South-East Asia (Page 761)

Rogue MPs to answer why they broke ranks

The 16 Democrat MPs who voted to support Srettha Thavisin of the Pheu Thai Party as prime minister on Tuesday defied the party’s resolution to abstain, caretaker Democrat Party leader Jurin Laksanawisit said yesterday.

They have been asked to explain their actions at the next party meeting and could face an internal investigation if members call for it, he added.

Sources say the 16 renegades had been hoping for an invitation to join the new government coalition and belong to a faction led by Chalermchai Sri-on, the caretaker party secretary-general.

Before the vote on Tuesday, their leaders — Det-it Khaothong, a Songkhla MP, and Chaichana Detdecho, a Nakhon Si Thammarat MP — talked to Phumtham Wechayachai, a Pheu Thai deputy leader.

They told Mr Phumtham they were ready to vote for Mr Srettha if it looked like he’d fall short of the needed 375 votes in return for being included in the coalition.

While the vote was happening in the chamber of parliament, the 16 sat outside, waiting.

When support for Mr Srettha exceeded 375, they told Mr Phumtham they would vote for Mr Srettha anyway.

They allegedly offered to fill in, in the event the Bhumjaithai Party, with 71 MPs, withdrew after failing to get a premium-grade ministry.

The 16 Democrats then entered the parliament chamber and voted for Mr Srettha, the sources said.

Mr Jurin said a Democrat Party meeting on Monday, ahead of Tuesday’s parliamentary vote, had passed a resolution that its MPs should abstain from voting for Mr Srettha, except former party leaders Chuan Leekpai and Banyat Bantadtan, who asked for permission to vote against Mr Srettha’s nomination.

Sathit Pitutecha, a caretaker deputy party leader, said the 16 MPs had committed serious misconduct, but whether they would be expelled rested with an investigation panel.

Mr Chuan, a party list MP and former party leader, said it was “unbelievable” the 16 MPs had voted in defiance of the party resolution.

He had received party permission to vote against Mr Srettha’s nomination because the Democrat Party had been at odds with the Pheu Thai Party over the distribution of development budget funds to the South, the Democrat Party’s traditional support base.

Mr Chuan accused Pheu Thai of curtailing funding to the South, saying it was an act of persecution.

After Tuesday’s vote for prime minister, 15 of the 16 renegade Democrat MPs made themselves unavailable for comment.

The exception was Pol Maj Gen Surin Palare, a Songkhla MP.

Pol Maj Gen Surin said only that he voted for Mr Srettha because he wanted the country to move forward.

Police have accused four officials from Narathiwat’s Muno Tambon Administrative Organisation (TAO), including its chairman, of malfeasance in connection with the deadly fireworks warehouse explosion on July 29.

The blast in Sungai Kolok district’s tambon Muno killed 12 people and injured 389. It also destroyed three schools and damaged 682 homes.

During a press briefing at the Royal Thai Police Sports Club yesterday, deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn said progress has been made in the investigation.

The case was brought up for discussion among senior officers on Monday.

The Muno TAO chairman and three other officials have come under suspicion in relation to the blast. They have been accused of malfeasance under Section 157 of the Criminal Code, said Pol Gen Surachate.

He said the TAO failed to notify state agencies about the fireworks warehouse being located in the middle of a populated area. It failed to inform local interior, public health, industry and labour offices, as well as the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc).

The chairman and the three officials were authorised to issue the permit for building the warehouse.

However, they failed to notify state agencies about its construction.

Police will check for any financial transactions involving the TAO officials and the warehouse owner to find out if a bribe passed hands.

The investigation will also expand to 11 factories which supplied materials to the fireworks warehouse, said Pol Gen Surachate.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday presented 107 million baht worth in aid and relief for blast victims through the Narathiwat governor, Sanan Pongaksorn, at Government House.

The money is split into two portions — 100 million baht for repairing or rebuilding houses damaged or destroyed in the blast and the rest compensation for the families of the dead and injured.

Rachada Dhnadirek, a deputy government spokeswoman, said the aid money was drawn from the government’s Disaster Victim Compensation Fund and public donations.

Gen Prayut promised to help ease victims’ suffering while adding that the government was doing all it could to help residents.

The National Health Security Office (NHSO) has confirmed that all Thai citizens covered by a healthcare insurance scheme can receive a breast cancer screening if they meet certain criteria.

Deputy NHSO secretary-general Attaporn Limpanyalert said his office was aware of the need for preventive healthcare measures against the disease.

As a result, it included additional measures in the 30-baht healthcare universal package or “gold card” scheme.

Dr Attaporn said precautions and preventive measures are essential for the country’s health security.

However, to protect every woman’s health, he said breast cancer-screening should not only be provided for subscribers to the universal healthcare scheme, but should also be extended to subscribers of other healthcare insurance schemes as well.

Dr Attaporn said eligible people must be aged over 18 years and have a history of cancer treatment, or have family members who are or were sick with the disease.

“Early detection and early medical treatment can help save a patient’s life. Screening will reduce the high death rate among breast cancer patients,” he said.

He added the NHSO will be responsible for funding the breast cancer screening.

In the event cancer is detected, a patient will be required to receive medical treatment under the healthcare insurance system they are with.

Currently, there are only 420 people exercising their right to get a screening because many people are unaware that screening is available to them, Dr Attaporn said.

The NHSO in January offered breast cancer screenings to women subscribing to the universal healthcare scheme. It has now extended the programme to other healthcare schemes to offer greater health security to women in the country.

The cabinet on Wednesday approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be signed between Thailand and Vietnam on maritime law, said Rachada Dhnadirek, a deputy government spokeswoman.

The agreement was proposed by the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre (Thai MECC) in 2022 to promote tighter cooperation in law enforcement and heighten maritime security for both countries.

The cooperation will also deter and suppress illegal imports, illegal immigration and illegal fishing while promoting marine ecology preservation and maritime search and rescue efforts. The MoU signing is expected to be held next month, said Ms Rachada.

Prinn Panitchpakdi, a former deputy leader of the Democrat Party, has been sentenced to two years and eight months in prison without suspension for sexually assaulting an 18-year-old student in 2021, the Office of the Attorney General said.

Deputy spokesman Kosolwat Inthuchanyong said the prison sentence was handed down by the Bangkok South Criminal Court on Aug 10.

Prosecutors presented the court with evidence that Prinn lured the student into meeting him at a rooftop restaurant on Soi Sukhumvit 11 and later sexually molested her.

This occurred in 2021 and she filed a complaint with Lumpini police in April 2022.

The court found Prinn guilty and sentenced him to two years and eight months imprisonment without suspension.

This was the first of many similar cases filed against Prinn.

Mr Kosolwat said the Bangkok South Criminal Court was scheduled to deliver a judgement in a second sexual assault case against Prinn on Sept 25.

In other cases, the court is still examining witnesses.

After the first case was made public, Prinn resigned as deputy leader of the Democrat Party in charge of the party’s economic team. He denied the allegation against him.

More cases against Prinn were brought to public attention by lawyer Sittra Biabangkerd, who led the complainants to file charges with police.

Mr Sittra claimed that up to 10 women had been sexually assaulted by the former MP.

At least five victims were raped while others were sexually molested, he alleged.

Prinn is the son of Supachai Panitchpakdi, a former deputy prime minister, a former director-general of the World Trade Organisation and a former secretary-general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

Rayong: Candidates contesting the province’s by-election on Sept 10 have signed a pact agreeing to keep away from fraudulent practices in the race to represent the province, according to the province’s election committee.

The candidates — Pongsathorn Sornphetnarin from the Move Forward Party (MFP), Democrat Banyat Jettanachan and Pol Sub-Lt Ruangchai Sombatphuthon from the Nation Building Labour Party — agreed to not resort to corrupt or fraudulent actions during the campaign.

The campaign was organised to educate voters on election regulations and what the candidates can do to make the by-election free and fair. The by-election was called following the resignation of MFP MP Nakornchai Khunnarong on Aug 3, after it was revealed he had served 18 months in prison for theft 24 years ago.

Members of an insurgent group are believed to be responsible for hanging up a banner and spray-painting pro-insurgency messages as well as planting a fake bomb in four districts.

Pol Col Apakorn Wirupakarak, superintendent of the Ra-ngae police station, yesterday was alerted to the banner and the discovery of what turned out to be a fake bomb in Ban Thong village in tambon Tanyongmat of Rangae district.

Written on the banners in Thai was: “Does long-lasting peace really exist?”

The banner was tied between a rubber tree and a power pole along a village road. Suspects also sprayed the same message with red paint on the road.

Five metres away from the banner, authorities found a cylinder tied to a power pole. It had two electric cords sticking out of it, according to Pol Col Apakorn.

He said security authorities, as well as the bomb disposal squad and officers from the provincial forensic science office, arrived to investigate.

The bomb disposal unit confirmed the cylinder was a fake bomb, supposedly installed to mislead officers.

Pol Col Apakorn said officers had taken down the banner and erased the message on the road.

Similar banners with the same message were also found in other districts of Cho Airong, Bacho and Yi-ngo districts.

Pol Col Apakorn said the authorities have collected evidence from the scenes for further forensic examination.

Public health office in Padipat Suntiphada’s home province joins the fray

The provincial public health office in Phitsanulok is seeking to prosecute Deputy House Speaker Padipat Suntiphada for publicising craft beer.

The office is acting as the law enforcement agency under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act in the case against Mr Padipat, who is also a Move Forward MP from the province.

Dr Nipon Chinanonvech, director of the Office of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee, said other parties had filed similar complaints against Mr Padipat over a video that circulated on social media showing him raising a glass of craft beer supposedly produced in Phitsanulok.

Mr Padipat has denied the video was an advertising stunt. He also criticised the ban on promoting craft beer, saying it was deterring local brewers from spreading the word about their products.

It was later reported that the beer in question was being produced on an industrial scale in another province.

The Move Forward Party has been outspoken in its support of small-scale brewers and distillers. It has championed what it called a Progressive Liquor Bill that would remove some of the impediments in the current laws, which effectively prevent all but a handful of giant players from competing successfully.

Last week, political activist Srisuwan Janya submitted a petition with the Department of Disease Cntrol against Mr Padipat.

Mr Srisuwan said the law bars politicians from committing any act intended to persuade people to drink alcohol. The offence is punishable by up to a year in prison, a maximum fine of 500,000 baht, or both.

Numerous people, including some celebrities, have been brought to book for posting pictures of themselves with a glass or bottle of their favourite tipple, on their personal social media. If a label, logo or brand name is visible, fines can range from 50,000 to 500,000 baht.

Media outlets routinely receive warnings from authorities if they carry pictures or video in their news reports of alcoholic beverages with product labels.

Dr Nipon said the provincial public health office had written to the governor of Phitsanulok to inform him about the case of Mr Padipat.

A similar letter was sent to other agencies including the provincial excise office. They might also lodge a legal complaint against Mr Padipat if they establish that he has broken any law they have a duty to enforce.

“Once we’ve finished interviewing witnesses, we might invite the MP to provide information,” Dr Nipon said.