Barkar Nash (Page 54)

Ms. Patchani Phunsuk, a whistleblower at the center of a case involving medical corruption, has helped uncover a legal network that used taxpayer-funded drugs to benefit a select few while putting public health at risk.

The Veterans General Hospital method was used as a conduit for “fake patients” to sell drugs for improper resale, which has resulted in damages for billions of baht, which has been the focus of the corruption, which has spanned more than a decade.

A “team head” who attempted to enlist Ms Patchani into the operation first approached her.

The scheme was implemented, the leader explained how elderly people who were both really ill and properly healthier were recruited to pose as patients.

They would go to the Veterans General Hospital, fake illnesses, and exchange massive amounts of medication for money. Eventually, these medications were profitable.

Ms. Patchani decided to take action despite being told by her home to stay out of the program out of fear for her protection.

” I chose to observe justice served,” I said. She said,” I wanted to make sure those who were wronged by this system may experience real effects.”

She secretly recorded meetings and documented the operation as she began gathering information.

She also went covertly by posing as a fictitious person to get firsthand evidence. She collected a lot of evidence over the course of a while, including testimony from those involved in the program and movie recordings.

” We as fake people were coached on how to act during medical interviews, and some medical doctors were complicit in prescribing unnecessary treatments,” she said, adding that the drugs ranged from analgesics for bones to liver pills to artificial tears.

Some of the medications were pricey and unaffordably priced, such as those offered by government-sponsored medical programs like the president’s gold card.

Ms. Eang, who served as her recruiter and team leader, organized transportation to travel 40 to 70 fake patients from Lop Buri to Bangkok’s hospital.

Because Lop Buri is one of Thailand’s largest military bases, many of the individuals were soldiers.

One of the “fake individuals,” a 54-year-old person, acknowledged being hired by a military official for the procedure. She collected treatment according to pre-written signs and drug treatments and received payments of between 1, 000 and 1, 500 ringgit each day.

Every day we traveled to Bangkok, we were served greasy or sugary foods on the vehicle. We were instructed to accomplish them before going to the doctor so that our blood test may reveal the signs that required medications,” she said.

Another person recruited into the plan, a 66-year-old man, claimed his neighbor had told him that he could earn typical money in his retirement.

He makes monthly visits to the Bangkok clinics. He had been compensated for returning medication, but he was concerned about the potential legal repercussions of his activities.

We were instructed to hand over our prescriptions to Dr. B, and the doctor may send us a large amount of medicine. However, he said,” I would just read the dosage and get the treatment, even if I saw a different physician,” he said.

According to Ms. Patchani, phony people turned over their staff leader’s medications. The medications were then transported to a laundry facility in a Rama IV apartment where they were kept before being sold on the black market.

According to Ms. Patchani,” the drugs from the Veterans General Hospital were no consumed by the people themselves,” adding that those who need them visit their doctor in Lop Buri for their medications.

She claimed that senior military figures, including a captain known as Ms. Reed, were also involved in the fake patient plan. She said,” Mr Reed is the one who managed the operation and provided obligations to group leaders.”

Despite worries about her health, Ms. Patchani was able to present the evidence to the Armed Forces committee, which led to an exploration into the problem.

After the incident broke, efforts were made to conceal the procedure.

In order to stop information from leaking, Ms Eang contacted staff members, including Patchani, and urged her to destroy data like medical records, talk logs, and SIM cards. However, Ms. Patchani chose to remain silent and rather chose to become a crucial testimony in the case.

The corruption network’s scope, according to Pol Maj Gen Charoonkiat Pankaew, Deputy Commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau ( CIB ), extended far beyond the military and medical personnel.

The Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission ( PACC), National Anti-Corruption Commission ( NACC), and the Police Anti-Corruption Division (ACD ) are currently cooperating to investigate the case.

According to Pol Maj Gen Charoonkiat, the investigation is being pursued on many fronts, with some senior officers and medical practitioners being linked to the investigation. Around 600 fraudulent individuals from seven network organizations in Lop Buri were involved, according to the original analysis.

Lop Buri will not be the only subject of the investigation. He said,” We will expand to other provinces or even to other hospitals.”

Ms. Patchani’s actions are being praised as an example of courage and dignity as the investigation progresses. She has urged community members to speak and come forward. ” Don’t been afraid to admit it, if you’ve made a mistake,” Ms. Patchani said to the people involved. And to the group leaders, don’t threaten your crew or defame the truth, because you are deeply aware of what you did.

The effects of this incident are likely to last for years, with legal proceedings beginning to be drafted.

Ms. Patchani has traveled a lengthy, hard road, but she continues to believe that it was the right course of action. The public is eager to hear justice as the investigation progresses, hoping that the healthcare system will experience significant change and accountability. ” I hope this circumstance encourages people to fight against corruption and fight for what’s right,” Ms. Patchani said.

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Thailand’s efforts to address the landlessness of its citizens have been top priorities for various services. Allocating forest area to those in need has been a key plan. Nevertheless, a significant portion of recipients live in forests that are considered to be state-owned house, which poses difficulties in achieving a balance between land distribution and environmental preservation.

guidelines for property planning

Farmers ‘ demands for a political system under military rule led to the government’s introduction of the Agricultural Land Reform Act in 1975.

Over the years, thousands of ray of forest land have been distributed, and this legislation aimed to give land to underprivileged farmers. However, the problem is still present as a result of improper area transfers. Some recipients have illegally sold their land to outsiders, causing further forest degradation and the decline of fertile forest habitat.

The National Land Policy Committee Office ( NLPC ) was established in the previous Prayut Chan-o-cha administration in 2021 as the principal body charged with distributing land to the underprivileged. Instead of granting specific ownership, the government decided to adopt a community-based property ownership model to stop illegal transfers.

Local operational organizations compile a list of available recipients under this system, keeping land rights shared rather than individual. This strategy was intended to preserve wooded areas and stop illegal property sales.

Despite these preventative measures, reports of illegal area sales outside the NLPC’s purview have raised questions about the effectiveness of the office. Over 143 ray of allocated property have been improperly transferred in Chachoengsao province, and another 46 rai in Chanthaburi have been subject to similar violations.

The number of such situations is likely to rise if a more thorough research is conducted. These crimes were discovered following complaints from neighborhood groups, which highlights the lack of effective police.

The popular sale of jungle land via social media platforms like Facebook is even more disturbing. Illegal transfers will only increase without strict protective measures, eventually causing further government failures to protect forest areas.

Poor law enforcement, which frequently ignores breaches under the pretext that the property sellers are economically disadvantaged, is the cause of this repeated cycle of property mismanagement.

Poor protection

The NLPC’s chairman, Rawiwan Phuridej, has not yet made any specific recommendations for her office regarding illegal property transfers. She stated in response to the rumors of illegal sales in Chachoengsao and Chantaburi that:” Legal action will be taken against those accountable, including entirely revoke the right to obtain any state-owned land.”

However, she has also pointed out that the Department of Royal Trees still has a lot of the property under its purview, which suggests that the NLPC lacks any direct control over this matter. The lack of clarity raises questions about whether the company has a reliable system in place to track land use under the neighborhood ownership model.

The NLPC created the” Platform Sphere,” a data management system that tracks land use using satellite-based geolocation technology in an effort to boost tracking. In accordance with the Deforestation-Free Regulation ( EUDR) of the European Union, this system aims to verify that agricultural products from designated lands do not come from forest zones.

The Department of Royal Forests ‘ ( DIR ) managed forest lands prior to the adoption of this technology, though. Although it is unknown whether improper land transfers may be addressed by the NLPC, the department announced plans to work with the department to combine the system.

The NLPC already has 4.1 million ray of land, with 2.92 million ra already distributed. 8.6 million ray is under the control of the Department of Royal Forests, with 5.4 million ray being allocated.

Also, the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation have plans to manage an additional 5.05 million ray. 17.7 million ray of jungle land are allotted for impoverished people. These large-scale distributions are susceptible to worsening improper land sales and further deforestation without a solid monitoring system. Government organizations appear to be more focused on achieving planning goals than putting in place effective measures to prevent area abuse.

Local challenges also paint a striking image of how attractive illegal transfers have become. Land prices in mountainous regions with access to water sources may reach several million baht per ray. Some property is misleadingly advertised as being part of the National Land Policy, appealing to customers. In some circumstances, local administrative leaders have allowed or omitted unlawful transactions.

The urgency of motion

Thailand runs the risk of repeating the routine of forest land loss caused by inefficient policies if there is no efficient system to control land ownership and maintain regulations. Given the mounting world demands for increased forest protection and the rising climate change difficulties, this problem is particularly concerning. Despite efforts to stop deforestation, the president’s area planning strategy may unintentionally lead to environmental degradation.

The government must prioritize law enforcement and strict ground inspections in order to stop additional improper transfers and infringements. Both sellers and buyers who engage in illegal land transactions should be immediately taken into action.

The solution to this problem calls for the cooperation of all parties, including local government, government agencies, and economic organizations. Thailand is at a crucial moment, and it needs to take swift action to end the mishandling of forests. When it comes to protecting its declining forest resources, the nation may purchase additional concessions. The time has come to strictly enforce existing laws and protect Thailand’s trees for upcoming years.

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The features of the no-confidence argument against her starting on Monday are expected to be among the highlights of the leader’s skills, the president’s controversial digital wallet handout plan, delayed constitutional amendments, and the Alpine golfing program incident.

The opposition’s People’s Party ( PP ) had previously stated that the no-confidence debate would focus on three crucial issues: the government’s 10,000-baht cash handout, its failure to reform the military, and a lack of progress with charter amendments.

It criticized the digital wallet flyer program, claiming it disregarded what Pheu Thai had promised voters during the election battle in 2023. The PP claimed that as the cost of living keeps rising, the economic development is lower than in other Asean nations.

The group added that the government’s military reform commitment turned out to be an unoccupied claim because the armed forces are still “off-limits” to a civilian government. Additionally, it noted that while political offenders are also denied bail, much progress has been made in changing the contract.

It is anticipated that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s confinement in a luxurious hospital of Police General Hospital will cause controversy. The PP said that the plague of call-scam centers along the borders and human trafficking will also be raised.

The government’s planned negotiations with Cambodia over the sharing of natural resources in the Gulf of Thailand under the 2001 MoU with Cambodia will also be condemned by the Palang Pracharath Party ( PPRP ) on a number of issues, including the Alpine temple land saga, the casino-entertainment complex project, and the government’s plans to negotiate with Cambodia.

The no-confidence discussion, according to Paiboon Nititawan, the PPRP secretary-general, will result in legal disputes and social adjustments, according to Paiboon Nititawan on Sunday. He claimed that there would be more constitutional concerns to be covered in the discussion. He cited the legalization of casinos, the ownership of an Alpine golf course, real estate in Pathum Thani, and an expert’s effect on the PM and functions.

” After the censure debate, many legal issues will arise, which can be enlarged. According to him, they does turn out to be requests that must be submitted to the Constitutional Court and the National Anti-Corruption Commission, which may cause social change.

Mr. Paiboon stated that the Election Commission was looking into allegations that an “outsider” is influencing the excellent secretary and the celebrations. The discussion surrounding condemnation likely grow the problem. It will be entertaining if the EC takes it seriously and decides to send a complaint to the Constitutional Court, he said. &nbsp,

A source close to the Pheu Thai MP, Pol Capt Chalerm Ubumrung, refuted the rumor that he would participate in Ms. Paetongtarn’s basting during the conversation.

The cause claimed that Pol Capt Chalerm was taken aback by the rumor and that he would enter the two-day House session, but he would not participate. The source said,” It won’t be appropriate to join the criticism of the PM because he is still a Pheu Thai MP.”

After he and his brother, former MP Wan Ubumrung, attended a post-local vote meeting organized by a rival candidate in Pathum Thani next month, Pol Capt Chalerm and Thaksin got into a fight. In the end, Mr. Wan defected from the PPRP and left Pheu Thai. Pol Capt Chalerm has threatened to reveal details about Thaksin and said he is considering becoming an independent MP.

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