Actress Napapa “Patt” Tantrakul reported to Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) police on Monday morning to acknowledge a charge of money laundering.
She arrived at the bureau around 9am, accompanied by her lawyer Akhom Kongsawat. The actress did not speak to reporters.
Mr Akhom said Ms Napapa was there to answer a police summons. He had learned that his client would be questioned and acknowledge the charge against her. Police would later take her to the Ratchada Criminal Court and formally apply to detain her, he said.
The lawyer said 500,000 baht was ready as a surety to support a request to the court for release on bail.
Mr Akhom also showed a summons to answer a charge of money laundering to reporters. He said the document had no information about the accuser, the accused or reason behind the summons. Details would be heard from the investigators today, he said.
Ms Napapa earlier had 1.9 million baht wired to her bank account by her husband, Akarakit Worarojcharoendet, a suspect in a case of alleged money laundering for a drug ring led by Lao national Xaysana Keopimpha.
According to police, Mr Akarakit received the money from Natthaphol “Boy” Nakkham, another suspect in the Xaysana drug case.
On May 9, the NSB sought court approval for a warrant for her arrest, but the court ordered police to issue a summons instead.
Ms Napapa failed to answer the summons on Thursday, and the NSB served her a new summons on Monday.
Mr Akhom said his client failed to report on Thursday because she and her legal team did not have enough time to prepare, and had asked for the postponement to today.
NSB chief Sommai Kongwisaisuk said investigators will oppose bail because it is a drug-related case, but she could produce evidence of her innocence in court.
After being questioned by police, Ms Napapa would be taken to the court right away, he said.