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Saturday, July 27, 2024

False posts target newly-elected progressive Thai MP with 'urinating ... - AFP Factcheck

A video of a person urinating in front of a police station has been shared repeatedly across Facebook and messaging app Line alongside a false claim they are one of Thailand's newly-elected members of parliament from the progressive Move Forward Party (MFP). The posts circulated after the party claimed victory in Thailand's elections, decimating the military-backed elites. According to police in the Thai capital Bangkok, the video in fact shows a different person and not the actress-turned-political activist Sirilapas Kongtrakarn.

The 48-second clip was shared on Facebook on May 21, 2023 with the caption: "Peeing (in public) and showing it off on social media. The 9th constituency Bangkok MP. Is this the person who will represent people? At Lumpini police station."

"Ninth constituency Bangkok MP" appears to refer to MFP's Sirilapas Kongtrakarn, an actress-turned-political activist who won in the Bangkok districts of Wang Thonglang and Bang Kapi during the country's elections on May 14. She was given the number nine during the polls, but her constituency was actually the 14th (archived link).

A person urinating on the side of the street can be seen in the video. At the 22-second mark, the camera pans to show a signboard for the Lumpini police station in the Thai capital Bangkok.

The posts circulated after the progressive MFP defeated the country's military-backed elite in a historic election breakthrough and were in coalition talks with other opposition parties to form a...



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