Thai football chief Madam Pang warns of AI scam using her image to promote illegal gambling site

In a Facebook post on Oct. 5, Madam Pang said her press conference clip had been digitally manipulated to advertise and solicit investments in an illegal betting website, Znews reported.

"Please do not fall for invitations to join online gambling websites," she wrote, warning the public not to be deceived by the scam.

Madam Pang, president of the Football Association of Thailand. Photo from Madam Pang's Facebook

The fabricated video, created using artificial intelligence, circulated as a Facebook advertisement that reached a wide audience across Thailand.

Madam Pang emphasized that she has no connection with any gambling platform and urged Thai citizens and football fans to remain cautious against such sophisticated online fraud.

She has authorized her lawyer to file a complaint with Thonglor Police Station in Bangkok and vowed to pursue the matter until it is resolved.

According to Thailand’s Gambling Act of 1935, online betting websites are illegal, and both organizers and players are subject to punishment. Madam Pang advised the public to exercise vigilance when using social media and to avoid believing fraudulent advertisements of this kind.

Madam Pang, 59, real name Nualphan Lamsam, is a fifth-generation member of the Lamsam family, one of Thailand’s wealthiest, with a net worth of US$890 million, according to Forbes. She got a marketing degree from Chulalongkorn University and a master’s in management from Boston University in the U.S.

She became the first woman in Thailand and Asia to serve as president of a national football federation in 2024. Before that, she was the leader of the Thailand national football team from August 2021 to January 2024.

During her tenure, she invested approximately 60 million baht ($1.7 million) in team rewards, helping Thailand secure the AFF Cup titles in 2021 and 2022.

Madam Pang is currently the chairwoman and CEO of Muang Thai Life Assurance, one of Thailand’s top insurance firms, and serves on the boards of at least 16 companies, primarily in real estate.