Thai police have arrested two lèse majesté suspects accused of making false claims about the monarchy for financial gain.

According to Khaosod News, Pol Col Pairoj Rojjanakhajorn, Director of Section 2 of the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) and Pol Lt Col Torsak Panklinput, at 4 pm on Thursday, 20 August 2015, held a press briefing on the arrest of Kittiphop S., 23, and Wiset P., 30, after the provincial court in northern Kamphaeng Phet Province issued arrest warrants for the two.

The two are accused of offenses under Article 112 of the Criminal Code, the lèse majesté law, for making false claims about the monarchy, falsifying public documents, fraud, and impersonating officers from the Bureau of the Royal Household.

The police stated that the two suspects cooperated with Atsadaphon S., 45, and another suspect to claim that they belonged to the Thai aristocracy related to the Royal family with the rank of Mom Luang (M.L.) and were working for the Bureau of the Royal Household.

The two claimed to the head of the Pa Sai Ngam Buddhist Monastery of Kamphaeng Phet Province that they could invite members of the Royal family to participate in religious events at the temple, but needed 100,000 baht for expenses.  

Atsadaphon, who had already been arrested before the two, presented fake letters and documents from the secretariat of the Bureau of the Royal Household to support the false claims of the two lèse majesté suspects. Another accomplice to the alleged crime, however, is still at large.

Pol Col Pairoj added that the gang is also accused of fraud for claiming that they were collecting funds to build a monastery in order to trick high-ranking public servants and many others to donate money to them. The suspects reportedly collected about a million baht from this.

At the press briefing, the two denied all charges. They will be sent to Sai Ngam Police Station in Kamphaeng Phet Province for further investigation.