(Photo: Sarinee Achavanuntakul Facebook)The Election Commission is investigating allegations that a political party may have paid for favourable media coverage without receipts, after leaked Line chat messages suggested off-the-books arrangements during the campaign for the Feb 8 election. Under election law, political parties and candidates must accurately declare all campaign expenses, which must be lawful and supported by evidence. “If a party uses media space for campaigning without receipts, that is not allowed under the law.”The commission needed time to verify the facts before drawing conclusions, he added. The investigation follows the circulation of screenshots from a Line group linked to a Thai political party, listing 19 media outlets allegedly offering news-style coverage on a lump-sum or monthly basis, with claims that no receipts would be issued. “This has become ‘normal’ in Thai media today,” Ms Sarinee wrote, warning the ethical barrier between editorial and commercial interests had collapsed.

Source: Bangkok Post January 10, 2026 11:27 UTC