Barkar Nash (Page 896)

The Criminal Court on Wednesday released singer Baitoey on bail of 5 million baht and ordered she be fitted with an electronic tag, in the multi-billion-baht Forex-3D Ponzi case.

Suteewan “Baitoey” Thaweesin, 35, is also prohibited from leaving the country without the court’s prior permission.

She expressed her tearful gratitude to the court. It was the third time she had applied for release on bail. The request was filed on Oct 19. Previous requests were rejected because of the huge damages alleged in the case, the large number of victims and the risk of her fleeing the country.

Her family had handed in her passport and proposed the use of a monitoring device when offering an asset worth 5 million baht as a bond for her release.

In May, Ms Suteewan and her husband Pattanapon Minthakin, aka DJ Man, 40, were arraigned for alleged fraud in connection with the Forex-3D Ponzi case and denied bail.

She was remanded in custody to the Central Women’s Correctional Institution and her husband to  Bangkok Remand Prison.

They were among 16 suspects in the Forex-3D scam.

They earlier said they had never enticed anyone to invest in Forex-3D, and were not listed as business partners in Forex 3D Co.

Forex-3D claimed to be an online dealer in foreign exchange. It was unlicensed but had a flashy website. Celebrities were paid to promote it. Forex-3D allegedly cheated thousands of people out of about 2 billion baht in total.

Popular actress Sawika “Pinky” Chaidet was also arraigned on charges of operating the forex Ponzi scheme. She was released on bail in November last year and allowed to remove her monitoring device in January.

The alleged Ponzi was run by Apiruk Kothi, who lured thousands of victims into investing in foreign currencies with the promise of high returns. Instead, they lost billions. He was arrested in 2021.

Date for rulings not known but party believes more hearings will be held

The Constitutional Court said on Wednesday that it would continue deliberating two cases involving the Move Forward Party and its former leader on Nov 22.

The court has been asked to rule whether the country’s main opposition party and winner of the most votes in the May 14 election should be dissolved because of its policy to amend Section 112 of the Criminal Code, the lese-majeste law.

It has also been asked to rule on the MP status of former leader and prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat because of his shareholdings in a defunct media company, the former broadcaster iTV.

It is not known whether a ruling will be issued in one or both cases next week, though Move Forward executives believe the court will want more time to review the evidence.

The court on July 19 accepted a petition submitted by the Election Commission against Mr Pita in the iTV shares case, and he was ordered suspended as an MP the same day pending a ruling. He subsequently stepped down as the party leader.

Mr Pita was given two extensions of 30 days each to submit his defence, and the court has conducted a total of 12 hearings, including one on Wednesday, related to the case.

The case against the party was filed on July 12 by lawyer Thirayuth Suwannagasorn. He is best known for representing Phra Buddha Isara, a monk who was a key agitator in the Bangkok Shutdown protests that led to the 2014 military coup. He was later defrocked and is now known as Suwit Thongprasert.

Mr Thirayuth argued that Mr Pita and Move Forward violated Section 49 of the Constitution with their proposal to amend Section 112, an action that represents an attempt to overthrow the constitutional monarchy.

Move Forward’s predecessor, the Future Forward Party, was dissolved by the charter court in 2020 over a loan that its then-leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit extended to the party.

Mr Pita in July questioned the motive of the EC for continuing to investigate his shareholding in iTV after an inquiry panel recommended it drop the case.

He said the poll body’s decision to proceed to the charter court looked like “intentional political persecution”.

Activist Srisuwan Janya on Wednesday complained to the Election Commission (EC), accusing Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and his coalition-core Pheu Thai Party of deception in the 500 billion baht digital wallet handout.

He said they were liable to imprisonment, fines and loss of electoral rights.

At the EC office, Mr Srisuwan said Pheu Thai had earlier told the commission it would fund the handout through the national budget and without the need for borrowing.  That caused the EC to dismiss his previous complaint against the policy.

However, last week Prime Minister Srettha announced the government would push through special legislation allowing it to borrow the money to fund the scheme. That was why he had now asked the EC if the prime minister and his party were being deceitful, and if the campaign policy was intended primarily to raise the popularity of the party and its candidates ahead of the May 14 general election.

Mr Srisuwan on Monday asked the Ombudsman to request a Constitutional Court ruling on the legality of the party’s decision to borrow the 500 billion baht needed for the policy and not fund it through the national budget.

Prime Minister Srettha, who is in the United States for the Apec leaders forum, admitted that the Pheu Thai Party and people in the provinces were concerned whether the Council of State, which is the government’s legal adviser, and the House would support the planned loan bill to fund the digital wallet scheme.

He reiterated his assertion the huge handout was needed to stimulate the national economy.

Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat admitted on Wednesday the government had no backup plan if it could not get the required support in the House to pass the loan legislation.

Most outbound foreign travellers will be able to pass through automatic channels to quickly board planes at Suvarnabhumi airport, and relieve congestion, from next month.

Pol Maj Gen Choengron Rimphadee, commander of Immigration Division 2,  said automatic processing at Suvarnabhumi is currently available only for passengers with Thai, Hong Kong or Singaporean passports.

The Immigration Bureau was improving its computer programming and amending regulations so that other departing foreigners could also use automatic channels, starting on Dec 15, he said.

He expected this would increase processing of outbound travellers at Suvarnabhumi airport from about 5,000 per hour to 12,000.

Pol Maj Gen Choengron said Airports of Thailand planned to also install more automatic channels at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports. Immigration officers could then be reassigned to speed up processing of inbound travellers.

Pol Maj Gen Choengron Rimphadee

Legality of ‘loan bill’ now under review

The government is consulting the Council of State about the legality of a bill seeking to borrow 500 billion baht to finance the 10,000-baht digital money handout scheme.

Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said on Tuesday the bill has been sent to the council, the government’s legal advisory body.

“We will try to ensure the council finishes its consideration as soon as possible,” he said while acknowledging the scheme has its supporters and critics.

“Pheu Thai pledged the digital wallet policy during election campaigning. When people decided to vote for [it], and Pheu Thai became the government, [those who disagree] must accept and respect the choice and wishes of the voting public.

“Pheu Thai, as the ruling party, is acting in line with the people’s intentions. But we do not ignore those who hold different opinions. We always listen to them,” said Mr Phumtham, who is also a deputy Pheu Thai leader.

“I insist the digital wallet scheme is intended to stimulate the economy. It’s not just a free money giveaway. It is an election pledge, and the party must deliver on its promise.”

Government spokesman Chai Wacharonke also defended the policy on Tuesday, saying the government had consulted the Bank of Thailand and the National Economic and Social Development Council, among others, about it.

They agreed the loan bill would be the best source of funding if endorsed by parliament, the spokesman said. Previous governments have also enacted loan bills to finance schemes that required substantial sums of money, he said.

Mr Chai said that the government is trying to seek the best solution and is determined to push for the implementation of the scheme.

“Many people are looking forward to the handout,” the spokesman said, adding the scheme will spur micro-investment as many recipients will pool the money they receive with that of their family members to make a bigger investment.

Some coalition parties remain non-committal about the handout, saying they would wait for the Council of State’s verdict first.

Chartthaipattana Party leader Varawut Silpa-archa, who also serves as the social development and human resource minister, said the council’s edict should lay to rest any doubts.

“Some have supported the scheme while others have spoken out against it. I think I will wait to hear the council’s opinion first, and then parliament can proceed.”

“No one can force the hand of coalition parties,” said Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. “If the handout scheme benefits the public and is in line with the law, the coalition parties are duty-bound to support it.

“I believe the government will act in line with the law,” he said, speaking in his capacity as leader of the Bhumjaithai Party.

The digital currency will be offered to Thais aged 16 and older who earn less than 70,000 baht per month and have under 500,000 baht in bank deposits.

Based on these criteria, an estimated 50 million people will be eligible — down from the 56 million targeted originally.

The money can only be used for food and consumer goods. It cannot be used to buy online goods, cigarettes or liquor, cash vouchers and valuables like diamonds, gems or gold. It also cannot be used to pay off debts or cover water or electricity bills, fuel, natural gas or tuition fees. The money must be spent in the district where the recipient’s home is registered.

Jurin Laksanawisit has resigned as acting leader of the Democrat Party following a misprint in an essential financial document involving the party.

Acting Democrat spokesman Ramet Rattanachaweng said on Tuesday the Fund for Development of Political Parties, which keeps records of taxpayers donating small sums of their income tax to a political party, sent a document to the party mistakenly calling the acting Democrat leader Narapat Kaewthong instead of Mr Jurin. Mr Narapat is a deputy party leader.

Mr Ramet said the party’s legal team wrote back to the fund requesting a rectification. The fund obliged, and the mistake has since been corrected with Mr Narapat’s name dropped as acting leader.

The spokesman said the fund might have misunderstood that the party leadership in an acting capacity had automatically gone to Mr Narapat, the most senior deputy leader. However, this was not the case since the party meeting earlier voted to install Mr Jurin as acting leader shortly after he stepped down as leader.

On Tuesday, Mr Jurin quit as acting leader, prompting the party to convene a meeting to elect a new acting leader.

The Democrat Party has been left without a full-time leader due to internal strife over who should take over. The majority of party MPs are reportedly backing Mr Narapat to succeed Mr Jurin, although some factions oppose his rise to the top job and staged walk-outs during two previous meetings to elect Mr Jurin’s replacement, forcing the sessions to be adjourned.

Mr Narapat said on Tuesday that he was ready to be nominated for the party leaderhip.

Meanwhile, Mr Jurin declined to say if his resignation as acting leader had anything to do with the misprint.

However, in a message to the party executive board, he explained that he stepped down this time to pave the way for a third meeting to select a new party leader.

He said while he remained in the acting leader role, he had strictly complied with the party regulations.

Police investigating the shooting of a student and teacher in Bangkok’s Klong Toey believe the two suspected gunmen have fled the capital.

Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) commissioner Pol Lt Gen Thiti Saengsawang yesterday told the media that investigators have been questioning anyone linked with the incident near Sacred Heart Convent School, where two gunmen opened fire at a group of university students on Saturday.

A male student was shot and rushed to King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, while a teacher, who was later identified as Sirada Sinprasert, was killed by a stray bullet at a nearby bank ATM.

Pol Maj Gen Theeradet Thammasuthee, commander of the MPB’s Investigation Division, said he had received information that the two men, riding motorbikes whose licence plates had been reported stolen, changed clothes and left the capital in the aftermath of the incident.

“They also had the motorbikes painted a new colour,” he said.

Police are investigating whether the suspected gunmen were former or current students of the same educational institution.

Pol Col Wittawat Chinkham, commander of Metropolitan Police Division 5, has reportedly discovered which institution they attend, but police have no plans, as yet, to mount a search of the premises.

Meanwhile, Monthon Paksuwan, secretary-general of the Office of Private Education Commission (Opec), said Education Minister Pol Gen Permpoon Chidchob had instructed Opec and relevant agencies to disburse 507,000 baht in compensation to the female teacher’s family.

Following yesterday’s cabinet meeting, a government spokesman said Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin had instructed Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to ramp up gun control efforts and prevent civilians from possessing firearms in a bid to avoid any negative impact on the tourism sector caused by gun violence.