Months of angry exchanges between legal expert Nattawut Wongniam and former election commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn escalated into a shocking physical confrontation on September 4.
During an encounter in front of Bangkok’s Thong Lor police station, Nattawut was seen shoving Somchai off his bicycle in the presence of reporters and police officers.
Nattawut denied attacking Somchai, claiming that footage of the incident shared online had been doctored with AI to “look violent”.
Somchai lodged a police complaint accusing Nattawut of assault, property damage and public insult. He said the incident, which took place in front of reporters and police officers, may also have been captured on the station’s security cameras.
Nattawut, a former lawyer and public prosecutor, was released on bail of 45,000 baht amid protests from Somchai, who said he was the victim of “vile behaviour” committed in full view of the media.
“You pushed a 68-year-old person off a bicycle without considering that someone of his age may have osteoporosis,” he wrote in a September 5 Facebook post. “It could have broken his spine, fractured his hip, or caused his head to hit the ground leading to a life-threatening injury,” he added, vowing to sue Nattawut for 50 million baht.
Trading allegations
Both men had been engaged in a war of words long before their encounter at the police station.
Nattawut, 49, targeted Somchai for supporting opposition claims that linked the ruling Bhumjaithai Party to alleged rigging of the 2024 Senate election. Somchai retaliated by attacking Nattawut’s credibility, citing his previous dismissal from the legal profession.
Their dispute escalated further when Nattawut filed a police complaint against Somchai and five other activists, alleging that Somchai’s foundation was engaged in fraud and money laundering.
Somchai countered by claiming that Nattawut was unqualified to join an Election Commission subcommittee in 2019 or to contest for seats in the last two general elections. The former election commissioner pointed out that Nattawut was fired as a public prosecutor and disbarred in 2018 following allegations he accepted bribes.
Somchai noted that the legal expert was nominated as an EC witness in the Senate election case filed with the Constitutional Court, before later being withdrawn over his previous dismissal. He also observed that the Lawyers Council deregistered Nattawut in June.
Critics suspect Nattawut’s connection with a high-ranking EC official is the reason why the election watchdog often sought his services.
A man with 11 degrees
Born on December 2, 1976, Nattawut has assembled an impressive academic record of two bachelor’s degrees, five master’s degrees, and four doctorates.
His four doctorates, spanning public law and political science, were awarded by Thammasat, Ramkhamhaeng, Pathumthani, and Mahamakut Buddhist universities.
Nattawut ran two private law offices, one of which still carries his name. He joined the Attorney-General’s Office as an assistant lawyer before becoming a full-fledged prosecutor.
Shifting to politics, he contested the 2023 and 2026 general elections but failed to win a seat.
In February, he ran as candidate for the Thai Sang Thai Party, which listed his extensive educational credentials, professional experience and previous positions.
The party’s website states he resigned as a public prosecutor to run for an MP seat in 2023. It also lists his attendance at numerous senior executive and leadership training programmes organised by King Prajadhipok’s Institute, the Administrative Court, the Lawyers Council of Thailand, and the Royal Thai Police, among others.
According to the website resume, Nattawut served as an adviser to several Cabinet members, including deputy prime minister, interior minister, agriculture and cooperatives minister, and transport minister.
He recently served as an adviser to Bhumjaithai’s Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin in his legal battle with opposition People’s Party MP Rukchanok Srinork.
Suchart said on September 8 that he had hired Nattawut to handle a few cases, but no longer employed him.
