Thai ex-convict Deputy Minister spared the axe by Charter Court

[Rampant Rabbit]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

a decision that triggered months of youth-led protests demanding his resignation.

I bet the government are so relieved  covid  came  along when it  did.

[Thechook]

On Australian news and Thailand looks like a laughing stock. Convicted criminals running the country and considered Statesmen.

[Excel]

1 hour ago, Thechook said:

On Australian news and Thailand looks like a laughing stock. Convicted criminals running the country and considered Statesmen.

Well it just brings them down to Saudi's level and the world still treats them as equals.

[klauskunkel]

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

“Even though the defendant was sentenced by the District Court of New South Wales, before he ran for the election as an MP, it was not a conviction in a Thai Court, so the defendant does not have qualities prohibited for an MP,” said a judge.

instead the defendant has every quality necessary for a MP, PM or Judge position in Thailand.

[mtls2005]

And, of course students who protested remain in jail with no bail.

 

And those who led the 2014 protests, were CONVICTED, but released on bail within a day.

 

The Thai "legal" system. Curious.

 

Wissanu says a fake PhD is irrelevant if Thammanat has a genuine BA degree

 

Even if Deputy Agriculture Minister Thammanat Prompao’s doctorate degree from a university in California is fake, it does not disqualify him from being a cabinet minister, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngarm said today (Friday).

 

Citing a provision in Constitution, regarding the required qualifications of a minister, he explained that a proposed cabinet member must have graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in any field.

 

In Thammanat’s case, he said the Office of the Secretary-General of the Cabinet had checked the embattled minister’s educational background and found that he graduated from the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy with a diploma equivalent to a BA degree.

 

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/wissanu-says-a-fake-phd-is-irrelevant-if-thammanat-has-a-genuine-ba-degree/

[Mr Meeseeks]

2 hours ago, Thechook said:

On Australian news and Thailand looks like a laughing stock. Convicted criminals running the country and considered Statesmen.

This country has always been considered a laughing stock by Western countries and probably always will be. 

 

Stuff like this just affirms Western governments were right. 

 

The irony here is in early 2000's Thailand had the chance to move on and mature, but it shot itself in the foot again by having two military coups in the 21st century. 

 

Two military coups in the 21st century. Just think about that. You don't get more banana republic than that. 

[tompelli]

If he was guilty of importing heroin to Australia shouldn't he also be guilty of exporting heroin from Thailand? Thailand's war on drugs just got flushed.

[Ralf001]

11 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

From the article in the Thaiger:

"The Court maintained that, as the case was tried in another country other than Thailand, his conviction has no bearing on his standing as a member of parliament in Thailand. That same standard doesn’t hold for foreigners who enter Thailand with foreign court convictions, which are used to deny them entry."

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/drugs/thammanat-prompow-is-cleared-to-continue-serving-as-an-mp-and-cabinet-minister

 

Basically they have just admitted there is a double standard for themselves and foreigners.

 

What despicable, inadequate, little people.

 

 

Would have to be in some really deep kaka to get denied entry to your own country...

 

Not seeing the double standard though as a foreigner cannot be a standing member of parilment here.

 

Apples to apples.... not apples to oranges.

[Ralf001]

12 hours ago, Thailand said:

Somebody knows where some skeletons are buried perhaps?

 

 

[geoffrobbo]

11 hours ago, mark131v said:

 

Indeed you could argue his prior conviction renders him eminently qualified for a role as a Thai MP

 

Liar                   YN

Uneducated  YN

Dishonest       YN

Immoral          YN

 

With his background in international crime he certainly has all the ticks in the right boxes, he'll go far....

 

 

And if not MP then PM

[ChipButty]

Is all this just to keep him sweet? Maybe he could blow the lid on a few people, If he goes down he's taking a few people with him

[hotchilli]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

so the defendant does not have qualities prohibited for an MP,” said a judge.

As we all thought... the higher up you go the more corruption & protection.

[hotchilli]

12 hours ago, thequietman said:

So, let me get this straight -

 

if you were a convicted kiddie feeler in Oz, you can still be a politician here

 

if you were a convicted rapist in Oz, you can still be a politician here

 

if you were convicted of murder in Oz, you can Still be a politician here

 

(assuming you are a Thai national in all the above)

 

Kinda tells you all you need to know about Thailand, it's judicial system and government. Sad really, isn't it. ????

You're learning... welcome to Thailand.

[Mr Meeseeks]

1 hour ago, Ralf001 said:

 

 

Would have to be in some really deep kaka to get denied entry to your own country...

 

Not seeing the double standard though as a foreigner cannot be a standing member of parilment here.

 

Apples to apples.... not apples to oranges.

The double standard is that criminal convictions for felonies issued by foreign justice systems are only recognised for foreigners. 

 

Nothing to do with returning home, it is how and to whom the law is applied. 

 

It's an absolute double standard and if you can't see that you are blind or being deliberately obtuse. 

[unblocktheplanet]

It's pretty amazing Thailand has any standing at all in the world community. We're nothing but a tinpot dick-tatorship, through every branch of govt & military.

[Suua]

A good article here:

Siamese Satirist: Thai students to deal drugs abroad in hopes of becoming government minister - Thai Enquirer

 

At least there are some intelligent people in this country.

Just a shame they're being stopped from taking it into the 21st century.

Loser's.

[Mr Meeseeks]

We also have to remember that the people issuing these verdicts are completely under the control of the mafia clans here and are s##t scared of issuing any verdict that could have a negative impact on these people, no matter how ludicrous or ridiculous that decision may seem to outsiders, for fear of retaliation, physical violence or perhaps even being murdered. 

 

As I have said many times before over the last 30 years until this country breaks the feudalistic rule of these few mafia clans it cannot and will not move forward.

 

Every coup further entrenches these clans and erodes the rule of law to the point that we are seeing now where they system is fundamentally unable to function properly and reaches a tipping point, where mass protests occur and violence by the authorities is used to cement their position in power. It is now happening again. 

 

Were it not for COVID-19 I suspect we would have already seen a repeat of the disgraceful scenes of the last decade, where protests occurred almost daily, culminating in the deaths of innocent people including nurses and foreign journalists at Rajaprasong. 

[unblocktheplanet]

13 hours ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

On return to Thailand he resumed a career in the armed forces, which was interrupted when he spent three years in custody as a murder suspect before being acquitted.

Must have gotten out of shape & out of practice while away, eh!

[canopus1969]

Even the Beeb has the story : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-57001674

[mikebell]

13 hours ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

On return to Thailand he resumed a career in the armed forces, which was interrupted when he spent three years in custody as a murder suspect before being acquitted.

I was about to quote this.  What does '3 years in custody' mean?  Was he in jail?  In his army service he is referred to as 'captain'.  Why is he not a general?

[Surelynot]

So he could go abroad, abuse children, deal drugs and murder someone.........but as long as he wasn't found guilty in a Thai court he is still regarded as suitable to serve as a public figure........mental.

 

Plus hasn't he lied from day one about this conviction and having served time????

[newnative]

Disgusting.  Totally spineless court.

[Ralf001]

38 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

The double standard is that criminal convictions for felonies issued by foreign justice systems are only recognised for foreigners. 

 

Nothing to do with returning home, it is how and to whom the law is applied. 

 

It's an absolute double standard and if you can't see that you are blind or being deliberately obtuse. 

 

Still no seeing the double standard to be honest.

 

As a foreigner good luck gaining entry to  Australia with drug trafficking convictions.

 

However if you are an Australian citizen with drug trafficking convictions abroad you will not be denied entry.

 

Hmmmmm identical to how it works in Thailand !!

[BobBKK]

UTTER DISGRACE

So anything outside of the 'perfect' Thailand is ok?  murder?

By that logic the Red Bull Kid is safe in any other country as it didn't happen there! 

[ChipButty]

There has been many English guys done time here in Thailand and on their release they get deported back to the UK, the UK cannot denies them entry just they can never come back to Thailand

[Disparate Dan]

8 hours ago, candide said:

Actually, he's a small player in that department, as he only smuggled some drug. Could it be that others may have been much bigger players (arms and gems maybe?) but have got unnoticed?* His bad luck was that it happened in OZ, so it could not have been covered up and buried.

* my lawyer told me to phrase it in interrogative mode ????

Do you mean he maight have carried the can and is now being rewarded? I would not disagree with that (or with your lawyer......).

[Misterwhisper]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

“Even though the defendant was sentenced by the District Court of New South Wales, before he ran for the election as an MP, it was not a conviction in a Thai Court, so the defendant does not have qualities prohibited for an MP,” said a judge.

A most curious verdict.

 

Does that mean any Thai citizen can commit murder or any other felony abroad... and in theory still could become PM upon their return?

 

To be totally frank here, this is banana republic justice.

[thequietman]

3 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

with a diploma equivalent to a BA degree.

So, he doesn't have a degree, plain & simple.

[MrJ2U]

Amazing Thailand!

 

Forget about tough on drugs!  

 

He also got his wife a job in parliament, cushy job.

 

Pays to know the head guy and I don't mean Prime Minister of the junta.

[colinneil]

The land of double standards, poor you get jailed for picking mushrooms, be connected, have dirt on your seniors, get a government ministers job, what a damned disgusting state of affairs.

Oh its ok, he is not a convicted drug dealer here, but overseas, so it does not count, unbelievable.