NLA apologises after lawmakers caught napping

[rooster59]

NLA apologises after lawmakers caught napping

By The Nation

 

Legislators fall asleep during an assembly that debated the Bt3-trillion national budget.

 

Two legislators caught nodding off during a serious discussion involving the Bt3-trillion national budget were actually hardworking lawmakers who fell asleep because of their poor health, National Legislative Assembly (NLA) vice president Peerasak Phochit said yesterday.

 

Peerasak, who is in charge of NLA’s professional ethics, said their behaviour was not a serious enough breach of professional ethics to warrant their removal.

 

The two NLA members – Air Chief Marshal Charlie Chanruang and Thamrong Thatsananchalee – had been captured dozing off by media cameras when the NLA was debating the national budget on Thursday. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha took part in the discussions and spent some 90 minutes defending the plan.

 

The leaked photos raised questions among the public whether the coup-installed legislature was working hard enough and in the public interest while members were drawing a monthly salary of at least Bt113,560 over the past four years. 

 

Peerasak apologised for the incident. “I understand the public sentiment and opinion that it was an important legislation and the NLA should have been more hardworking. So, I have to apologise,” he said.

 

He insisted the two had been working hard, going out in the field to meet people, but right now they were suffering from some poor health conditions. Charlie recently had a heart surgery while Thamrong had also been ill, he explained. 

 

Also, they were not asleep while the PM was presenting the budget plan, the NLA vice president said. They fell asleep only when other legislators were debating the issue, he added.

 

NLA heads had discussed the matter and concluded that they would seek cooperation from members but were unlikely to issue regulations or measures to specifically direct how they work, he said. 

 

In a separate interview yesterday, Prayut said he had kept a record of everything. Those found sleeping during the meeting would not get any positions in the future, he said.

 

“I have already sent the photos to the NLA president [Pornpetch Vichitcholchai]. He has already seen them and probably will find out what happened,” Prayut said.

 

Clearly upset about the incident, the PM said he would rather see the media pay attention to how he had presented the case for the Bt3-trillion budget than on NLA members taking a nap during the assembly.

 

The two legislators involved declined to discuss the issue.

 

Charlie said he would rather not clarify anything. He did say, however, that he wasn’t bothered his inappropriate photo was in the news and he was firm about continuing as an NLA member. Thamrong refused to talk to the press, saying he was in a meeting.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30347335

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-06-09

[YetAnother]

5 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Charlie said he would rather not clarify anything. He did say, however, that he wasn’t bothered his inappropriate photo was in the news and he was firm about continuing as an NLA member.

i bet he wants to continue; getting paid well for sleeping is a pretty good gig

[Samui Bodoh]

20 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

The leaked photos raised questions among the public whether the coup-installed legislature was working hard enough and in the public interest while members were drawing a monthly salary of at least Bt113,560 over the past four years. 

"...working hard enough...?"

 

What exactly do they do? I cannot recall a single instance in the last four years when they disagreed or disobeyed with the Junta leaders/Prayut.

 

Paying them 110,000 Baht plus a month to be "Yes" men is a waste of time and money; this IS corruption, albeit the 'legal' kind.

 

Should the Forces of Goodness manage to form a government following or soon after the next election, perhaps it would be a good idea to have the current members of the NLA justify the millions and millions of Baht they have received over the last four years.

 

I bet that would be some interesting reading...

 

Edited June 8, 2018 by Samui Bodoh
Lack of coffee

[baboon]

47 minutes ago, Samui Bodoh said:

What exactly do they do? I cannot recall a single instance in the last four years when they disagreed with the Junta leaders/Prayut.

Absolute nonsense. I can recall at least two occasions when five - yes, five - members abstained from voting. Yet the cynics on here keep insisting that this is a rubber stamp assembly. And no quips from you about Brezhnev's Politburo, thankyou very much; just look at all that jet black hair...

Edited June 9, 2018 by baboon

[Darcula]

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

Prayut said he had kept a record of everything.

 

Thank you supreme recordkeeper.

[Lungstib]

What is more alarming than the pictures is the recent development of the media being chastised for taking them. Some awakened dinosaur is suggesting the media is irresponsible for publicising this behaviour. Unbelievable. 

[coulson]

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

In a separate interview yesterday, Prayut said he had kept a record of everything. Those found sleeping during the meeting would not get any positions in the future, he said

In the future?

 

But, I thought this was only a caretaker government?

 

Does the PM suggest he has plans beyond an election I wonder?

 

For someone who criticizes the spreading of confusion, he creates an awful lot of it himself.

[Odysseus123]

In no other country on planet Earth would this relentless stream of guff,whining, self pity and excuses be ever construed as an "apology".

 

They  appear to have a complete monopoly on alternate universes in Shangri-La.

[klauskunkel]

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha took part in the discussions and spent some 90 minutes defending the plan.

90 min of his relentless droning, it's a miracle those two didn't kick the bucket and woke up after all.

[mtls2005]

Maybe the PM might consider appointing some younger chaps, maybe in their 60's or 70's? I know he wants to grease the palms of his elderly buddies with 300,000 baht/month, plus a slew of subordinate jobs for family and friends, but get some folks who can at least listen to you drone on for 90 minutes. Or just replace them with a 100 baht rubber stamp and ink pad?

[Denim]

8 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

90 min of his relentless droning, it's a miracle those two didn't kick the bucket and woke up after all.

Prayut has been accused of many things by his detractors.

 

Brevity is not one of them.

 

He can talk the bark of a tree .

[Anak Nakal]

Not apologize, go away.

 

[mtls2005]

Future Senators? Assuming they live that long.

[candide]

If the PM had shut his gob and not complained about the media,  nobody would have noticed. And now we see the next ridiculous consequence with the NLA presenting excuses.

Edited June 9, 2018 by candide

[poyai111]

Sleep apnea, in many cases, can be attributed to obesity and given the sedentary nature of parliamentary  responsibility one can understand the honorable members' inclination to "nod off." Members offending should be compelled, on the first offence, to 25 push ups. On the second offence, 25 laps of the National Stadium and on the third offence, five rounds in the ring with an accomplished Muay Thai exponent.

[Lupatria]

8 hours ago, rooster59 said:

He insisted the two had been working hard, going out in the field to meet people, but right now they were suffering from some poor health conditions.

That seems to be a plausible answer as narcolepsy is pandemic in this country, due to an endemic strain of the dreaded tsetse fly.

[Odysseus123]

35 minutes ago, poyai111 said:

Sleep apnea, in many cases, can be attributed to obesity and given the sedentary nature of parliamentary  responsibility one can understand the honorable members' inclination to "nod off." Members offending should be compelled, on the first offence, to 25 push ups. On the second offence, 25 laps of the National Stadium and on the third offence, five rounds in the ring with an accomplished Muay Thai exponent.

Or..just promote them to Field Marshall..General,Admiral of the Fleet..Air Commodore 1st class...Chief Dunny Cleaner..or whatever..

 

Thais love their bling and 'fruit salad'.

[Cake Monster]

if the NLA Members are in such "poor health " that they fall asleep on the job, then they should be replaced with members that have more " get up and go "

[Jonmarleesco]

'Clearly upset about the incident, the PM said he would rather see the media pay attention to how he had presented the case for the Bt3-trillion budget than on NLAmembers taking a nap during the assembly.'

 

I'm sure he would. The best way to get his wish would be to get rid of the dead wood. 

 

'Thamrong refused to talk to the press, saying he was in a meeting.'

 

What, asleep again? 

[Charlie1]

A mafia boss once told me how exhausting it was to con people...

[Stupooey]

8 hours ago, baboon said:

Absolute nonsense. I can recall at least two occasions when five - yes, five - members abstained from voting. Yet the cynics on here keep insisting that this is a rubber stamp assembly. And no quips from you about Brezhnev's Politburo, thankyou very much; just look at all that jet black hair...

Did they deliberately abstain, or were they simply asleep during the vote?

[soalbundy]

ill health or drunk.

[ThaiFelix]

Poor health  bwahhahahahahaha!!

[kannot]

I thought this sort of thing only happened when they were under trial for something??

[stephen tracy]

C'mon, be fair. At least they made it to work. There's a lot of empty seats in those photos doing the rounds. Where were the rest of them? Maybe they couldn't get their cars to start after taking the PM's advice? 

[cookieqw]

Also, they were not asleep while the PM was presenting the budget plan, the NLA vice president said. They fell asleep only when other legislators were debating the issue, he added.

 

thats ok then  solved

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Funny what a difference 24 hours makes. Yesterday, if memory serves, there was an article with government types on the warpath against the news media for having the ill judgment to publish the photos of the sleeping lawmakers (stooges), and talking about how the media still needed to be "reformed."

 

Now today, we have the NLA V.P. apologizing and making all kinds of excuses. Perhaps they heard the public opinion about the snoozing, 100,000+ baht per month stooges.

 

But really, if the two guys' health is so bad, perhaps they should be relieved of their duties and their "jobs" so they can go home and properly rest and convalesce. That seems like the right prescription in this kind of case. However, seriously doubt it's going to happen.

 

100K+ per month for sitting around snoozing and wanking isn't a bad gig if you can get it.

 

[chickenslegs]

I see a business opportunity here.

 

Set up a stall outside the NLA, selling these ...

 

[The Deerhunter]

1 hour ago, kannot said:

I thought this sort of thing only happened when they were under trial for something??

They think they are under trial for Senator. .......

. But that is not what you meant.

[tagalong]

Could not lie straight in bed...