Colonel, doctor accused of B60m medical fraud at veterans’ hospital
Eight arrests were made as a result of an investigation into the selling of prescription drugs that were sold unlawfully.

A retired captain and a physician have been detained by the police at the Veterans General Hospital for allegedly eying money from people who have purchased overpriced drugs worth about 60 million ringgit.
Early on Wednesday night, officers conducted raids on 17 areas in Bangkok, Chon Buri, Lop Buri, and Prachin Buri, and the two ladies were taken into custody.
According to Pol Maj Gen Charoonkiat Pankaew, deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau ( CIB ), six additional suspects were also taken into custody during the raids that came to a close to a month-long investigation.
Col Kanyarat Jitprasong, 59, and Dr. Barinda Ujawathee were detained by police at their individual residences in the Kiakkai and Lat Phrao 71 Road in Bangkok.
Both of the women were employed by Bangkok’s Veterans General Hospital. Prior to this, Col. Kanyarat had left Phramongkutklao Hospital, which was close to the soldiers ‘ hospital.
Col Kanyarat reportedly organized for Lop Buri state residents to visit Dr. Barinda for treatment at the Veterans General Hospital.
Dr. Barinda reportedly prescribed increased medication and misdiagnosed their illness. Before being resold at pharmacists in different regions, the medication was stored in a washing on Rama IV Road in Bangkok.
Authorities discovered 10.9 million ringgit in cash, land deeds, and misrepresented medical records on Wednesday after seizing significant amounts of illegal medications, including Pradaxa blood thinners.
Prior to now, Thailand’s Director-General of the War Veterans Organization, Gen Detnitit Luangngamkum, had reported to the authorities about health fraud he claimed had started in 2018.
The hospital’s health workers, according to Pol Maj Gen Charoonkiat, ordered the medication, and a system of mediators, including Col Kanyarat, who recruited patients to come in for treatments. The latter was compensated for each prescription that was filled, along with substantial prizes for the community leaders.
The research revealed that the structure involved deceptive prescriptions for medications, frequently those for chronic conditions, including cheap foreign-made ones, which were then resold for a sizable profit.
According to investigators, Dr. Barinda accounted for nearly 29 % of all medical medicine orders over the course of the past seven years.
Additionally, authorities discovered that six out of the eleven pharmacies that were subject to investigation had potential links to unlawful actions, including selling controlled substances without authorized pharmacists present.
One unregistered developing was discovered as a pharmacy, according to the report.
The damage was estimated to be in the region of 60 million rmb, with about 40 million supposedly going into accounts held by Col. Kanyarat.
Sompraj Kenthaworn, 49, Capt Phawana Kenthaworn, 49, Suri Thiranutti, 50, Sompong Kitcharoenphaisal, 53, Tinnakorn Chanmuang, 49, and Apinya Jorjarat, 56, were among the various six offenders detained. Four more suspects have been called in to make the costs.