Junta replaces Pattaya Mayor by article 44

By Chayanit Itthipongmaetee, Staff Reporter

 

Sontaya Khunpluem, at left. At right, junta chairman and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha.

 

BANGKOK — By the power of the junta leader’s extralegal authority, Pattaya City got a new mayor Tuesday.

 

After holding the top administrative post for just over a year, Maj. Gen. Anan Charoenchasri was removed out of the junta’s desire to “minimize conflict” and prepare for the first elections in five years to be held next year.

 

Full Story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2018/09/25/junta-replaces-pattaya-mayor-by-article-44/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-9-25

Army man out and a local civilian in, a career politician from the look of it. A very interesting development with an eye to foreign investors for the EEC project.

Still unelected.

Another one who is going to clean up Pattaya and make it a real family resort?

 

Rather than a "practice making family resort"

Guess the previous one made enough money out the beach reconstruction that the PM thinks it is only fair to appoint another of his sycophants to benefit similarly before it is too late.

Remember you can't do that stuff as an elected PM,   There is no Article 44 after the election.

The last elected mayor was also a "Khunpluem"...recently he was appointed as an advisor to the tourist authority.

The absurdities continue. An ex Thaksin govt official, the guys who were so awful, despicable and corrupt that they had to be removed by military coup, is now enrolled by the deceiver in chief who uses the ultimate dictatorial power, S44, to avoid any need for discussion. This passes for good governance. Like watching Alice in wonderland only more unbelievable.

9 minutes ago, Lungstib said:

The absurdities continue. An ex Thaksin govt official, the guys who were so awful, despicable and corrupt that they had to be removed by military coup, is now enrolled by the deceiver in chief who uses the ultimate dictatorial power, S44, to avoid any need for discussion. This passes for good governance. Like watching Alice in wonderland only more unbelievable.

You have ruined my night, saying that about Alice is like telling me the tin man in the wizard of oz is not real.

NCPO chief Prayut issues order for adviser  Sontaya Kunplome to be new Pattaya mayor

By The Nation

 

File photo: Sontaya Kunplome

 

The junta leader has replaced the mayor of Pattaya City with Sontaya Kunplome, his political adviser.

 

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, in his capacity as leader of the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), issued an order on Tuesday to replace the current mayor, Anan Charoenchasri, with Sontaya.

 

Sontaya is replacing the mayor whom Prayut had only appointed in February.

 

The order said there was a need for a new Pattaya mayor “with high potential as well as required experience, knowledge and capability” in managing the city’s roles involving the government’s Eastern Economic Corridor development project.

 

Published in the Royal Gazette on Tuesday, the NCPO order said the appointment had immediate effect.

 

Under the current Constitution effective since last year, Prayut has retained unrestricted powers under Article 44 of the post-2014 coup interim charter over all branches of government.

 

Sontaya was also empowered by the order to appoint no more than four deputies. 

 

The order said he would serve in the new position until the yet-to-be-scheduled election of Pattaya’s mayor, or until there was a new NCPO order regarding the local administration of the eastern-seaboard resort-city. 

 

“In case he sees fit, the prime minister may propose the National Council for Peace and Order to make changes to this order,” the document stated.

 

In April, Sontaya was appointed an adviser to the prime minister on political affairs. 

 

The PM at that time said he needed someone to advise him on political matters. 

 

It is unclear whether Sontaya retains his position as a PM adviser on political affairs following his appointment as the new Pattaya mayor. 

 

Sontaya, leader of the Phalang Chon Party that is popular in Chon Buri, is a former minister of culture and of tourism and sports. 

 

His party was part of the pre-coup coalition government led by the Pheu Thai Party’s Yingluck Shinawatra.

 

The Cabinet in April also appointed Sontaya’s younger brother Ittipol as an adviser to the tourism and sports minister. 

 

Ittipol served as an elected mayor of Pattaya for two terms between May 2008 and June 2016.

 

Before his appointment in February, outgoing mayor Anan, a retired police major-general, served as the vice chairman of Pattaya Council.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30355202

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-9-25

The Kamnan Poh's ("godfather of the east") clan put to power again by the military ruler?

Is this a bad movie???

 

2 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

The Kamnan Poh's ("godfather of the east") clan put to power again by the military ruler?

Is this a bad movie???

 

I'm surprised they didn't make the dad mayor, but I guess that was a little too obvious.

 

Wasn't the previous Kunplome by the way removed from his mayor position?

1 hour ago, Esso49 said:

Guess the previous one made enough money out the beach reconstruction that the PM thinks it is only fair to appoint another of his sycophants to benefit similarly before it is too late.

It is indeed almost hilarious. Immigration practices good guys in, bad guys out, while the Government practices incompetent thieving gits out and more incompetent thieving gits in. The only aspect of their work where incompetence is not to be found, is their efforts whilst on the take. If they could only match their efficiency in corruption in actually running things, much of the country would function quite well.

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Maj. Gen. Anan Charoenchasri was removed out of the junta’s desire to “minimize conflict” and prepare for the first elections in five years to be held next year.

 

53 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

In April, Sontaya was appointed an adviser to the prime minister on political affair

 

54 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Sontaya, leader of the Phalang Chon Party that is popular in Chon Buri,

Wink wink. Say no more.

 

2 hours ago, Basil B said:

Another one who is going to clean up Pattaya and make it a real family resort?

 

Rather than a "practice making family resort"

Since the conviction (but not imprisonment) of his father, our new mayor has assumed the role of the family head. Chairman of Pattaya United. Family have long been known as the Chonburi mafia.

 

At least it secures the future of the Pattaya "entertainment industry" as they own/control most of it. No more crackdowns.

Edited September 25, 20187 yr by Spidey

"His early government career began in 2001 as a minister of science and technology. He next served as minister of tourism and sports in 2002 under Thaksin Shinawatra. In 2012, he was appointed minister of culture. In 2013, he was elected to lead the Phalang Chon Party (Power of Chonburi Party). He is also the president of the Pattaya United Football Club."

 

All appears fair and above board to me.

 

Note to self, order more medication.

Not much different to Kaosan road fiasco, first they killed it and now trying to revive it.

 

Ex Mayor almost killed Pattaya with his raids and regulations, now new guy will be more "approachable" to try to revive the place.

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

In April, Sontaya was appointed an adviser to the prime minister on political affairs ...

 

His party was part of the pre-coup coalition government led by the Pheu Thai Party’s Yingluck Shinawatra.

 

The Cabinet in April also appointed Sontaya’s younger brother Ittipol as an adviser to the tourism and sports minister. 

 

Ittipol served as an elected mayor of Pattaya for two terms between May 2008 and June 2016.

 

Reminds me of the final paragraph of Orwell's Animal Farm ...

“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”

17 minutes ago, BestB said:

Not much different to Kaosan road fiasco, first they killed it and now trying to revive it.

 

Ex Mayor almost killed Pattaya with his raids and regulations, now new guy will be more "approachable" to try to revive the place.

You make it sounds as if they care about how the raids affect businesses.

This move is nothing to do with those, its all about delivering the Chonburi votes to the Junta coalition comes February next year. 

6 minutes ago, digbeth said:

You make it sounds as if they care about how the raids affect businesses.

This move is nothing to do with those, its all about delivering the Chonburi votes to the Junta coalition comes February next year. 

Businesses pay taxes, when businesses do not operate, they do not pay taxes. Yes no doubt elections is part of it, but that is not the only aim. 

9 hours ago, Basil B said:

Another one who is going to clean up Pattaya and make it a real family resort?

 

Rather than a "practice making family resort"

Hope not.

6 hours ago, Spidey said:

Since the conviction (but not imprisonment) of his father, our new mayor has assumed the role of the family head. Chairman of Pattaya United. Family have long been known as the Chonburi mafia.

 

At least it secures the future of the Pattaya "entertainment industry" as they own/control most of it. No more crackdowns.

Good.

All will become obvious when (not "if") Really Hugely Big Tuu becomes PM. Guess who's going to get a plum portfolio, and guess which seaside resort will suddenly need a new mayor who will likely be his younger brother. Anyone got any sand for sale?

so much for civilians governing civilians.

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The junta leader has replaced the mayor of Pattaya City with Sontaya Kunplome, his political adviser.

Well, Mr. Kunplome must have advised the PM properly to be handed such a plump morsel on a silver platter just before a supposed election. Collecting his due, I guess.

Just now, klauskunkel said:

Well, Mr. Kunplome must have advised the PM properly to be handed such a plump morsel on a silver platter just before a supposed election. Collecting his due, I guess.

Must be more than that to it. Prayut had binned him as part of his anti corruption campaign, when he came to power. He was at the heart of all corruption in Pattaya. His father was sentenced to 25 years for murder and corruption and remains under "house arrest".

 

All very strange. I can only imagine that it's, in some way, to garner support for his upcoming election campaign.

So here's a list of priority jobs for him to tackle;

taxis here do not obey the laws of the land;

police do not obey the laws of the land;

the beach goes AWOL every year;

the town floods twice a week in the rainy season;

 

I look forward to his actions.

Good on them. They should do a full Audit on his finances since he took office. Will be a few skeleton's coming out of the box.

13 hours ago, champers said:

Army man out and a local civilian in, a career politician from the look of it. A very interesting development with an eye to foreign investors for the EEC project.

Still unelected.

well he made such a good job of the beach spending millions over months and months only for it (as I predicted) to be washed away after one heavy sustained weather spat

 

as I keep saying - put people in these jobs that actually have an education and are capable 

Are there more govt employees in inactive posts than active ones? 

and for the rest of the countries mayors? 

Please get rif of them!!!!