Prasit Jeawkok handed 1,244-year sentence over tour scam involving 311 victims
Thailand’s Criminal Court handed Prasit Jeawkok a nominal 1,244-year sentence for a tour investment scam involving 311 victims, capped at 20 years under Thai law.
The Criminal Court has handed businessman Prasit Jeawkok a combined prison sentence of 1,244 years for defrauding 311 people through a tour package investment scheme. However, Thai law limits the prison term in this case to 20 years.
The court also ordered the sentence to be served consecutively after those imposed in seven previous criminal cases against Prasit.
The ruling was delivered at the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road in Bangkok on Wednesday (November 11, 2026).
The case was brought by prosecutors from the Economic and Resources Crime Division 1 against five defendants: Mandawee Tour Co Ltd, Beyond World Co Ltd, Web Sawasdee Plc, Prasit and Kittisak Yennanont, vice-chairman of the M Group of companies.
Prasit, a former chairman of the Return Goodness to the Land project, and Kittisak were listed as authorised directors of the three companies.
Investment scheme promised 20% annual returns
According to the prosecution, the defendants offered tour packages at various price levels while encouraging members of the public to invest money in schemes promising annual returns of 20%.
A total of 311 people were persuaded to purchase the packages or invest their money. Prosecutors alleged that the arrangements amounted to a pyramid-style investment scheme.
The defendants faced charges of jointly defrauding the public and offences under the Computer Crime Act.
The three companies and Prasit initially pleaded not guilty but changed their pleas to guilty during the trial. Kittisak maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings.
After examining the evidence, the court found the prosecution witnesses credible and concluded that there was no reason to believe they had falsely implicated the defendants.
It convicted the first four defendants of 311 separate offences involving fraudulent borrowing from the public, applying the provision carrying the most severe punishment.
Guilty pleas halve prison sentence and fines
Prasit received eight years' imprisonment for each of the 311 offences, producing an initial combined sentence of 2,488 years.
The court subsequently reduced the sentence by half because his guilty plea had assisted the proceedings, leaving a total of 1,244 years.
Nevertheless, the legal limit on imprisonment for multiple offences meant that his prison term in this case was capped at 20 years.
Each of the three companies was initially fined THB600,000 per offence, equivalent to THB186.6 million per company.
Following the reduction for their guilty pleas, the fines were lowered to THB93.3 million each.
The court also ordered Prasit and the three companies to jointly repay the money obtained from all 311 victims, together with annual interest of 7.5%.
Fifth defendant acquitted over insufficient evidence
The court dismissed the charges against Kittisak after finding that the prosecution had failed to establish his involvement in the offences.
Kittisak had denied the allegations throughout the proceedings.
The judges ruled that the available evidence was insufficient to prove his guilt and therefore gave him the benefit of the doubt, resulting in his acquittal.
