Investigation into claims official embezzled millions of baht from fund for the disabled

[webfact]

Picture: Sanook

 

An official at the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security has admitted that an accounts man at their Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities has stolen at least 13 million baht.

 

Bail has been denied for a man called Phaisan who was caught trying to flee across the border to Myanmar at Mae Sai after the fraud came to light.

 

Someone was reportedly waiting to help him at the border.

 

The Anti-Money Laundering Office are investigating the money trail amid efforts to block more embezzlement, reported Sanook.

 

The media said that the man worked in the accounts' section and had a good technical knowledge of accounting matters. 

 

He has said that he acted alone but this is not being believed. Plus it is thought that he is responsible for theft totalling 45 million baht over several years from other departments. 

 

He has been stripped of his civil service position as investigations continue. 

 

Patcharee Arayakun of the SDHS ministry said that the funds embezzled were not payments to the handicapped but part of other accounts outside the budget and thus hard to notice that money had gone missing. 

 

Saranyaphat Anumatratchakij of the DEPD said that the fraudster made many withdrawals to his own account and is unlikely to have acted alone. 

 

ASEAN NOW notes that according to Wikipedia the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security was set up to "ensure the welfare of the Thai people".

 

Not for the first time that "welfare" has allegedly gone directly into the hands of a bent official and questions are bound to follow how such a large sum of money could go unnoticed for so long.

 

The connivance of officials higher up the chain of command is thus likely to come under scrutiny in the AMLO investigation, we further note. 

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2021-09-20

 

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[Henryford]

Words fail me, how low can some people get.

[ChipButty]

6 minutes ago, Henryford said:

Words fail me, how low can some people get.

Under a snakes belly low enough?

[RotBenz8888]

4 minutes ago, Henryford said:

Words fail me, how low can some people get.

As low as it takes, to get the cash????

 

7 minutes ago, webfact said:

He has been stripped of his civil service position 

He'll get another position, when he's been transfered - the usual punishment. 

[Sir Dude]

Yeah, that's about as low as you can get. If true, then a proper punishment is warranted. Bad enough that the disabled are helped so little somewhere like this, but to have people actively scamming what little is available, is contemptible. Toss the key away.

Edited September 20, 2021 by Sir Dude

[worgeordie]

18 minutes ago, webfact said:

The media said that the man worked in the accounts' section and had a good technical knowledge of accounting matters. 

Yes , He really knew how to fiddle the books...

regards Worgeordie

[ChipButty]

Follow the money thats what I always say

[Emdog]

"...part of other accounts outside the budget and thus hard to notice that money had gone missing."

This has got me wondering. Donations are only category I can think of that wouldn't be in the budget. If that amount is "hard to notice" then something is very, very wrong with their accounting methods. Do they hire the handicapped to stuff brown envelopes?

[RichardColeman]

23 minutes ago, Henryford said:

Words fail me, how low can some people get.

I guess you see the people above doing it and getting away with it, you find away to do it yourself

[djayz]

Small fry.

[Geoffggi]

My only question is Why has it taken so long to find him out?

[petermik]

7 minutes ago, Geoffggi said:

My only question is Why has it taken so long to find him out?

An investigative committee had to be set up beforehand to allow him the time to flee...????

[trainman34014]

Any system with no checks and balances on a very regular basis is open to Fraud and things are kept this way deliberately in Thailand so that the people at the top can keep their hands firmly in the till at all times.  This Man is only following what he sees his Masters doing on a daily basis and wants his share of the spoils.  He isn't the first to be caught stealing money for poor people and he won't be the last for sure !

[Orinoco]

1 hour ago, Henryford said:

Words fail me, how low can some people get.

Thailand is still a bottomless pit.

And most Thai people chose to stay there.

Money, Money, Money. Greed, Greed, greed. Me, Me, Me.

Maybe better in 150 years time.

[RafPinto]

The Anti-Money Laundering Office are investigating the money trail amid efforts to block more embezzlement, reported Sanook.

 

Follow the money trail of Ferrari Joe. Should be very interesting.

[grumbleweed]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security was set up to "ensure the welfare of the Thai people".

Mission accomplished

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

atcharee Arayakun of the SDHS ministry said that the funds embezzled were not payments to the handicapped but part of other accounts outside the budget and thus hard to notice that money had gone missing.

Hard to notice 45 million gone missing?

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

My only question is Why has it taken so long to find him out?

Maybe to see who else was involved before rocking the boat.

[Nanaplaza666]

5 hours ago, Sir Dude said:

Yeah, that's about as low as you can get. If true, then a proper punishment is warranted. Bad enough that the disabled are helped so little somewhere like this, but to have people actively scamming what little is available, is contemptible. Toss the key away.

Believe me , in Thailand many of those high placed people can get much lower . This person takes it from 1 fund but there are more taking it from many ,all in the name of the wellfare of the Thai people right ? Mr P mr A and puppets . 

[Almer]

Ha ha, it wasn't money  for the needy , but money that was hard to spot missing, i would look at all gov depts asap.

[rudi49jr]

Apparently it’s quite okay for officials to steal, but not from the disabled!

[lungbing]

I suspect his only crime was to not pass the usual 25% of the take up the line to his boss.

[ripstanley]

Politicians do worse and they are never prosecuted.

[Dont confuse me]

Any employment that involves working for the government or where a uniform is provided (except the whistling carparking valet) that will probably involve some scam/fiddle/perks/brown envelopes.

Also any work where your workers handle cash will result in theft.

[natway09]

These "superannuation" funds are known tor "money disappearing"

He more than likely thought that if he didn't someone further up the food chain would.

I heard that that 20% of fund declared amounts are not "findable "

[klauskunkel]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

Someone was reportedly waiting to help him at the border.

That someone wouldn't be a Boy in Brown by any chance...?

[Soikhaonoiken]

What's new, in a land of corruption.... 

[Artisi]

19 hours ago, Henryford said:

Words fail me, how low can some people get.

It was a misunderstanding, so everything is ok. 

[Artisi]

15 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Maybe to see who else was involved before rocking the boat.

Yep, wouldn't want the wrong people caught up in it, now would you? 

[NoshowJones]

21 hours ago, Sir Dude said:

Yeah, that's about as low as you can get. If true, then a proper punishment is warranted. Bad enough that the disabled are helped so little somewhere like this, but to have people actively scamming what little is available, is contemptible. Toss the key away.

The hospitals charging extortionate fees for PCRs etc are just as bad as they are using a world pandemic to line their own pockets at the expense of the ordinary people.