Open the lid on B12m cash saga

The story opened with a bang: a plastic box filled with 12 million baht cash was accidentally found at a garbage disposal area of a Nonthaburi condo and later claimed by a high-ranking adviser to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).

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The discovery immediately sparked public suspicion and calls for transparency. It is now up to officials to deliver a satisfying end to this perplexing story by conducting a swift investigation to uncover the full truth behind the find.

Last week, on June 5, a resident of a Muang Thong Thani condo found a plastic box near a rubbish disposal area, which she retrieved expecting to reuse.

Upon opening it, she was startled to discover it contained wads of banknotes. More importantly, tax deduction documents and other papers related to the NBTC were found nearby.

The resident promptly alerted the police, who seized the 12 million baht cash for investigation.

Later, Taweewat Sengkaew, a lawyer and adviser to an NBTC board member, came forward to claim ownership.

Details about why the 12 million baht cash ended up in the rubbish collection area are bizarre. In his remarks to the police, Mr Taweewat insisted the money had been lawfully earned.

As to why he would rather keep such a substantial sum in cash at home and not deposit it in a bank, Mr Taweewat said he planned to enter politics and thus would rather have the cash readily at hand.