Police Arrest Politico Who Filed Princess Dress Complaint

Kitjanut Chaiyosburana, right, meets with police on Wednesday moments before his arrest.

BANGKOK — When a businessman and aspiring politician went to the police Wednesday to follow up on his complaint against a YouTuber for allegedly insulting His Majesty the King’s daughter, he was probably hoping for word of an arrest – just not his.

Police said Thursday they took Kitjanut Chaiyosburana into custody after realizing he had an outstanding warrant for arrest on fraud charges. Kitjanut, who’s running in the next election as a member of Mahachon Party, insisted on his innocence and pledged to contest the case in court.

“He’s now a suspect,” Col. Chusak Kanardnit said by phone. “There was an arrest warrant for him, so we sent him for questioning by investigators.”

Kitjanut was later freed on a bond of 500,000 baht. He denied the allegations and said he would make formal statement about the arrest later at 3pm today.

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“The news is wrong. There were so many inaccuracies. Almost everything in the news is false,” Kitjanut said in an interview. “Wait for my news conference. It’s not true. I was surprised by what the news said, too.”

Read: YouTuber Who Criticized Princess-Made Pageant Gown Faces Legal Action

According to police, the court approved a warrant for his arrest last week on the allegation he scammed multiple victims of 30-million baht in a Ponzi scheme.

The cosmetics entrepreneur had gone to the police Tuesday to file a complaint against an online personality who had made critical comments about a dress designed by Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana for the recently concluded Miss Universe pageant. Kitjanut urged police to charge the YouTuber, Wanchaleom Jamneanphol, with libel and cybercrimes.

He then went to the national police headquarters yesterday to ask about progress in the case, only to be apprehended on the spot.

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Kitjanut is listed as owner of a company selling cosmetics and clothing online. His family also owns Beger, a large paint and construction materials firm.

Speaking today, Kitjanut defended his complaint against Wanchaleom.

“I don’t want to see celebs and net idols behaving as a bad example for society,” he said. “Thailand fought for years to host the Miss Universe contest and it was damaged by a handful individuals.”