Prawit caught red-handed? More watch photos emerge

[webfact]

Prawit caught red-handed? More watch photos emerge

By WASAMON AUDJARINT 
THE NATION

 

Deputy PM and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan is seen wearing what look like different models of multimillion-baht Richard Mille watches on two separate occasions.

 

Amid social media furore, NACC ‘ready to probe’ new allegations.

 

IT NEVER rains but it pours for Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan. While he has yet to clarify his possession of a seemingly multimillion-baht watch, social media users have raised questions about seven other watches he is seen wearing at recent events.

 

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), which is investigating the premier’s respected senior aide, yesterday said that it was ready to probe any new allegations.

 

 

Deputy PM and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan is seen wearing what look like different models of multimillion-baht Richard Mille watches on two separate occasions. The black-and-red model, left, was spotted during a scholarship granting event in September. The silver-and-black model, right, was seen during a Cabinet photo opportunity on December 4. 

 

“We have to look through his asset-declaration history and see if he has already declared those watches,” said NACC acting secretary-general Worawit Sukboon yesterday.

 

In his four declarations during his off-and-on membership of governments from 2008 to 2014, Prawit has never declared any single asset worth more than Bt200,000 to the NACC. His latest declaration valued his total total assets at Bt87 million.

 

However, pictures show him wearing what look like two Richard Mille watches that are estimated to cost between Bt4 million and Bt10 million. The first watch was spotted when he took part in a group photo with the reshuffled Cabinet at Government House December 4. 

A photo of him shielding his eyes with his hand, revealing the silver-black watch and a diamond ring, sparked controversy.

 

The second watch was revealed yesterday when the Facebook page CSI LA posted photos of Prawit back in September during a Five Provinces Bordering Forest Preservation Foundation event he hosted.

 

 

Giving away compensation and scholarships with a smiling face, Prawit was seen wearing what could be a different Richard Mille watch model with a red and black body.

 

The page’s author speculated that the model might be the Richard Mille RM 030, which normally costs around Bt4 million.

 

The Matter, the alternative news agency, on Tuesday also presented photos of Prawit on nine occasions from 2014 to this year wearing different watches. Although the definition of the photos was limited, three of the watches could be the same while the rest looked distinct.

 

The Matter asked its followers to help identify the watches and their guesses centred on high-end brands such as Patek Philippe, Franck Muller, Audemars Piguet and Rolex, with prices ranging from Bt700,000 to Bt2 million.

 

Prawit has kept mum on the issue since the day he was discovered wearing the extravagant watch last week.

 

Yesterday, without speaking to the press, he went to receive an honorary doctorate degree in public administration from Nakhon Phanom University.

 

He had also stressed shortly after the controversy began that he would only explain his possession of the watch to the NACC, not the public. 

 

Local media reported that Prawit planned to justify himself by saying that the watch was borrowed from a businessman friend and the diamond ring was inherited from his mother.

 

He had planned to send an explanatory letter to the NACC yesterday, but he has not yet done so.

 

The NACC said last Thursday that Prawit would have 30 days to justify himself.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30333880

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-12-14

[Justgrazing]

What a numpty .. If he had got a 1000 barts blinged up Roli' copy offa the beach no one would have taken a blind bit of notice .. And aren't R M watches more gangsta than deputy dawg .?

[candide]

People are really ill intentioned! It's just that he is a very nice guy and has plenty of friends who lend him their watches! 

[Samui Bodoh]

That a rich friend lent him a watch was always stretching credulity, it was theoretically possible. That a rich friend lent him several hugely expensive watches to wear is ridiculous and ludicrous.

 

This scandal will have legs. It's hard to enrage people over the details of a contract, or over the implications of a trade policy, or over the minutia of a policy change which benefits someone in particular.

 

As I said yesterday, it is easy talking "Bling".

 

People won't forget this one quickly and questions will need to be answered.

 

[Somtamnication]

Careful! People are watching his watches like watching witches wizzing by wuzzies wearing watches! 

[Topdoc]

There's no need to send an explanatory letter to the NACC, just wear jackets with longer sleeves

[isaanbanhou]

maybe he is endorsed by the watch company and his contract requires him to wear on.  Micheal Jordan had the same kind of agreement with Nike

[rkidlad]

How to explain this one? 

 

Time to get down to the market and buy some fakes. It’s the best terrible option he has. Popcorn time. 

[Chang_paarp]

5 minutes ago, isaanbanhou said:

maybe he is endorsed by the watch company and his contract requires him to wear on.  Micheal Jordan had the same kind of agreement with Nike

 

I was thinking his "friend" was the local agent for the watches. 

 

Either way the publicity must be worth almost as much as the watches themselves, look at the amount of space being given to these previously obscure but quality brands. The resulting brand recognition is something money can't buy (almost).

[leeneeds]

Honest, true, sincere, truthful and free

of deceit, 

How this government loves the main stream media.

 

[Ricardo]

But at least he has no excuse, for not knowing that their time is almost-up, and it's time to go now ! 

[quadperfect]

33 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

How to explain this one? 

 

Time to get down to the market and buy some fakes. It’s the best terrible option he has. Popcorn time. 

Yes thats whats happening rignt now. He had to order the fakes to look just like the ones he was wearing.

That takes 30 days to get it just right.

[jackh]

Meh....who cares?

[rkidlad]

18 minutes ago, quadperfect said:

Yes thats whats happening rignt now. He had to order the fakes to look just like the ones he was wearing.

That takes 30 days to get it just right.

He gets 30 days from today for his new watch, right? The original one still has about 20 days left to explain. 

[dinsdale]

53 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

How to explain this one? 

Easy. He has lots of friends who are willing to lend him their watches.

[mark01]

Some lame excuse will be given, then it will be hushed up.

Does anyone really think the top brass aren't stockpiling loads of cash/assets for their retirement funds?

 

The general will be out issuing his threats again soon.

[mikebell]

Sorry to bang on about this: he has amassed five million a year over each of the last six years on a stipend of less than 200,000,  He's entitled to buy as many watches as he likes if no-one is questioning where he got the money from.

[Ossy]

2 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

That a rich friend lent him a watch was always stretching credulity, it was theoretically possible. That a rich friend lent him several hugely expensive watches to wear is ridiculous and ludicrous.

 

This scandal will have legs. It's hard to enrage people over the details of a contract, or over the implications of a trade policy, or over the minutia of a policy change which benefits someone in particular.

 

As I said yesterday, it is easy talking "Bling".

 

People won't forget this one quickly and questions will need to be answered.

 

Bring back hanging for lying Generals, I say.

[meinphuket]

This is seriously unfunny..'honorary doctorate degree in public administration from Nakhon Phanom University.' Really ? 

[smutcakes]

I am sure i have seen numerous photos of him with huge chunky gold chains and watches as well. Nothing probably in the value of the Richard Mille ones but without doubt above the declaration threshold (unless they are fake). You don't get much for 200,000 baht in Thailand when it comes to branded watches.

 

As others have commented, i would find it more important if the NACC would ask for clarification on  how his wealth has accumulated about 30 million in cash over the past 6 or so years, when on his 2008 (and 2014) declaration there did not seem to be any business interests, valuable land holdings etc noted which could of been sold.

 

 

[miamiman123]

Let’s see a salary of 50000 per month for 30 years? And a net worth of 87,000,000 million?

uumh?

[DavisH]

4 hours ago, candide said:

People are really ill intentioned! It's just that he is a very nice guy and has plenty of friends who lend him their watches! 

Like the video of a guy caught stealing a car; he said "he was parking it for a mate".

[Araiwah]

What's the betting that a missing file or piece of paper will miraculously turn up with these items listed on it after all? Mind you nothing is going to happen to him anyway. He'll just keep denying til people get bored asking as usual.

[Songlaw]

Further evidence that time is no respecter of men or status and because of that our comeuppance will always be just "a matter of time." I don't know why, but every article regarding this 'government' evokes the time-worn (Sorry, I couldn't resist one more reference) adage: "You can put as much lipstick on a pig as you want but..."

 

Only one thing seems clear at this point. These boys are gonna need a much, much bigger lipstick budget.

[Khun Paul]

Who gives a damn what he wears, his attitude and lack of compassion, has already put him in the uncaring and a failed member of the NCPO in my book.

[mentalcolonization]

Prawit is a model. He is modelling for the watches. Many people came to know of the watches because of him. The end

[Formaleins]

Toad of Toad Hall,

[csabo]

1 hour ago, mikebell said:

Sorry to bang on about this: he has amassed five million a year over each of the last six years on a stipend of less than 200,000,  He's entitled to buy as many watches as he likes if no-one is questioning where he got the money from.

He must declare them though.

[soalbundy]

'neither a lender nor a borrower be' said the great bard, Prawit knows this is true.

[madmitch]

37 minutes ago, miamiman123 said:

Let’s see a salary of 50000 per month for 30 years? And a net worth of 87,000,000 million?

uumh?

He was paid in Bitcoin!