How a US-based Thai exposed watch scandal

[rooster59]

How a US-based Thai exposed watch scandal

By THE SUNDAY NATION

 

 

THE WRISTWATCH scandal undermining the government can be credited to one man who wrote posts on his “investigative” website about all the 25 luxury watches allegedly worn by Deputy Premier and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan in recent years.

 

The website “CSI LA” provided convincing information that led to public uproar, including photos of Prawit wearing the watches alongside details of the pricey timepieces.

 

Prawit did not include any of the expensive watches in his financial reports submitted to the National Anti-Corruption Commission. He subsequently claimed that all of them belonged to a wealthy friend, who has since died.

 

CSI LA, which is based on Facebook, is run by a Thai man who prefers to be known only as David. He has lived in the United States for more than two decades and is now based in Los Angeles.

 

In a February 1 interview with The Nation co-founder Suthichai Yoon on Facebook Live, David attributed his successful expose to the information he obtained from a pool of reliable online investigators, a technique known as crowdsourcing.

 

He researched some of Prawit’s watches himself and relied on other online sleuths to provide details – such as brands, models and prices – of the others.

 

“Those people are watch aficionados, with expertise in different makes like Rolex. They supplied me with photos and details of the watches, but they didn’t want their identities to be unveiled,” he said. 

 

David, who is in his early 40s, explained the abbreviations that form the name of his website. C stands for critical thinking, S for science, I for investigative, and LA for the US city he has called home.

 

During his interview with Suthichai, he he had previously been an ordinary social media user who often left lengthy comments on different Thai websites. 

 

“I was often kicked out for having a lot of opinions. I wondered why many Thais did not rely on scientific methods in their thinking,” he said.

 

Later, he started his own Facebook page, CSI LA, capitalising on his expertise as a seasoned data scientist. 

 

He initially made his presence felt when he disputed the police’s theory about two Myanmar migrant workers arrested for allegedly killing two British tourists on Koh Tao in 2014. 

 

He attempted to prove that |the migrants were not the real culprits.

 

“Police said the two petite Myanmar men were the perpetrators. That’s something many people did not believe. If you look at it with good sense, you will find that it goes against the truth,” David told Suthichai.

 

He said that in this age of big data, the world was driven by a barrage of information that must be screened through scientific and critical thinking.

 

‘Need for critical thinking’

 

“It’s like when you try to drink water coming out of a giant pipe. You need to be able to tell which is poisonous and which is beneficial. This way, you can find water that is [drinkable] and make you survive,” he said.

 

In his opinion, many Thais lacked critical-thinking skills, and this should be taught in schools so that people could learn from |when they were young.

 

David was born in Chon Buri and went to high school in Bangkok. When he was 14, he left Thailand to live in New Zealand and then moved to the US at the age of 18.

 

He studied economics at the University of California’s Los Angeles campus (UCLA) and later graduated from Northwestern University, majoring in data science and predictive analytics. 

 

At first, he ran a jewellery business but later shifted his focus to become a data scientist working for a large telecommunications company. 

 

His passion for investigative reporting and news analysis prompted him to start CSI LA, he told Suthichai.

 

But David is not free from controversies – he has been accused of running his website with a political motive. 

 

In the past, CSI LA ran posts to counter allegations against the Yingluck Shinawatra government’s rice-pledging scheme. Irregularities stemming from the project led to prison sentences handed down by the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders against the former prime minister and some of her Cabinet members.

 

However, David dismissed allegations that he was hired to launch attacks on certain figures through his website and challenged any sceptics to prove the claim that he was one of the “red shirts” – a political movement linked to the old power clique. 

 

“I offer a reward of Bt1 million to anyone who can prove that I am a red shirt,” he said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30338535

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-02-11

[Bob12345]

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

In his opinion, many Thais lacked critical-thinking skills, and this should be taught in schools so that people could learn from |when they were young.

And you sir, with your outstanding work uncovering this corruption case, are the exact reason why it is not being taught at schools in Thailand.

 

Imagine thousands, if not millions, of Thais who have critical-thinking skills...

Then how can the elite still come away with murder, illegal hunting, enriching themselves, and grabbing power with coup after coup?

What would the point be of empowering the mass at your own expense?

Better keep them dumb, and rule the country like Kings with nothing to fear.

[Somtamnication]

Better stay in the US, my dear timely friend.

[seminomadic]

Keep up the good work, David

[gandalf12]

David seems like a good guy. Power to him

[Sonhia]

I take my hat off to the guy in the US, because in my opinion, he demonstrates compassion regarding the internal affairs of his original homeland, and speaks the truth. 

 

For those individuals who cannot see the truth for what it really is, are very blinkered and may lack respect for themselves plus other individuals, of any creed and or race.

 

We tend to forget that we are merely human and simply just passing by in life. Why do we have to make ours, plus other people's life's, a misery?

 

Greed. Power and manipulation come to mind which the Thai guy in the US is clearly pointing out. In my opinion, he cares about the real Thai  people unlike those who strike fear by manipulation and greed.

 

I'm positive many Thais would want a better life? Which is possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 11, 2018 by Maestro
Deleted part of the post that was in reply to a removed post.

[yellowboat]

He is doing his country a tremendous favor by speaking out and by telling Thais to use critical thinking, as apposed to being told what to think by institutions that profit by using and abusing them. 

 

When asked by a Thai person how to break the cycle of low paying jobs and a moribund life, the answer is simple.  Leave Thailand, even if it is just to visit a neighboring or nearby country. 

[Emster23]

" But David is not free from controversies – he has been accused of running his website with a political motive."

 Motive might be honest representative government. Yeah, that is political... so what?

[PAIBKK]

6 hours ago, rooster59 said:

I wondered why many Thais did not rely on scientific methods in their thinking,” he said.

They just don't know how to use their brains !!!

Mostly indoctrination, being manipulated by teachers, government, other Thai... 

[Maestro]

Removed an off-topic post and the replies to it.

[beautifulthailand99]

3 hours ago, Oziex1 said:

All the smart Thais live elsewhere.

Most Thais that have an opportunity to live elsewhere never want to come back to live here full time. 

[johnmcc6]

6 hours ago, Bob12345 said:

And you sir, with your outstanding work uncovering this corruption case, are the exact reason why it is not being taught at schools in Thailand.

 

Imagine thousands, if not millions, of Thais who have critical-thinking skills...

Then how can the elite still come away with murder, illegal hunting, enriching themselves, and grabbing power with coup after coup?

What would the point be of empowering the mass at your own expense?

Better keep them dumb, and rule the country like Kings with nothing to fear.

Bob ,I hope the government isn't following your comments. Pretty dangerous to accuse  officials of murder etc. Unless you are a Thai citizen it may be in your best interest to mind your own business?

[tso310]

I wondered where the list of watches thats on Prawits wikipedia page came from.

[rkidlad]

Now here is a man who really does love his country. Wanting fairness and equality isn’t a Western concept. It’s what many human beings crave. Who on earth sincerely enjoys being subservient to others? 

 

If you ‘want to’ go round worshipping other fellow human beings because of their titles and wealth, etc, go ahead. That should be your right to do so. If you don’t, then don’t. It should be completely up to the individual. 

 

Keep exposing these rats at the top, David. Their only loyalty is to themselves. 

 

 

 

 

[yosuik]

What really hurts is in fact realizing something wrong, but not being able to react in time. Regret? Sure.

 

One could say "Evil prevails when good people fail to act". But it's kinda hard when it's not just that.

 

Thailand being one of the only countries having Les Mageste Laws, have other similar laws which exist which have nothing to do with the Royal Family in general, but almost equally effective at times is namely the more common "Puu Yai" laws.

 

In the Court of True Justice, there should be no bias or favour towards any side. But such Puu Yai Laws are dragged out in Any circumstance.

 

People generally think that "If it's a good deed, then it is fair" but such invisible boundaries and lines under a certain level of concensus need to be understood properly. And so many people just casually think of this, bend it to their liking and later expect it to be projected in real life.

 

Such Laws disguised under "Tradition" will hopefully disappear to a more universally accepted level.

 

Along with the skill to be able to read 2~3 steps ahead and if they could learn or master "Efficiency", then what a brilliant place this country could be.

 

[wavemanwww]

50 minutes ago, johnmcc6 said:

Bob ,I hope the government isn't following your comments. Pretty dangerous to accuse  officials of murder etc. Unless you are a Thai citizen it may be in your best interest to mind your own business?

So if you see your brother or mother mugged then I suppose "you mind your own business"?

[Bob12345]

3 hours ago, johnmcc6 said:

Bob ,I hope the government isn't following your comments. Pretty dangerous to accuse  officials of murder etc. Unless you are a Thai citizen it may be in your best interest to mind your own business?

I believe i wrote "elite", which is not the same as officials.

For example: the red bull kid.

[mark131v]

5 hours ago, johnmcc6 said:

Bob ,I hope the government isn't following your comments. Pretty dangerous to accuse  officials of murder etc. Unless you are a Thai citizen it may be in your best interest to mind your own business?

What a coward you are, people like you will roll over and accept anything as you lack the moral fibre to put yourself in the firing line, thank god there are people out there who have the guts to act otherwise we would all still be serfs....

[gunderhill]

This is  the  sort Thailand  needs  to  run the  country but  will  never get  the chance.... maybe?

[mark131v]

8 minutes ago, gunderhill said:

This is  the  sort Thailand  needs  to  run the  country but  will  never get  the chance.... maybe?

Feudal society doesn't need anybody rocking the boat they want nothing more than to keep the status quo and in so doing guarantee their primacy at the trough....

Edited February 11, 2018 by mark131v

[gunderhill]

1 minute ago, mark131v said:

Feudal society doesn't need anybody rocking the boat they want more than to keep the status quo and in so doing guarantee their primacy at the trough....

That's what they need , this is what they've  got.

[tryasimight]

6 hours ago, johnmcc6 said:

Bob ,I hope the government isn't following your comments. Pretty dangerous to accuse  officials of murder etc. Unless you are a Thai citizen it may be in your best interest to mind your own business?

Particularly as posts from this forum can, and have, appeared in the opinion section of The Nation newspaper.

[tryasimight]

1 hour ago, mark131v said:

What a coward you are, people like you will roll over and accept anything as you lack the moral fibre to put yourself in the firing line, thank god there are people out there who have the guts to act other we would all still be serfs....

Very easy to call someone a coward from behind a keyboard. So, pray tell,  share with us all your achievements to date in progressing the Thai people's from so called serfdom? 

[Chris Lawrence]

I wonder if he wants to sell some of the watches. I will do it on the "low-low". Get the little Rolex Don to post me.

[the guest]

So he exposed a scandal of many that have occurred in Thailand, and ?

[mark131v]

1 hour ago, tryasimight said:

Very easy to call someone a coward from behind a keyboard. So, pray tell,  share with us all your achievements to date in progressing the Thai people's from so called serfdom? 

I did reply and then thought, nah cant be arsed feeding you.....

Edited February 11, 2018 by mark131v

[gunderhill]

2 hours ago, tryasimight said:

Particularly as posts from this forum can, and have, appeared in the opinion section of The Nation newspaper.

Do you think ALL posters  actually  live in Thailand?

[Jonmarleesco]

10 hours ago, johnmcc6 said:

Bob ,I hope the government isn't following your comments. Pretty dangerous to accuse  officials of murder etc. Unless you are a Thai citizen it may be in your best interest to mind your own business?

He didn't say officials; he said elite.

[tryasimight]

3 hours ago, mark131v said:

I did reply and then thought, nah cant be arsed feeding you.....

What you do with you arse is entirely up to you.  No need to make a public display of it. 

[tryasimight]

2 hours ago, gunderhill said:

Do you think ALL posters  actually  live in Thailand?

I think perhaps 10 at the most 20% do. Why do you ask?