Thailand Corruption: School director caught red-handed with "brown envelope" stuffed with cash - profiting from kid's lunch money

[webfact]

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Thai Rath reported on a sensational case in which a sting caught a Bangkok school director red-handed with a brown envelope at his desk.

 

He was caught counting the money that was being extorted from a school meal provider after threats were made to end their contract. 

 

Anti corruption police and the NACC moved in.

 

The bare faced director denied it all saying:

 

"They must have left the envelope there - It's not mine."

 

ASEAN NOW notes that the case is a classic of the genre. It has long been suggested that school directors cream money off school dinner budgets to enrich themselves. 

 

The anti-corruption authorities in Thailand have initiated a drive called "Quail Eggs".

 

This refers to children at schools getting sub-standard meals like tiny eggs instead of the real thing. 

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

In two reports Thai Rath had pictures of the director at his desk as thousands of baht was counted out in front of him.

 

In surveillance footage he was shown opening and handling the money. 

 

Unusually for Thailand where defamation laws usually preclude names being used there was no such reticence on behalf of the media or authorities on this blatant occasion of corruption. 

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

The Anti-Corruption and Misconduct Suppression Division of the police had received a complaint against Phaitoon Phoomchor, 58, the director of Bangchan School (Pluem Wittaya Nusorn) in the Klong Sam Wa area of the Thai capital Bangkok.

 

It appeared the complaint had come from the school meals provider themselves who felt they were being extorted, notes ASEAN NOW.

 

The provider had won a lucrative 8 million baht contract to supply school meals to 3,000 children at the school for a 100 day period in Semester 2 of 2022. This equated to 28 baht per child per day.

 

But it is alleged that the director asked for a payment of 329,000 baht so that improvements could be made to tables and chairs in the canteen for the benefit of pupils plus the provider was asked for an extra 9,000 baht a month for five lunchtime supervisors. 

 

The authorities believe this was just a ruse so that the director could enrich himself. 

 

He allegedly told the provider that they had made a lot of money from the school. It was only right that they contribute a bit extra on the side. 

 

He then threatened the provider that if they didn't pay up he would inform the authorities that they were breaking the rules themselves over claiming expenses for breakfasts that they didn't provide.

 

Then came the sting headed by Pol Maj-Gen Jaroonkiat Pankaew of the anti-corruption police along with men from the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).

 

They had arranged for a brown envelope stuffed with the cash.

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

After being caught Phaitoon denied corruption at his desk. 

 

He said that the operator must have left the envelope on his table when they departed. 

 

It certainly wasn't his, he mumbled, as the thousands of baht in crisp 1000 baht notes was laid before him.

He was led away for further interrogation. 

 

Later Thai Rath reported from a press conference where the director was shown to be opening and handling the cash and checking that it was all there. 

 

This high profile case at a large metropolitan school comes on the same day that whistleblower Chuwit Kamolwisit claimed the met police are engaged in a well organized racket to extort the public and tourists after their revenue stream suffered from the closure of illegal casinos.

 

Stay tuned on ASEAN NOW for more news on corruption in Thailand. 

 

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2023-02-02

 

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[SuperSilverHaze]

A school of no importance. Doubly more important that funds are used properly to improve that situation.

[ikke1959]

It is normal in Thailand bribing, corruption ....If all people had to fill in a taxform for 5 years it was easy to trace who is corrupt and who not.....As we all know that you can't buy a mercedes with an income of 10k a month... so where does the other money come from.. as an example

[Willy Wombat]

Corruption in Thailand starts in the womb and ends in a tomb.

It's in their DNA

[Elkski]

Look at all that ugly  new money.  Glad they caught this.  About 20 more and maybe directors will not take the risks.   What will be his prison term?  Should be 5 years vand 3000 sets of parents should ostracize this guy's family. 

[NE1]

Obviously a misunderstanding.....????

[Tarteso]

A few years in jail with one food/day and the same children’s menu.

 

I hope he can find the fallen soap in jail’s showers. ????????✌️

[dallen52]

Bad enough the teachers taking pay for pass marks...

But taking the kids meals money too!

That's terrible  

[JRG23]

Completely normal and routine.

[Banana7]

Finally, the Police and the Press name and photograph the corrupt individual, wonderful job! It is refreshing to see the Police doing their job well, with video evidence, and releasing it to the public.

 

Now the issue becomes, will the prosecutor and Judge do their job and send a strong message, fine the guy 10 times the bribe money and all previous bribes, and at least 1 year jail, loss of job and associated retirement benefits? Or will there be more brown envelopes and a slap on the wrist?

[soalbundy]

It's pretty disgusting, basically robbing kids. Let us not get too precious about corruption in Thailand though, it is world wide but Thais don't hide it very well. My father worked in Covent Garden ( a huge fruit and vegetable wholesale market in London) as a salesman before he started his own business, he said the biggest cash flow in the market (hundreds of companies) was corruption money. After he started his own business dealing in the market he was personally paying out corruption money, it was impossible to do business otherwise, he was taking with the left hand and paying out with the right hand. When filling out his tax forms he said his accountants biggest worry was hiding the 'black money' my father used to pay out the corruption money. Some of his customers (one was a lord, owner of the Lyons conglomerate) wanted monthly cheques not cash, it all had to be washed for the tax office. This was 50 years ago, I doubt much has changed.

[Purdey]

The story looks like the police left the money on the table not the vendor. 

"They had arranged for a brown envelope stuffed with the cash."

Is it a sting or entrapment? 

[cnx101]

Anyone who’s lived here long enough knows this is the normal behavior 

[TheFishman1]

I believe all the school directors do something like this or at least they skim off the top at almost everything and that’s just the beginning. What do you think about the governors of all these provinces you don’t think they steal money and last but not least look at the police checkpoints please extorting money something should be done about all this but I really believe nothing will change. TIT

[bangon04]

34 minutes ago, Banana7 said:

Finally, the Police and the Press name and photograph the corrupt individual, wonderful job! It is refreshing to see the Police doing their job well, with video evidence, and releasing it to the public.

 

so who decided to pixillate the face of this "corrupt individual"? Thai Rath??

 

"Unusually for Thailand where defamation laws usually preclude names being used there was no such reticence on behalf of the media or authorities on this blatant occasion of corruption. "

[bbbbooboo]

Hmmm…. Hard to believe(not)?

[NemoH]

I guess the school Director will soon also be transferred to an inactive post n soon be forgotten ????????????

[2baht]

Spineless, greedy Thai male wimp stealing from children, hard to find a man amongst them!

[ChaiyaTH]

The punishment should be that he eats rotten fish head with old rice for the next 3 years during the job.

[pomchop]

And the stealing no doubt reduced portions and quality of the kids meals......that is about as low as you can go to the bottom of human behavior. 

 

I have eaten a lot at a Thai high school cafeteria and can say its not exactly gourmet but for a lot of the poorer kids it was probably the best meal they got all day.....my meal was 20 baht...i started paying 100 baht a day and would give free meal to four kids that were nearby every day...pretty soon i had a pack of kids jostling to be near me when i ordered as 20 baht to them was a pretty big deal.

 

Then you have some jackoff trying to steal from them or reduce quality or portions?  Scum of the earth.

[ignore it]

Enough already. No more extortion disclosures for a couple of days. 

My jaw muscles ache from grinning, and my sides are split from laughing.

Try to keep it to one or two a week.  There's enough to last forever.

[Jonathan Swift]

1 hour ago, Purdey said:

The story looks like the police left the money on the table not the vendor. 

"They had arranged for a brown envelope stuffed with the cash."

Is it a sting or entrapment? 

This will be added to the statements and any other evidence and testimony provided by the vendor. There is a bit of a difference on video between someone reacting with surprise (didn't happen) and peering into the contents, and methodically counting money as if it were expected. 

[SuwadeeS]

Sure not much will happen. 

As you know, with a certain position in society you automatically gain immunity.

We have see thousands of times.

[soalbundy]

The police involved in the sting must be amused, feigning indignation while their own hands are deep in the trough. Tut, tut, tut, oooh what! tut, tut, tut, snigger, tut, tut.

[worgeordie]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

This equated to 28 baht per child per day.

That is before corrupt payments are made , it would cost more to feed

a dog for a day , there would be no fat kids at that school....

 

regards worgeordie 

[pomchop]

52 minutes ago, ignore it said:

Enough already. No more extortion disclosures for a couple of days. 

My jaw muscles ache from grinning, and my sides are split from laughing.

Try to keep it to one or two a week.  There's enough to last forever.

probably not so side splitting if you were one of the kids getting a <deleted> or reduced lunch

[pomchop]

2 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

That is before corrupt payments are made , it would cost more to feed

a dog for a day , there would be no fat kids at that school....

 

regards worgeordie 

 28 baht can provide a fairly decent meal when cooked in quantity....lots of rice and noodles and soup type dishes with veggies and a bit of chicken or pork here and there....drink water.

 

8 years ago in Chiang Rai the kids paid 20 baht and while certainly not gourmet they had several choices and overall it wasn't all that bad...probably better than what a lot of them got at home...but for sure there is no room for people to get paid off in that kind of budget...

[worgeordie]

1 minute ago, pomchop said:

 28 baht can provide a fairly decent meal when cooked in quantity....lots of rice and noodles and soup type dishes with veggies and a bit of chicken or pork here and there....drink water.

 

8 years ago in Chiang Rai the kids paid 20 baht and while certainly not gourmet they had several choices and overall it wasn't all that bad...probably better than what a lot of them got at home...but for sure there is no room for people to get paid off in that kind of budget...

But its not 28 baht , that's what the supplier is paid , out of that he has to pay kickback ,

so getting 3 meals out of what's left and still make a profit , it will be "please sir can I have some more "

regards worgeordie

[stoner]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

"They must have left the envelope there - It's not mine."

never willing to accept any responsibility these people. disgusting pathetic loser. this is the kind of person i was referring to in an earlier post. 

 

i would love to crush this mans life and take everything he has taken from those less powerful. then give it all back to the children and or school.  

[MrJ2U]

Horrible person. 

 

That food is so important for the children.

 

I can't put much trust in a person with any power in Thailand. Corruption is engrained in society.