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

[spidermike007]

Rather pathetic. And a real statement to the Thai people, and the world, about the Thai judicial system, and the lack of will, when it comes to fighting corruption.

 

I remember, a very, very long time ago, when Prayuth wrestled power away from the people, he said it was about fighting corruption. Yeah, right.

 

The real problem is, they will not go after these guys. Not the top bankers, not the high ranking guys, not the provincial authorities, and certainly not the army, or the police. They are all corrupt beyond imagination. And the level of corruption simply escalates, the further up the food chain you go. They police and army are not expected to be honest, and they are not expected to engage in law enforcement, traffic or public safety, on any level. It is an irrevocably broken and dysfunctional system. Any hyperbole to the contrary, is just a smoke screen, intended to deceive the most naive amongst us.

The Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand (ACT) is one of the most feeble and ineffective of all the tools Prayuth has used to deceive the people into believing that he is fighting corruption. Who was the last high level authority, in the police, immigration, the army, or the active administration they arrested, charged, tried convicted, and sent to prison? Nobody. Zero. Nunca. Nada. Why? Because Prayuth has had a mandate from the beginning to do the very opposite. To protect the elite, the super wealthy who are guilty, those that are connected, and those who are in power. Just think Dark Tao. Just think Red Bull. The list goes on, and on, and on. Only the most naive amongst us believe Prayuth, or ACT secretary-general Mana Nimitmongkol are sincere about this. 

[ChipButty]

5 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

unless you count 10 years in 5* luxury hotels all around the world as doing time.......

It get boring after a while

[greenmonkey]

He said he was caught with 4kg of flour!!!! It's pathetic. Whats worse are the courts that clear him.

 

Compare this treatment to the Dutch National millionaire that legally sold marajuana in Dutch cafes and after retiring to Thailand had all his assets seized and was thrown in jail for many years... even though no crime committed.... just shows. Thailand... land of the corrupt.

[rupert the bear]

the obvious answer is to sue the australians and anyone who repeats their truths,thats the way it works here,you can be done for slander or libel for stating that which happened,amazing indeed.its a good way of keeping the masses in the woodpile

[Surelynot]

5 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

It get boring after a while

oh yes....tell me about it.....555

[Ralf001]

35 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

As I posted earlier I know two Thais that have been convicted of serious crimes (one served five years in a Thai jail for drug dealing) that have been to Australia. One still lives there.

 

You can buy a clean record in Thailand. Everything is for sale here. 

 

 

And would they have been allowed to enter without a "purchased" clean record ?

 

If the answer to that is no then your not really comparing apples to apples.

[holy cow cm]

2 hours ago, MrJ2U said:

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

Maybe that is the reason they kept him as they want to look at someone hot during the day. My thoughts are how on earth did he score her, can't be his shriveled thug looks and personality. Gold digger or like old Thai style, she had no choice as owned?

[Cake Monster]

18 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 stinking Heroin Dealer is a Criminal in any Land.

For this Guy not to be booted out of Office and Politics just publicly demonstrates the amount of Cronyism and Corruption that Thailand has .

[Disparate Dan]

6 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

You don't get more banana republic than that. 

Be careful. This is not a republic.

And to be fair to Mr Thammanat, by his own admission he wasn't jailed but "lived in state-sponsored accommodation" in Oz, which is merely "a colony":

https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/thai-minister-who-pleaded-guilty-in-sydney-heroin-case-now-says-it-was-flour-20200303-p546g4.html

[candide]

4 hours ago, Disparate Dan said:

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

No, It's not what I mean. I was thinking to other older events he was not involved in.

[sawadee1947]

18 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

 

No shame and no credibility eh .. 

But will he be able to attend any crop growing fairs in Oz' now he's managed to hang on to the position .. 

For me not so amazing. If you look to US..... US soldiers are not judged for any war crimes outside  at all in US. 

Having said this it's unbelievable to present this Thai guy in this government. 

[candide]

2 hours ago, greenmonkey said:

He said he was caught with 4kg of flour!!!! It's pathetic. Whats worse are the courts that clear him

So what? Doesn't evryone bring a few kg of flour in one's luggage while travelling abroad in case of, I don't know... a sudden desire to cook pancakes in one's hotel room? ????

[internationalism]

thai students now immigrating anywhere in the world, to deal drugs, in hope to get high posts in thai civil service

https://www.thaienquirer.com/27155/siamese-satirist-thai-students-to-deal-drugs-abroad-in-hopes-of-becoming-government-minister/

[Suua]

1 hour ago, Disparate Dan said:

Be careful. This is not a republic.

Correct, it's a Mickey mouse, 3rd world toilet. 

[sead]

Does this mean that the Thaksin can soon be back. They were after all charged and found guilty by a government found by an unelected coupleader and party. Since obviously its allowed to be a criminal and take big positions I can see the Thaksin having a good excuse to come back if another government is elected. Any other country would remove him from his post so what's the catch... 

[sead]

This government is full of it. We have a coupleader. A general with God power or sorry a PM now. A PM that now has taken over the role from several ministries because only he can beat the Covid. Surrounding himself with criminals on several minister Post. And the world is silent. Funny isn't it

Edited May 6, 2021 by sead

[DennisTheMennis]

So no real surprise there.

[Misterwhisper]

The pinnacle of irony is, of course, that the Thai government in 2017 (i.e. the very same government that's in power now) presented an award to Australia's ambassador in recognition of his country's highly successful efforts in combatting drug trafficking.

[DennisTheMennis]

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Rather pathetic. And a real statement to the Thai people, and the world, about the Thai judicial system, and the lack of will, when it comes to fighting corruption.

 

I remember, a very, very long time ago, when Prayuth wrestled power away from the people, he said it was about fighting corruption. Yeah, right.

 

The real problem is, they will not go after these guys. Not the top bankers, not the high ranking guys, not the provincial authorities, and certainly not the army, or the police. They are all corrupt beyond imagination. And the level of corruption simply escalates, the further up the food chain you go. They police and army are not expected to be honest, and they are not expected to engage in law enforcement, traffic or public safety, on any level. It is an irrevocably broken and dysfunctional system. Any hyperbole to the contrary, is just a smoke screen, intended to deceive the most naive amongst us.

The Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand (ACT) is one of the most feeble and ineffective of all the tools Prayuth has used to deceive the people into believing that he is fighting corruption. Who was the last high level authority, in the police, immigration, the army, or the active administration they arrested, charged, tried convicted, and sent to prison? Nobody. Zero. Nunca. Nada. Why? Because Prayuth has had a mandate from the beginning to do the very opposite. To protect the elite, the super wealthy who are guilty, those that are connected, and those who are in power. Just think Dark Tao. Just think Red Bull. The list goes on, and on, and on. Only the most naive amongst us believe Prayuth, or ACT secretary-general Mana Nimitmongkol are sincere about this. 

 

Amen.

[bangon04]

19 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

 

I know of two Thai felons that received visas and have visited Australia when their convictions prohibit them from being eligible. One actually received a work visa and is now settled there I believe.

 

Surely you have a civic duty to make sure that the Oz authorities receive this information , even anonymously

[digger70]

13 hours ago, Andycoops said:

Another nail in the coffin for Thai democracy and transparency.

The courts and institutions of government are all bought and paid for which rather makes a joke of farangs having to provide criminal records to the Thais as with this ruling they are clearly not recognised.

It depends who you are, and who your friends are and how much of a Donation one can give to make things go Smooth.

[anchadian]

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/it-was-flour-thai-justice-ridiculed-as-court-decision-over-convicted-minister-branded-its-lowest-point/

 

“It was flour” – Thai justice ridiculed as court decision over convicted minister branded “its lowest point”

 

Yesterday’s Constitutional Court verdict, which allows controversial Deputy Agriculture Minister Thammanat Prompow to retain his ministerial post and MP status, despite his drug trafficking conviction in Australia in the 1990’s, has sparked outrage and ridicule and has added to the feeling of hopelessness, even though it was somewhat expected.

 

Lowest point and legal precedent set

“This is arguably Thailand’s lowest point in its international life. This verdict will have far-reaching repercussions for Thailand’s role and standing in the world,” said Prof. Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political science lecturer at Chulalongkorn University.

[RobU]

My flabber is absolutely gasted

[Thechook]

On 5/6/2021 at 10:00 AM, mtls2005 said:

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/

A diploma isn't equal to a degree

[mark131v]

https://www.thaienquirer.com/27155/siamese-satirist-thai-students-to-deal-drugs-abroad-in-hopes-of-becoming-government-minister/

 

Following the ruling, many Thai students have begun aspiring for a political post noting that the precedent set means they can commit any crime abroad and still come back and have a meaningful political career.

 

“This is a great way to make money for my campaign,” said Nukrean Berneung, a student at a prestigious university in Bangkok. “I don’t even need to wait for a degree, I can just make a fake one abroad while I am smuggling drugs!”

 

Others are worried about the reputation hit they may take should they enter Thai politics.

 

“I like that the option is there to enter politics,” said Nukrean Bersong. “But I am concerned about the damage it would do to my reputation if I enter Thai politics. I might just stick to the drug dealing.”

 

That is absolutely priceless!!!