023, he went to Royal Thai Police headquarters and said senior officers were involved in gambling websites.
At the time, he said more than 100 officers took part in such operations. Those claims were never confirmed by a court.
Police say they need more time to question witnesses and study forensic material. They also plan to review financial records and check Atchariya’s background.
His detention has been extended until October 16 while the investigation continues.
