Ratchaburi Provincial Court has ordered former MP Pareena Kraikupt to pay the 7.6 million baht cost of the by-election to find her replacement after she was disqualified two years ago.
The court ruled on March 11 that the former Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) MP must pay 7.6 million baht, plus interest, to the Election Commission, which had to organise the by-election on May 21, 2022.
Ms Pareena was disqualified from holding her seat by the Supreme Court over a breach of ethics.
The bill must be paid within 30 days of the ruling, or the court will seize assets listed under her name to cover the amount. She also risks arrest and imprisonment if she fails to abide by the order.
The order was posted at the entrance of her registered address on Saturday, after no one answered the door to acknowledge the ruling.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission launched an investigation into allegations of land encroachment made against Ms Pareena while she was a serving MP for the PPRP.
The case was subsequently taken to the Supreme Court, which ordered Ms Pareena be stripped of her parliamentary status because 665 rai of the 711-rai property she operated as a poultry farm in Chom Bueng district was found to encroach on a state-owned forest reserve.
The court also banned Ms Pareena from political office at any level for life, and from voting in any election for 10 years.
After she lost her seat, a by-election was held in Chom Bung and Photharam districts to fill the vacancy. It was won by Chaithip Kamolpantip of the Democrat Party, with 51,743 votes. She must pay the cost of organising that by-election.