PM satisfied with Thammanat’s clarification to parliament about his criminal past

[webfact]

PM satisfied with Thammanat’s clarification to parliament about his criminal past

 

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has given the thumbs up to embattled Deputy Agriculture Minister Thammanat Prompao after his clarification in the House on Wednesday regarding his criminal past, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper in Australia.

 

The Prime Minister said today (Thursday) that he monitored Thammanat’s explanation and found it reasonable adding, however, that he is not ignoring the controversial issue.

 

In his clarification, concerning his apparent drug trafficking conviction in an Australian court, Thammanat claimed he was never sentenced to a prison term, as incorrectly reported by SMH, but he admitted that he was held in custody during the plea bargaining process.  He also claimed that, after a short period of detention, he spent four years working in Australia working and subsequently returned to Thailand a free man with no criminal record.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/pm-satisfied-with-thammanats-clarification-to-parliament-about-his-criminal-past/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2019-09-13

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[Thaiwrath]

The Prime Minister said that Thammanat, like the rest of the cabinet, had passed the official vetting process adding that, if Thammanat had failed the vetting process, he would not have been appointed in the first place.

 

 

Who does the vetting ?

Probably someone, or some people, appointed by Prayut ?

If so, it's just another of the numerous government farces.

[RJRS1301]

Perhaps a check Australian Immigration regarding his deportation should occur, I am sure a telephone call to Immigration Minister office will shed light on the matter.

Perhaps a request for the court transcripts as well by a curious journalist 

[Fex Bluse]

Of course the Thai PM is satisfied. 

 

Who would expect him, or even an average Thai civilian, to care about criminality, especially against one of those nasty farang countries. 

 

All a Thai misunderstanding, as usual. 

[Chang_paarp]

5 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

Perhaps a check Australian Immigration regarding his deportation should occur, I am sure a telephone call to Immigration Minister office will shed light on the matter.

Perhaps a request for the court transcripts as well by a curious journalist 

In a follow up article the SMH published the relevant court documents, including the appeal rejection. Thammanat and his half brother were told had they not given evidence against a number of Thai mafia and military members about their involvement in drug smuggling they would have received a nine year sentence. The article also refers to efforts by Thai opposition and government  members enquiring about the case. 

 

[JamJar]

https://www.smh.com.au/national/ex-con-cabinet-minister-changes-story-over-sydney-jail-time-20190912-p52qow.html

 

Quote

When told by a judge in November 1993 he faced up to nine years' jail, Manat began co-operating in return for a lesser sentence. He pleaded guilty on November 15, 1993, and was sentenced in the NSW District Court on March 31, 1994, to six years’ jail with four years' minimum and a two-year non-parole period.

 

[neeray]

I would imagine many of the ministers would have very interesting contents in their closets.

Swing those doors open! Reveal the skeletons.

[JamJar]

Quote

While in Parramatta jail awaiting sentencing, Manat told police he had worked as a bodyguard for the [redacted], had been an army spy under the identity “Yuthaphum Bophlom”, and ran a side business while serving as an assistant to a top general. In exchange for leniency in his sentence, he also gave up details about Thai drug operations, saying former soldiers named Wera, Manop and Pisarn were intimately involved, according to the court file.

 

 

https://www.smh.com.au/national/from-sinister-to-minister-politician-s-drug-trafficking-jail-time-revealed-20190906-p52opz.html

[Creasy]

There is no hope for the ordinary people in Thailand .

[Reigntax]

51 minutes ago, neeray said:

I would imagine many of the ministers would have very interesting contents in their closets.

Swing those doors open! Reveal the skeletons.

Once you got the Mia Nois out.

[Fex Bluse]

38 minutes ago, Creasy said:

There is no hope for the ordinary people in Thailand .

Most of the normal Thais aspire to the same standards. 

 

They care only about wealth and power. 

[ezzra]

I suppose that he and the PM thinks that if you keep saying it wasn't me and i didn't do anything wrong again and again it becomes some sort of the truth and if the PM and the rest of the people who "vetted" him, than it must be the truth Al La Thailand... 

[rkidlad]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The Prime Minister said today (Thursday) that he monitored Thammanat’s explanation and found it reasonable

So basically the PM is saying his lies sound believable. And if they sound believable, that’s okay. 

 

We know this man has been in prison for trying to smuggle heroin. We know he is lying. 

 

This is truly shameful behavior. 

[mikebell]

1 hour ago, Fex Bluse said:

Of course the Thai PM is satisfied.

He was easily satisfied about Prawit's watches too. 

 

Good Guys in; Bad guys out - except when talking about Thai politicians.

[colinneil]

The PM is satisfied with Thamanants clarification about his criminal past, adding why get excited he is just the same as the rest of us.

[RJRS1301]

No point in a referral to the Ant-icorruption Commission either, as that avenue is a nepotistic appointment, so the rort goes on.

 

[BobbyL]

A crime that could see him possibly get the death penalty in Thailand is deemed fine as it was in another country. 

[JamJar]

I guess all who thought that the coup was a good thing for the country, are now hanging their heads in shame. They make the Shinawatra look like angels.

 

[Cadbury]

The PM has no shame. In his eyes this criminal's lies have become truth.

Their arrogance does not even allow them to bother with the pretence of one of those compulsory investigative committees which are never heard from again. 

[mtls2005]

My wristwatch says "time to move on", and "nothing to see here".

 

The force is strong with this one. He must have a pedigreed lineage or powerful backers, or both.

 

 

[dcnx]

2 hours ago, JamJar said:

while serving as an assistant to a top general

Imagine that.

[sammieuk1]

Carry on conniving everything laid bare and nothing left hiding that's not already in plain sight ????

[BestB]

What about his fake degrees?

[robblok]

22 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

The PM has no shame. In his eyes this criminal's lies have become truth.

Their arrogance does not even allow them to bother with the pretence of one of those compulsory investigative committees which are never heard from again. 

Your 100% right no shame only standing by his guy pretending all is right as not to lose any more MP's and seats. Looks a lot like what i seen in the past on the other side. When one of them is guilty of something they seem to ignore all evidence and keep defending them till the bitter end no matter if proof is shown.

 

Disgusting how Thai politics work. 

[ChrisY1]

Patronage is a powerful friend in Thailand....no idea how this guys connected to Prayuth, but he sure is!

[wreckingcountry]

Ah a verbal explanation and Junta General is happy ..pathetic


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[rkidlad]

18 minutes ago, robblok said:

Your 100% right no shame only standing by his guy pretending all is right as not to lose any more MP's and seats. Looks a lot like what i seen in the past on the other side. When one of them is guilty of something they seem to ignore all evidence and keep defending them till the bitter end no matter if proof is shown.

 

Disgusting how Thai politics work. 

Can you go one post where you criticize the current government but don't reference previous ones? 

 

It's very ugly and disingenuous. 

[londonthai]

according to the Nation attack on this drug dealer is part of anti-monarchist conspiracy between Andrew MacGregor Marshall (independent scotish journalist), Jonathan Mark Head (BBC thailand) and Michael Ruffles (The Sydney Morning Herald journalist).

That's how political establishment sees attack on their vital financial interests.

Many top guns will be implicated if he started to talk about his past drug connections . He already grassed some of them during interrogation in australia.

That's why the PM defends him

https://www.nationweekend.com/content/detail/949?fbclid=IwAR22MeSCn9mAfHuOXFoeoVZ9RQsriITRrywHC5CqGU2PFoMggXtRs0LHfYE

[Grandpa Cool]

I'm sure that if a person is caught at Suvanabhumi customs with 3.2kg of heroine they would be fac5the death penalty.

However the Thai PM calls it a "small matter"!

"Bull$hit" is all the band can play

"Bull$hit" they play it night and day! 

[tandor]

3 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

The Prime Minister said that Thammanat, like the rest of the cabinet, had passed the official vetting process adding that, if Thammanat had failed the vetting process, he would not have been appointed in the first place.

 

 

Who does the vetting ?

Probably someone, or some people, appointed by Prayut ?

If so, it's just another of the numerous government farces.

Sebastian Vettel.