On May 23, Mr. Sahasawat Khumkhong, Chonburi MP from the People’s Party (PPC), addressed the ongoing investigation into allegations that the Social Security Office (SSO) used funds from insured workers to purchase luxury cars for executives, which were later donated to temples and transferred to third parties.
Mr. Sahasawat explained that he is currently examining similar cases in 2-3 other provinces. While not a large number of luxury cars were purchased, there are recurring patterns of these cars being donated to temples or charities, and then swiftly transferred to private individuals. In some cases, temple abbots were reportedly unaware of the donation.
He said, “We will compile all evidence to formally request investigations by the relevant agencies. It’s suspicious how quickly ownership changes hands — sometimes within months. They might claim compliance with official regulations, as is often the case with government entities.”
When asked about links between the third-party recipients and SSO insiders, Sahasawat said no direct connection has been found yet but left open the possibility of close associations.
After his public revelations, he noted that there appeared to be attempts to shape a narrative suggesting that temples had to sell the cars due to financial hardship. However, he questioned whether proper documentation exists, such as receipts or records of income for the temples, and plans to examine how vehicle depreciation was calculated.
Regarding the controversial Skyy9 building purchase, Mr. Sahasawat confirmed he and Bangkok MP Rukchanok Srinork will appear in court on May 26 for a defamation lawsuit tied to their public criticism. He added that independent experts found discrepancies between SSO’s building valuation and the actual market value, especially concerning the non-existent "green building certificate," which had been cited to justify the inflated price. He said legal action might be taken against the firm that provided false information to the SSO.