Sister of Ying Kai arrested

An elder sister of alleged conwoman Monta "Ying Kai" Yokrattanakan has been arrested in Nakhon Sawan on charges of fraud and falsifying documents, with alleged links to lese majeste offences.

Police officers on Saturday took Kamonthat Thanathornkhositjira, 62, to a condominium building on Lat Phrao Soi 60 in Bangkok where they searched three luxurious units for further evidence related to lese majeste offences. Officers from the Crime Suppression and Technology Crime Suppression divisions were involved in the search.

Ms Kamonthat, alias Kim-eng Sae Tia or Tum, has been accused of invoking the royal institution in a fund-raising scam that swindled more than 3 million baht from victims.

The Criminal Court on Aug 11 issued a warrant for her arrest on charges of colluding to commit fraud and falsifying documents. She was apprehended in Nakhon Sawan on Friday, Thai media reported.

The search of her Lat Phrao rooms found many valuable items including antique porcelain, ivory tusks, swords, statues and amulets. Documents and some valuable items bearing royal emblems were also found.

The search team is now examining the royal emblems to determine if the items are fake. If evidence is found that she had cited the royal institution as alleged, police would press additional charges of breaching Section 112 of the Criminal Code, known as the lese majeste law.

Ms Kamonthat, a resident of Samut Prakan, also goes by the name Duangruethai Thanathornkhositjira and is reported to have changed her name many times in the past. She is the elder sister of the infamous "Ying Kai", who is currently in a remand prison on charges of lodging false complaints, human trafficking, defamation and lese majeste. 

Ms Monta, 56, attracted widespread media attention earlier this year after her former housekeepers accused her of lodging false theft complaints against them. The accusations were believed to have been made in retaliation for the women's refusal to accept Ms Monta's offers of highly paid employment, believed to be related to prostitution.

Police this week cleared a 19-year-old university student and her mother of all charges made against them. Other cases, including one that resulted in imprisonment, are still being investigated. Numerous police officers are also under investigation for failing to properly investigate the truth of the complaints made by Ying Kai.

The charge of lese majeste was brought against her after former employees told police that the suspect claimed she was a khunying, a title bestowed by His Majesty the King, and used it to seek undue favour and benefits.