Recently, a video of the police arresting a suspect was circulated online and maliciously edited with a photo of Kawin Thamsatchanan, the former goalkeeper of the Thailand national team, and the word "arrest," creating fake news about his alleged involvement in online gambling.
Kawin himself issued an official statement through social media, firmly denying the related rumors.
Event Restoration: Video Maliciously Altered
Upon verification, the video circulating online was actually arrest footage from another case, unrelated to Kawin. Criminals used deceptive methods to splice Kawin's personal image with unrelated video and misleading text, attempting to use his popularity to attract traffic to illegal gambling sites.
Official Statement from the Concerned Party
In his statement, Kawin clearly stated:
All gambling-related accusations are fabricated, and the so-called "arrest" never happened
Evidence has been collected and reported to the relevant authorities against those spreading false information
He reminds the public to be cautious of scams using his name
"These false pieces of information not only damage my reputation but could also deceive innocent people." Kawin emphasized, "Please stop spreading false content, or you may face legal consequences."
Several figures in the Thai football community then spoke out, noting that this was the second incident of an athlete being defamed online recently. A former national team coach stated: "The methods of using athletes' social influence for scams are becoming more covert, and the public needs to enhance their discernment abilities."
According to the Bangkok Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, the account that initially posted the altered video has been identified, and investigations are underway to determine if there is an organized scam group behind it. Under Thailand's Computer Crime Act, maliciously creating and spreading false information can lead to a maximum of 5 years in prison.
Kawin finally appealed: "It's hard to distinguish the authenticity of online information, please verify through official channels and do not easily believe and forward." His social media account has now pinned the clarification statement, receiving over 100,000 likes from fans in support.
