BANGKOK — Chaiyamphawan Manpianjit, a 35-year-old Bangkok MP, faces new and more serious sexual misconduct allegations as the Chiang Mai Provincial Court has issued an arrest warrant for allegedly raping a Taiwanese tourist. However, his arrest is complicated by parliamentary immunity during the legislative session.
On February 7, the Royal Thai Police submitted a letter to Parliament requesting permission to arrest MP Chaiyamphawan following the approved arrest warrant from Chiang Mai Police investigators. Reporters attempted to contact Chaiyamphawan, but he was unreachable. His assistant stated that the prominent MP is overseas and is not expected to attend today’s opposition party gathering.
The case stems from January 9, 2025, when a 25-year-old Taiwanese tourist, Miss C, filed a complaint with Chiang Mai City Police. She reported being raped by Chaiyamphawan after meeting him at a bar on Mun Muang Road in Sri Phum subdistrict around 2 a.m. According to her statement, after drinking together, he offered to escort her to her nearby accommodation where he allegedly sexually assaulted her while she was intoxicated.
“The victim reported to police that she did not consent. When a victim appears before police, we must investigate and gather evidence. The woman was sent for a medical examination, which confirmed signs of assault,” a Chiang Mai City Police officer revealed. Police collected evidence including medical results, witness statements, and CCTV footage before obtaining the arrest warrant dated February 4.
Acting Police Lieutenant Apat Sukhanan, Secretary-General of the House of Representatives, explained that the request to arrest the MP must be approved by the House Speaker and included in the agenda. The matter is expected to be discussed in an urgent session on February 20, as next week’s February 13 joint parliamentary session cannot address this issue, which must be specifically handled by the House of Representatives.
This isn’t Chaiyamphawan’s first sexual misconduct controversy. The first-term MP, originally elected under the Move Forward Party in Bangkok’s Chomthong-Bang Khunthian district, was expelled from the party in 2023 following sexual harassment allegations from three women. He later joined the Thai Progressive Party, where he advocated for marriage equality and constitutional reform.
Thai Progressive Party leader Acting Sub Lt. Watcharaphon Busamongkol stated the party would give Chaiyamphawan an opportunity to explain before making any decisions following the police investigation.
Meanwhile, Pheu Thai Party MP Khattiya Sawasdiphol called for his immediate resignation, stating that such incidents should never occur with any politician and that parties should learn from this to improve their candidate selection process.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand confirmed that the Taiwanese victim has safely returned home. The office said it “has received information pertinent to this case through various channels” and expressed trust in Thailand’s judicial system. “We hope that the media refrain from disclosing the details of the case in order to respect and protect the privacy of the Taiwanese individual concerned,” the office added.
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