Barkar Nash – Page 1081

Poll disqualification threat looms over Move Forward leader

On: May 10, 2023

Rival claims Pita failed to declare ownership of shares in media company that stopped operating in 2007

Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat answers reporters’ questions during a campaign rally near Victory Monument in Bangkok on May 4. (Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut)

A candidate of the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) on Wednesday asked the Election Commission to consider disqualifying Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat from politics for alleged asset concealment.

List candidate Ruangkrai Leekitwattana petitioned the EC to look into Mr Pita’s eligibility, claiming that the MFP leader held 42,000 shares in iTV Plc. The constitution prohibits a shareholder of a mass media organisation standing in a general election.

List candidate Ruangkrai Leekitwattana wants the EC to look into Mr Pita’s eligibility, saying that the latter held 42,000 shares in iTV Plc, a broadcaster that stopped operating in 2007. The constitution prohibits a shareholder of a mass media organisation from contesting a general election.

Mr Ruangkrai said he had also asked the National Anti-Corruption Commission to find out if Mr Pita had made a false asset declaration regarding the shareholding, alleging he had failed to inform the regulator of his holding during his tenure as an MP.

Mr Pita explained on Tuesday that he had informed the NACC of the situation in 2019 when he made his asset declaration. The shares in iTV were held by his father, who died in 2006. In his role as manager of his father’s estate, Mr Pita said he had tried to sell the shares but could not find a buyer

Asked if his complaints were aimed at blocking Mr Pita’s possible rise to power after the general election this Sunday, Mr Ruangkrai said that was a matter for individual consideration.

Mr Pita was the favourite PM candidate among respondents in a recent poll.

Senator Somchai Sawaengkan wrote on Facebook on Wednesday that Mr Pita could not deny his ownership of the shares because his father had died 17 years ago and he had not allocated the shares to anyone else.

Independent Television, or iTV Plc, was the country’s first UHF TV channel and began broadcasting in 1995 under a concession granted by the government. In 2000 it was acquired by Shin Corp, the telecoms group founded by Thaksin Shinawatra. After a lengthy dispute over unpaid concession fees, the government’s Public Relations Department took over the station in 2007 and its frequency was assigned to Thai PBS.

ITV was delisted from the Stock Exchange of Thailand in 2014. However, its business registration remains active because the litigation over its concession fees is not yet concluded, according to Anupong Chaiyarit, deputy director-general of Thai Public Broadcasting Service.

In 2022 iTV reported 20.5 million baht in investment and interest income on bond holdings.

Ownership of shares in a media company was also the undoing of Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the co-founder of the Future Forward Party, the predecessor of Move Forward. In Mr Thanathorn’s case, he had held shares in a travel magazine that ceased publication before he filed to run as an MP. But the Election Commission in 2019 ruled that the offence was sufficient to disqualify him as an MP.

Couple get 12,640 years each for investment fraud

By: Barkar Nash

On: May 10, 2023

In: South-East Asia

Maximum time they can serve is 20 years

Wantanee Tippaveth arrives at the Criminal Court for a hearing on Jan 27, 2020. She and her husband Methi Chinpha were sentenced to long prison terms for investment fraud on Wednesday. (File photo)

The Criminal Court on Wednesday handed down prison terms totalling 12,640 years each to a married couple who defrauded people into investing in a bogus savings scheme, with victims reporting cumulative losses of 1.3 billion baht.

The terms were commuted to 5,056 years because they confessed. All sentences are consecutive, but the law limits their total prison time to 20 years each.

There were nine defendants in this case – Wantanee Tippaveth, Methi Chinpha (Wantanee’s husband), Piya Kirisuwankul, Pornsawan Phu-in-oy, Thawalrat Tippaveth, Wilaiwan Hongprachasap, Nittaya Pinnok, Boripat Khemrat and Piyaseth Thisopha.

The court heard evidence that from March 9, 2019, to Oct 30, 2019, the nine defendants advertised on Facebook, inviting people to invest in a savings scheme offering a high return. The minimum investment was 1,000 baht. After nine months, investors would get a return of 930 baht plus the 1,000-baht capital investment – or 1,930 baht in total.

A total of 2,533 people joined the scheme. The total investment sum was 1.3 billion baht. It was alleged the nine defendants did not use the money for investment but shared it among themselves dishonestly.

The prosecutors charged all nine with multiple counts of fraud.

The court found two of the nine defendants guilty as charged – Wantanee and Methi. The seven others were acquitted for lack of evidence.

Initially, Wantanee and Methi were each given prison sentences totalling 12,640 years. These were reduced to 5,056 years because they had admitted to the offences.

Royal guard officer dismissed for serious misconduct

By: Barkar Nash

On: May 10, 2023

In: South-East Asia

A royal command has dismissed an officer of the Royal Security Command from the military and the royal guard service, without pension, for serious misconduct.

The royal command, effective from May 5, was published in the Royal Gazette on Tuesday.

The officer who was sacked is Col Chaimethi Phubodiwarochuphan, attached to the office of the deputy commander of the 3rd Royal Guard Unit.

He has been stripped off military rank and all royal decorations bestowed on him recalled. He is also not entitled to a pension.

According to the royal command, the former royal guard had brought undesirable outsiders into the royal palace, causing confusion and affecting the reputation of the royal institution.

Pheu Thai lays down 3 rules

By: Barkar Nash

On: May 9, 2023

In: South-East Asia

Party would agree to coalition if all met

Voting rehearsal: Samut Prakan governor Supamit Chinsri, right, drops a mock ballot into a box as he joins the Big Day campaign, organised to raise public awareness about the general election on Sunday. The Election Commission is expecting voter turnout to exceed 80%. (Photo: Somchai Poomlard)

Pheu Thai Family chief and prime ministerial candidate Paetongtarn “Ung Ing” Shinawatra has announced three conditions for the party in forming a coalition government, with one being that Pheu Thai must oversee all major ministries.

She gave an hour-long interview published on TikTok and Instagram Live that was hosted by celebrity Kachapa “Mod Dam” Tancharoen on Monday night.

Ms Paetongtarn said Pheu Thai’s campaign pledges could all materialise, especially its vow to improve people’s living conditions and promote startups.

She also pledged that illicit drug abuse would be slashed in half within six months of the party taking power.

“Pheu Thai is aware of the nation’s problems and knows how to deal with them. So, Pheu Thai is now the best choice for Thailand,” she said.

Ms Paetongtarn insisted Pheu Thai would never cooperate with the “two Por” — a reference to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his deputy, Gen Prawit Wongsuwon.

Despite the election being several days away, the party announced that it is confident it will form the next government and is prepared to work with other parties under three conditions.

These are that other parties must accept its policies, that the prime minister must be a Pheu Thai candidate and that major ministries must be overseen by Pheu Thai.

Asked if there was any chance of the Move Forward Party (MFP) working with Pheu Thai, Ms Paetongtarn said that was still on the table.

Regarding the revision of Section 112 of the Criminal Code, or the lese majeste law, she insisted Pheu Thai would not scrap it. Rather, she said, the matter would be tabled for discussion in parliament.

“My father [Thaksin] became prime minister because he was chosen by the people, and he did not buy any votes. We have come this far because it is the will of the people,” Ms Paetongtarn said.

When asked who among Pheu Thai’s candidates would become prime minister, she said all three candidates, including Srettha Thavisin, have agreed to support one another to help the country.

Meanwhile, Pannika Wanich, a co-founder of the now-defunct Future Forward Party who works as a campaign assistant for the MFP, said the party’s executive members believed Pheu Thai and the MFP could form a competent government with more than 300 seats.

Ms Pannika said if the MFP wins the contest, its leader and prime ministerial candidate, Pita Limjaroenrat, would submit its 312 policies and 40 laws to parliament for discussion.

The MFP does not aim to oversee any specific ministry, she said.

Poll body expects voter turnout above 80%

By: Barkar Nash

On: May 9, 2023

In: South-East Asia

Nearing the finish line: Motorcyclists drive past a large billboard put up by City Hall announcing the countdown to Sunday’s general election, near Victory Monument on Tuesday. (Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut)

The Election Commission (EC) expects voter turnout will top 80% for this Sunday’s general election as it ramps up its campaign to raise awareness of the poll.

Led by EC Chairman Ittiporn Boonpracong, it launched the Big Day campaign on Tuesday outside City Hall in Bangkok to motivate the electorate to cast their ballots.

City Hall reported that voter turnout for last Sunday’s advance voting in Bangkok was 91.81%, above the 87% seen during the same stage of the March 2019 poll.

Mr Ittiporn said he hoped the campaign would encourage more people to vote. He advised people to study the election rules beforehand to prevent dud ballots.

The EC is working to make sure those do not exceed 2% of all ballots cast this Sunday.

It said the blunders encountered during advance voting last weekend would not render the election being declared null and void.

Mr Ittiporn said the EC is ready to face an investigation over the errors since the commission conducted the advance voting in good faith.

The poll agency drew flak over its organisation of the May 7 advance voting.

One mistake involved officials at a voting station putting postal codes instead of electoral constituency codes on some 100 envelopes of cast ballots.

The commission gave its assurances that none of the ballots cast would be lost despite the mistake. The envelopes containing the wrong codes will be checked against the logbook of registered voters, Mr Ittiporn said.

He said the commission would do its best to prevent any repeat this weekend.

He added the EC did not feel it was under undue pressure. Rather, the agency was glad that people were keeping tabs on its work to help streamline its efficiency.

“Without the monitoring from the people and the media, the EC might not be able to deliver such a complete job,” he said.

The EC is also investigating the poll fraud complaints it has received so far, he noted.

In total, 101 complaints have been submitted to the EC. Among them, 38 are related to vote buying and 34 to alleged mudslinging campaigns.

Provincial election offices have up to 20 days to wrap up their investigations into the complaints. However, those probes can be extended for another 15 days.

The EC chairman said none of the investigations should be rushed.

Thai Sang Thai pans EEC as ‘overly niche’

By: Barkar Nash

On: May 9, 2023

In: South-East Asia

The country is barely benefiting from the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), a flagship project of the current government, as it is accessible to only a few small local businesses, according to the Thai Sang Thai (TST) Party.

Supan Mongkolsutee, a TST prime ministerial candidate, said the EEC scheme is geared towards large companies and is out of reach to most small businesses.

The EEC area, which covers parts of Chon Buri, Rayong and Chachoengsao, is hosting 12 targeted S-curve industries, including new-generation car production and smart electronics. The government wants to turn it into a high-tech industrial hub.

Mr Supan said only a few small businesses were able to meet the EEC’s criteria and establish themselves in the corridor.

For the economy to grow strong, the government must grant head-start investment privileges to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and make it easier for them to obtain such privileges.

He insisted government support was critical for promoting industries in which Thais are well-versed in, so as to heighten their competitive edge.

The EEC should designate a wider area for industries such as food, jewellery and cosmetics. These are businesses where Thailand is highly competitive.

“All parties contesting the poll mentioned GDP. However, they seem to lack the understanding that SMEs account for 35% of GDP when the proportion should be increased to at least 50%,” he said.

Mr Sutee said the discrepancies in the country had widened too much while the “little people”, who the TST will help, remain weak.

Coordination fix

The Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) has promised to fix the lack of coordination within the bureaucracy, which has deprived some communities of basic utilities.

Leading a campaign walkabout in Ban Sap Hin Kaew in Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima yesterday, Wirat Warich-alangkarn, the PPRP’s candidate in Constituency 4, met residents who complained about a lack of electricity in their communities.

The candidate said he had learned about the problems affecting residents in the various communities he has covered in the constituency.

He found that more than 300 residents in the Sap Hin Kaew area have been living without electricity for more than 70 years. The communities, located on the side of a mountain, sit on military land.

Power lines could not be provided to supply electricity to the villages because no formal permission had been sought from the military.

Mr Wirat said the problem could have been resolved if related agencies had coordinated more closely in submitting the request to the proper authorities.

Low support

A rift has emerged in the United Thai Nation (UTN) Party, with a group of candidates having complained the party’s support for them was running low.

Preecha Rengsomboonsap, who stands in Loei’s Constituency 1, said yesterday he represents a group of candidates who were not receiving enough support from the party.

He claims to speak for UTN candidates in Nakhon Phanom, Kalasin, Chaiyaphum, Kamphaeng Phet, Phetchabun and Nakhon Sawan.

Mr Preecha arrived at the party’s headquarters in Bangkok to voice his group’s frustration at being treated unfairly by the UTN.

He explained the party should have provided candidates with a better financial lifeline, at least to the maximum amount allowed by the law.

He has not been able to hold talks with the party’s leader, Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, to convey the problem to him, he said.

He claimed he sent a message on the Line app to the party’s secretary-general, Akanat Promphan. However, the message has not been read.

“We came with a feeling of frustration, but we don’t want to hurt anyone,” he said.

Meanwhile, Himalai Phewpan, the UTN coordinator, said he was assigned to hear the complaint. He insisted the party does not have much money to spend on the election and financial donations have to be used prudently.

He added that candidates should be able to manage their own affairs so as not to create a burden for others.

Premature comment

The Bhumjaithai Party has warned Pheu Thai not to make premature comments about what it thinks could transpire after Sunday’s election.

Now is not the time to decide what cabinet posts a party will be laying its hands on as it must wait for the official poll results, according to Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul.

He was responding to comments made recently by a Pheu Thai prime ministerial candidate, Srettha Thavisin, who said Pheu Thai would definitely oversee the Transport Ministry if it led the next coalition government.

The ministry is currently supervised by Bhumjaithai. Mr Anutin said he understood Mr Srettha has come under fire for his comment.

Meanwhile, Bhumjaithai is requesting a Criminal Court injunction to force former massage parlour tycoon Chuvit Kamolvisit to stop attacking the party’s campaign policy.

Kamol Srisawat, the party’s lawyer, said the injunction would keep Mr Chuvit, who is critical of Bhumjaithai’s decriminalisation of cannabis, from disrupting the party’s election campaign.

Mr Chuvit’s attacks will also form the basis for the party to seek legal charges against him for violating the organic law on the election of MPs. Mr Kamol reasoned the attacks have the potential to hurt the party’s popularity.

EC urged to bar MFP leader Pita

By: Barkar Nash

On: May 9, 2023

In: South-East Asia

Ruangkrai Leekitwattana, a Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) list-MP candidate, yesterday accused Pita Limjaroenrat, leader and prime ministerial candidate of the Move Forward Party (MFP), of holding shares in media company iTV Plc as of April 27 last year.

If the Election Commission concurs, Mr Pita should be disqualified from running from parliament as Section 98(3) of the constitution prohibits holders of a media company from contesting a general election, said Mr Ruangkrai.

He said he would today petition the commission for it to launch a formal investigation into Mr Pita’s alleged ineligibility to defend the House seat he won in the 2019 election.

Mr Pita was sworn in on May 25, 2019, but the 42,000 iTV shares held at the time of his registration were omitted from the list of 45 assets he declared to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), according to Mr Ruangkrai.

A check with the Department of Business Development showed Mr Pita held the shares in iTV, each valued at 5 baht, as of April 27 last year, said Mr Ruangkrai.

Citing information published on the website of iTV, Mr Ruangkrai said the company provides advertising and public relations services and earned 21 million baht in income last year.

Mr Pita yesterday denied Mr Ruangkrai’s claim and said the iTV shares did not belong to him.

He tweeted: “I am not worried about the case because the shares are not mine. It’s a family heritage, and I’m the manager of that. I informed the National Anti-Corruption Commission about this a long time ago.”

He said his party’s legal team would be ready to provide any information if asked by the Election Commission.

City Hall admits blunder as UTN’s laser stunt goes viral

By: Barkar Nash

On: May 9, 2023

In: South-East Asia

City Hall admitted yesterday to having made a mistake in permitting the United Thai Nation (UTN) Party to display a laser-lit election message on a tower of Rama VIII Bridge.

The party was allowed access to Rama VIII Park for election campaigning on Monday. City Hall said it did not think the party would beam the laser message featuring the party’s logo from the park onto the tower of the nearby bridge.

The display, captured by a netizen and posted online, sparked criticism and prompted questions as to why the UTN was allowed to use the bridge for such a purpose.

Tipanan Sirichana, one of the UTN’s party-list candidates, sent a letter to the city clerk on Sunday seeking permission to campaign for votes in the Rama 8 Park area from May 8-12, according to Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt.

A document was attached to the letter giving details on the laser-lighting display on a tower of Rama VIII Bridge, he said.

Mr Chadchart admitted the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) made a mistake by not going through the document in detail and allowing the laser display to take place.

The bridge is off-limits for electioneering activities. If the BMA had been aware that the laser message would be displayed on the bridge, it would not have allowed it in the first place, the governor said.

The BMA ordered the UTN’s campaign activities in the park to be suspended as soon as the laser display fiasco was made known, Mr Chadchart said.

As it was clearly the BMA’s mistake, the UTN won’t be punished, he said. Whether the party violated the election law is an issue the Election Commission (EC) may have to take up, he added.

The BMA will write to the EC to explain what happened, he said.

EC chairman Ittiporn Boonpracong said the EC had asked the BMA to investigate the incident.

The underlying question was whether the UTN received permission from the BMA to carry out the laser display.

EC deputy secretary-general Chanin Noilek said the display does not appear to have defied any election regulations. It does not count as an election campaign poster, which would be restricted in terms of size and number.

The UTN issued a statement on Tuesday saying the laser display was undertaken by Ms Tipanan, who went ahead without consulting the party. The party apologised and promised to be extra careful in future.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, in his capacity as a prime ministerial candidate of the UTN, said he understands that Ms Tipanan harboured no ill intent in organising the light show.

Poll body sees voter turnout at above 80%

By: Barkar Nash

On: May 9, 2023

In: South-East Asia

A campaign is launched in Pak Nam of Samut Prakan province on Tuesday to urge voters to cast their ballots on this Sunday’s general election. (Photo: Somchai Poomlard)