PM Prayut: Gold mine closure case is in response to public demand

[webfact]

PM Prayut: Gold mine closure case is in response to public demand

 

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - Yesterday, one of the topics discussed at a meeting of the House committee vetting the budget bill for the next fiscal year was the Ministry of Industry’s budget. The ministry’s proposal seeking a budget of 111 million baht, to be set aside to cover the legal fees in a dispute with an Australia-based gold mining company, Akara Resources Public Company Limited, has now been reduced to 12 million baht.

 

Speaking of the case, Prime Minister and Defense Minister, Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, insisted that his government has been focusing on public demand because the previous administration had never addressed the problem. As a result, the government of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) had to get involved to deal with the issue.

 

Gen. Prayut said his government have been trying to address the situation, with an emphasis on public complaints relating to health, and the problem wasn’t resolved by the previous government. The case is currently in the arbitration process, and there have been negotiations on the legal aspects of both sides.

 

Asked whether the Prime Minister was a state official when he was the NCPO chief and exercised his authority to suspend the gold mine’s operations, Gen. Prayut said it is a thing of the past. He added that as he is now the elected Prime Minister, he must handle all problems.

 

Meanwhile, the House committee scrutinizing the budget bill for fiscal year 2021 resolved to cut the 111-million-baht budget sought by the Ministry of Industry. The committee voted 38 to 21 in favor of trimming the budget to 12 million baht.The funds will be set aside to cover legal expenses incurred in arbitration initiated by Kingsgate Consolidated Limited, the parent company of Akara Resources. The company is seeking compensation for the NCPO-led government’s decision to use Section 44 of the interim constitution to suspend operations at the Chatree gold mine in Phichit province.

 

A party-list member of parliament (MP) of the Thai Liberal Party and budget committee member, Dr. Rewat Wisutwet, exercised the right not to pursue the legislative amendment on the 111-million-baht budget during the second reading of the House of Representatives between September 16 and 18, 2020. He explained that the state budget should not be used to fight the case, since the Constitutional Court has already ruled that the NCPO head was not a state official.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2020-09-02

 

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[SteveK]

Only Thailand could turn a gold mine into a money pit.

[bluesofa]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

PM Prayut: Gold mine closure case is in response to public demand

My guess is there is a larger public demand for our illustrious leader to resign than there was for the gold mine to close.

Fairly doubtful there will be any action on that one though.

[rkidlad]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Asked whether the Prime Minister was a state official when he was the NCPO chief and exercised his authority to suspend the gold mine’s operations, Gen. Prayut said it is a thing of the past

What? Officially you were classified as not being a state official yet you’re using state funds to pay for the legal fees.

 

Now the country is looking at having to pay out 750 million dollars because you thought you could do whatever you wanted with no consequences. True naivety, arrogance and ineptitude. This isn’t on the Thai people, Prayut, this is solely on you.
 

You were NOT a state official when you did this. Now the decision to have the court decide that has come back to bite you on the a**. Pay the money out of your own pocket, Prayut and then step down. Shameful. 

[colinneil]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Gen. Prayut said his government have been trying to address the situation,

Trying to address the situation, and making the usual ba++s up.

[Mr Meeseeks]

The 30 year veteran expat cynic in me thinks they were trying to steal the mine, a profitable business, from a foreign entity. 

 

Prove me wrong. 

[ChrisY1]

29 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

What? Officially you were classified as not being a state official yet you’re using state funds to pay for the legal fees.

 

Now the country is looking at having to pay out 750 million dollars because you thought you could do whatever you wanted with no consequences. True naivety, arrogance and ineptitude. This isn’t on the Thai people, Prayut, this is solely on you.
 

You were NOT a state official when you did this. Now the decision to have the court decide that has come back to bite you on the a**. Pay the money out of your own pocket, Prayut and then step down. Shameful. 

Regardless...and of course, disgracefully, Prayuth provided himself and his cronies with immunity.....as you mention...Prayuth is the height of naivety, arrogance and ineptitude...

[ezzra]

1 hour ago, rkidlad said:

Gen. Prayut said it is a thing of the past

"Thing of the past" good line if you ask me...I wonder, why more pliticians arn't using this excuse to cover up and dimiss their scrow ups?... however dear general, things of the past has this nasty habits of coming back to bite you on the ar#e...

Edited September 2, 2020 by ezzra

[yellowboat]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Speaking of the case, Prime Minister and Defense Minister, Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, insisted that his government has been focusing on public demand because the previous administration had never addressed the problem.

He was taking is 44 out for a spin.   Didn't understand that an international court would find against Thailand.   Now he did it for the people and the people must pay.   He is just so ultraistic.  

[herfiehandbag]

37 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

The 30 year veteran expat cynic in me thinks they were trying to steal the mine, a profitable business, from a foreign entity. 

 

Prove me wrong. 

There will no doubt be a "consortium" drawn from the "usual suspect" ready to assume control of the mine in due course.

 

They must be fed up that things didn't go according to plan, I should imagine that they expected the fuss to have died down, and their magnanimous offer to help the government by taking on responsibility for the mine to have been accepted by now.

 

Bank accounts abroad would have been filling up nicely...

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Meanwhile, the House committee scrutinizing the budget bill for fiscal year 2021 resolved to cut the 111-million-baht budget sought by the Ministry of Industry. The committee voted 38 to 21 in favor of trimming the budget to 12 million baht.

Trimming... I'd call that slashing !

[Srikcir]

1 hour ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

The 30 year veteran expat cynic in me thinks they were trying to steal the mine, a profitable business, from a foreign entity. 

 

Prove me wrong. 

 

2 hours ago, rkidlad said:

What? Officially you were classified as not being a state official yet you’re using state funds to pay for the legal fees.

 

Now the country is looking at having to pay out 750 million dollars because you thought you could do whatever you wanted with no consequences. True naivety, arrogance and ineptitude. This isn’t on the Thai people, Prayut, this is solely on you.
 

You were NOT a state official when you did this. Now the decision to have the court decide that has come back to bite you on the a**. Pay the money out of your own pocket, Prayut and then step down. Shameful. 

2017: Critics say Prayut should compensate Ausdie mine he shut down ... personally the same as Yingluck was ordered to personally pay for losses under the government's rice subsidy program.

https://www.khaodenglish.com/news/business/2017/08/28/critics-say-prayut-compensate-aussie--mine-firm-shut/

 

[Srikcir]

2 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

The 30 year veteran expat cynic in me thinks they were trying to steal the mine, a profitable business, from a foreign entity. 

 

Prove me wrong. 

Good intuition.

2016: a subsidiary of a Thai consortium-type company offered to buy majority interest in the mine for about one-tenth of the mine's publically traded price! 

(cannot cite link as violates TV rules but Google Northern Gulf Oil Ltd. and Kingsgate shares)

 

[Susco]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Asked whether the Prime Minister was a state official when he was the NCPO chief and exercised his authority to suspend the gold mine’s operations, Gen. Prayut said it is a thing of the past.

So I guess Thaksin - Yingluck - Thanathorrn and so many others sued by this self-appointed government, can use that as their defense?

Edited September 2, 2020 by Susco

[TigerandDog]

"He added that as he is now the elected Prime Minister,"

 

Who elected him, certainly not the Thai citizens that voted at the election. The fact is he's an APPOINTED PM. 

[SteveK]

4 minutes ago, TigerandDog said:

"He added that as he is now the elected Prime Minister,"

 

Who elected him, certainly not the Thai citizens that voted at the election. The fact is he's an APPOINTED PM. 

Didn't he appoint himself?

[Scott Tracy]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Asked whether the Prime Minister was a state official when he was the NCPO chief and exercised his authority to suspend the gold mine’s operations, Gen. Prayut said it is a thing of the past.

Such an arrogant <deleted>. The leader of a coup against an elected government? A General in the Army of the State? How can be not be a State official? If he was not a State official, he had no legitimacy as NCPO chair either.

 

Then, I suppose I'm whistling in the wind. After all, the coup was a thing of the past, Boss's crimes are a thing of the past, the corruption investigation is a thing of the past, the election of prime minister by his appointed cronies is a thing of the past.

 

I'd like to see this used in court as a defence. My !ord, I demand this case be dismissed, the crime was committed, but it is a thing of the past.

[Justgrazing]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

He added that as he is now the elected Prime Minister, he must handle all problems

Comedy gold .. 

[FritsSikkink]

4 hours ago, rkidlad said:

What? Officially you were classified as not being a state official yet you’re using state funds to pay for the legal fees.

 

Now the country is looking at having to pay out 750 million dollars because you thought you could do whatever you wanted with no consequences. True naivety, arrogance and ineptitude. This isn’t on the Thai people, Prayut, this is solely on you.
 

You were NOT a state official when you did this. Now the decision to have the court decide that has come back to bite you on the a**. Pay the money out of your own pocket, Prayut and then step down. Shameful. 

The way gold companies retrieve gold is a threat to public health if not done properly. In a lot of cases they don't bother to do so.

[rkidlad]

26 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

The way gold companies retrieve gold is a threat to public health if not done properly. In a lot of cases they don't bother to do so.

Then don't allow mining companies in. You can't sign international agreements and just null and void them 'cause your prime minster doesn't understand that article 44 doesn't apply outside of Thailand. There are rules and protocols to be followed for a reason.

 

This was a massive schoolboy error by a rookie prime minister. He won't be paying a dime but the tax payers will. 

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, ezzra said:

"Thing of the past" good line if you ask me...I wonder, why more pliticians arn't using this excuse to cover up and dimiss their scrow ups?... however dear general, things of the past has this nasty habits of coming back to bite you on the ar#e...

"this nasty habits of coming back to bite you on the ar#e...". AAAAARGH! At the next cabinet meeting when the soldiers all sit round a table to make up rules for us to obey, General Cha cha is going to be left standing.

[DirtyHarry55]

Prayut made the decision and at the time said he would accept FULL responsibility.
Now Thailand is being sued for 750 Million Dollars or about 3 Billion THB so will he pay up if they loose? ????????????????
https://thisrupt.co/current-affairs/kingsgate-prayut-price-of-stupidity/

[holy cow cm]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Asked whether the Prime Minister was a state official when he was the NCPO chief and exercised his authority to suspend the gold mine’s operations, Gen. Prayut said it is a thing of the past. He added that as he is now the elected Prime Minister, he must handle all problems.

Ofcourse it is a thing of the past with self given amnesty. Is using the word elected a slip of the tongue by him or the media who wrote the article? If there is anything that really encompasses a thing of the past, hopefully soon enough it will be him and his false regime going bye bye making way for the new generation to control and manage their lives. No matter what they try to cover up and lie about and try to uphold and support, it will never change the fact that they are majorly despised with all that they stand for.

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, TigerandDog said:

"He added that as he is now the elected Prime Minister,"

 

Who elected him, certainly not the Thai citizens that voted at the election. The fact is he's an APPOINTED PM. 

We all know that he was not elected by the Thai citizens, but who was it that did appoint him? Did he just decide to carry on as "PM" by himself?

[DirtyHarry55]

Quote

Asked whether the Prime Minister was a state official when he was the NCPO chief and exercised his authority to suspend the gold mine’s operations, Gen. Prayut said it is a thing of the past. He added that as he is now the elected Prime Minister, he must handle all problems.

The thing is if he wasn't a State Official then the Thai Government isn't responsible to pay the FINE he is!!!
That's under International laws so they can't bend the law either.

At some point they will have to back peddle and he will have quit as PM as State Officials don't qualify to be PM

 

Edited September 2, 2020 by DirtyHarry55

[SteveK]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Thai politics all about keeping your snout in the trough for as long as you possibly can, fighting off other people who want to get their snout in the trough, then when it finally hits the fan you flee with as much ill-gotten gains as possible? 

[SupermarineS6B]

5 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

The 30 year veteran expat cynic in me thinks they were trying to steal the mine, a profitable business, from a foreign entity. 

 

Prove me wrong. 

100% right....... "You go home now"...... 

Edited September 2, 2020 by SupermarineS6B

[potless]

1 hour ago, FritsSikkink said:

The way gold companies retrieve gold is a threat to public health if not done properly. In a lot of cases they don't bother to do so.

I agree. I wonder if a variety of poisoned water samples may miraculously appear soon and a fine of 750 million dollars be levied on the offending company.

[SupermarineS6B]

1 hour ago, FritsSikkink said:

The way gold companies retrieve gold is a threat to public health if not done properly. In a lot of cases they don't bother to do so.

Yeah, especially from the Army who's boss wants it for himself and his cronies.......... get real !    Where have you been living, under a rock ? 

[SupermarineS6B]

Reminds me of something i once saw on a pub wall, "How do you make a small fortune in Thailand, Start with a big one" ..........When will foreigners realize that when you come to Thailand you're not supposed to make money but give money, in large amounts to lazy grafting toe rags.  I can remember when we all used to drink Carlsberg beer as most other beer drinkers did all over the world, all until someone in Thailand wanted Carlsbergs business and got them kicked out of Thailand, the cheeky barstuard even started selling his own Pi$# in the same bottles ........ Enter Beer Chang.........    Prayut must have a mate who wants a functioning gold mine........