The Chiang Mai Provincial Court issued an arrest warrant today for Chaiyamparwaan Manpianjit, an MP of the Thai Progress party, on a charge of raping a Taiwanese national at a hotel in Chiang Mai on January 9th.
Chiang Mai police say that they received a complaint from the woman, who claimed she was raped by the MP at a hotel in Muang district. After interviewing the alleged victim and some witnesses, the police say there is sufficient evidence for them to believe the woman’s allegation.
Pol Sub-Lit Arpath Sakanan, secretary-general of the House of Representatives, said he has not yet been notified by the police about the arrest warrant.
House Speaker Wan Muhamad Matha said that he will look into the matter.
Parliamentarians have immunity from arrest by the police while parliament is in session. Permission is needed from the House or Senate speaker if an MP or senator is to be arrested. It normally takes about a week for the permission to be granted, once parliament receives the notification from the police.
The Thai media are waiting to see whether Chaiyamparwaan will show up at an opposition party dinner this evening.
Thai Progress party leader, Watcharaphol Butsomkorn, told the media that the rape allegation against Chaiyamparwaan is a personal matter and the party will give him a chance to defend himself.
A former MP of the now defunct Move Forward party, Chaiyamparwaan joined the Thai Progress party in late 2023, shortly after he was forced out of Move Forward when he was accused of sexually harassing his female assistants.
The Thai Progress party was founded in 2022. It has only one MP, Chaiyamparwaan.
