Prominent lawyer Decha Kittivittayanan has urged the Interior Ministry to investigate the legitimacy of the "Gun Jompalang Chuai Su" Foundation, questioning whether it is a bona fide charitable organisation or merely a proxy entity.
He called on authorities to assess whether its operations comply with legal standards.
The foundation is associated with social activist Guntouch Pongpaiboonwet, widely known as Gun Jompalang, even though his name does not appear among its registered board members.
Speaking on Thursday, Mr Decha expressed growing concerns over the transparency of the foundation's formation and financial practices.
"Most foundations are created to receive donations for public benefit. The key issue is whether those funds are truly used as intended," he said, noting that preliminary inquiries suggest possible irregularities in the foundation's internal structure.
Mr Decha stressed that a foundation must be operated by its officially registered board members -- not by external individuals. If an outsider exerts control, the foundation risks dissolution and its assets may be seized by the state.
Guntouch: Not legally affiliated
He questioned whether the three listed board members were merely figureheads, pointing out that none appeared to play an active role, while Guntouch, who is not legally affiliated with the foundation, publicly directs its activities.
Mr Decha also criticised Guntouch's recent claim that he could simply change the name of the organisation designated to inherit the foundation's assets in the event of its dissolution. Currently, that entity is the Thamanat Prompow Foundation.
Mr Decha argued that such a change cannot be made unilaterally and called on the Interior Ministry, which oversees charitable foundations, to clarify the legality of such actions.
He likened the situation to the use of "mule accounts", suggesting that when a foundation is established but controlled by outsiders, it may function as a financial front.
Authorities, he said, must urgently verify who controls the foundation's bank accounts and how donations are managed. He warned that reports of questionable cash withdrawals and purchases, such as allegedly overpriced body armour, deserve close scrutiny.
Mr Decha further noted that if donors contributed based on Guntouch's personal reputation, only to be later discovered he had no legal ties to the foundation, it could constitute fraud, even if the funds were used for charitable purposes.
He also raised concerns about Guntouch's reported ownership of luxury vehicles and alleged access to 200,000 government lottery tickets, which could generate millions in monthly revenue. Mr Decha urged the tax and police authorities to investigate these claims.
