Thai Court Jails Ex-Senator's Son for 132 Years in Gambling Case

Thailand's Criminal Court sentenced Narote Piriyarangsan, son of former senator Sangsit Piriyarangsan, to 132 years and six months in prison. The April 27 ruling followed convictions on charges of organizing illegal online gambling and money laundering. Narote did not appear for the verdict. The court read the judgment in absentia and issued an arrest warrant. Under Thai law, his effective prison term is capped at 20 years. His father, an economist and expert on corruption and gambling, was previously linked to Thailand's failed casino bill.

How the Illegal Gambling Network Was Structured

The case, brought against Narayut Narakaew and eight others, centered on activity between December 28, 2023, and May 27, 2024. During this period, the group ran illegal online gambling platforms through publicly accessible websites. The network was structured with organized roles, including website owners and managers, system administrators, mule account holders, and payment processors linked to the VPay and Heng Pay systems. Users were required to transfer funds into designated accounts before gaining access.

The prosecution said the defendants also registered front companies. These were disguised as online retail businesses to obtain QR code payment systems for receiving gambling proceeds. Multiple transfers were made through automated payment systems, ranging from 1.7 million baht to 54.7 million baht. Transactions linked to the scheme exceeded 2 billion baht in total.

Assets Seized and Sentences Handed Down

The court found that the proceeds were laundered through the purchase of land valued at over 7.2 million baht, jewelry valued at 10 million baht, and three luxury cars. All linked assets were confiscated by court order.

Narote received the heaviest sentence due to his central role in managing the network and overseeing its payment channels. Narayut Narakaew, the owner of the gambling website 69pgslot.com, received 17 years and eight months. Several corporate defendants were fined between 1 million and 13.7 million baht. Two individuals received sentences of one year and eight months each. Narote was apprehended in July 2024, with police confiscating assets worth more than 400 million baht at the time.

Thailand's illegal gambling black market is estimated at 1.1 trillion baht annually, dwarfing legal alternatives and driving one of Southeast Asia's most aggressive crackdowns on illicit gaming.

The Case's Final Twist and Thailand's Gambling Crackdown

Narote was the only defendant granted temporary bail. He was released on October 31, 2025, and his release later drew scrutiny toward the judge who approved it. He subsequently failed to appear for sentencing. The case forms part of Thailand's broader crackdown on illegal gambling. Almost all forms of gambling remain illegal following the withdrawal of the casino bill last year. The black market is believed to be worth approximately 1.1 trillion baht annually. In October 2025, raids across nine locations resulted in the arrest of former Muay Thai champion Weerapong (Puenkon Tor Surat) for his role in a separate illicit gambling network.