A video clip, widely circulated on social media and purportedly showing Natthapong Ruengpanyawut, leader of the People’s Party, condemning a Thai hospital for refusing treatment to Cambodian nationals, is a manipulated distortion of the party’s original statement and misrepresents its leader’s stance, according to Thai PBS Verify, which reviews and screens reports for veracity, to reduce the spread of fake news.
The “Thai Lottery Association” account shared a video and photo of Natthapong Ruangpanyawut, the leader of the People’s Power Party, who made a remark about a hospital refusing to treat a Cambodian person.
he 13-second Facebook Reel, posted on August 2nd on a page named “Lottery Association of Thailand”, used a graphic resembling Natthapong’s face accompanied by audio claiming:
“As a member of the People’s party, I condemn Sunpasitthiprasong Hospital for refusing to treat Khmer people. This hospital is terrible.”
The video quickly gained traction, garnering over 200 views, hundreds of comments and dozens of shares. It appeared amid heightened tensions along the Thai-Cambodian border, where hospitals in north-eastern Thailand have been handling the casualties from recent cross-border clashes.
Paediatrician responds – Post subsequently taken down
The video drew criticism from Dr. Phiansak Sae-Wong, a paediatrician at Sunpasitthiprasong Hospital in Ubon Ratchathani. Writing on Facebook, Dr. Phiansak questioned the motives behind the claim, urging politicians to engage with frontline medical workers, rather than issue blanket statements from afar.
He stressed that condemning the hospital amid the ongoing conflict, during which medical facilities are being directly impacted, undermines healthcare professionals. His post was, however, removed shortly after posting.
Wong Wiriya shared a photo on Facebook of People’s Power Party leader Natthapong Ruangpanyawut, with a message accusing hospitals of refusing treatment to Cambodians
People’s Party issues denial
In response to the growing online backlash, the People’s party issued an official statement on August 2nd via its Facebook page, categorically denying the authenticity of the clip and its content. The party explained that it had not used the language or tone alleged in the video.
The party’s original statement, made days earlier, merely highlighted the importance of upholding international humanitarian principles, including those outlined in the Geneva Conventions. It urged Thai authorities to avoid actions that could be construed as discriminatory, especially regarding access to medical care for all civilians.
According to the party, its remarks were aligned with those of public health officials and hospitals in the region, which had also communicated their commitment to humanitarian law.
The Facebook page of the People’s Party shared an image and denied that the messages and statements in it were false information.
The Facebook post of the People’s Party leader denied that the messages and statements in the image were false information.
The Facebook page of the People’s Party posted a statement regarding Sappasitthiprasong Hospital in Ubon Ratchathani Province, which issued an announcement on the temporary suspension of Cambodian interpreters and the provision of medical services for Cambodian patients.
Distorted media and misinformation
Verification, using Google Lens, by the Thai PBS Verify department found that the image of Natthapong used in the clip was originally from a November 2024 news article unrelated to the hospital issue. No record was found of the remaining images being used by any official or credible media outlet.
The clip was later shared by other social media accounts, including BizpromptinfoFanpage and an X (formerly Twitter) account, further spreading the misinformation.
