Impunity for the rich and powerful undermines Thailand’s democracy

[webfact]

Thailand is a country where the harmonious façade is deeply cherished yet the grim reality of unequal justice frequently breaks through.

 

The saga of Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, the Red Bull heir accused in a fatal 2012 hit-and-run incident, paints a vivid portrait of an entrenched system that seems to favor the wealthy elite at the expense of everyday citizens. The National Anti-Corruption Commission’s recent accusation of 15 officials for alleged misconduct in dropping charges against Vorayuth adds another layer to an already complex tapestry of injustice and corruption.

 

The charges against Vorayuth, initially dropped in July 2020 but later reinstated following public outrage, exemplify a pattern of authority figures turning a blind eye to the crimes committed by the privileged.

 

High-ranking officers such as former national police chief Pol Gen Somyot Poompanmoung and former deputy attorney-general Nate Naksuk, among others, stand accused of bending the rules to favor the scion of one of Thailand’s wealthiest families. Although not all were accused of grave offenses, the message is clear: if you have the right connections, the law may not apply to you in the same way it does to others.

 

By Friedrich Artur Blair

 

Full story: https://www.thaienquirer.com/50663/impunity-for-the-rich-and-powerful-undermines-thailands-democracy/

 

-- THAI ENQUIRER 2023-09-07

 

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[retarius]

Yes this immunity harms Thai democracy, which as we see in the aftermath of the recent election is in a pitiful state anyway. Even the thing with Thaksin is a stain on the reputations of these who did the deal. Revolting really. 

[2baht]

Fascinating culture! ???? Worship the rich, screw the rest!

[2baht]

..................and Buddha said........................!????

[Ben Zioner]

"Thai democracy", what are they talking about? Ohh..! they mean that perverted system where the Thai people have just been robbed of their vote.

[JoePai]

To be fair, what can one expect from a 3rd World Country ?

[2baht]

25 minutes ago, Ben Zioner said:

"Thai democracy", what are they talking about? Ohh..! they mean that perverted system where the Thai people have just been robbed of their vote.

It means a convicted heroin smuggler can become a cabinet minister! Such forgiving people! 

[fondue zoo]

How can you impune or damage something that doesn't really exist?

[ikke1959]

What democracy?? we noticed how the Thai democracy is working with the last elections.. So just before talking about democracy get rid of all kind rules and committees and senators who are undermining everything

[stoner]

democracy....is that what they're calling it ? 

 

good one. 

[Phulublub]

1 hour ago, 2baht said:

Fascinating culture! ???? Worship the rich, screw the rest!

You talking about Thailand?  Or the USA (to name but one)

 

PH

[Jeff the Chef]

I'm thinking of opening a brown envelope manufacturing plant, could this be a good investment?

[2baht]

2 minutes ago, Phulublub said:

You talking about Thailand?  Or the USA (to name but one)

 

PH

What is this thread about? ????

[Eloquent pilgrim]

 

Thai democracy; an oxymoron if ever there was.

[OneMoreFarang]

The rich and powerful get away with lots of things all over the world. They can afford expensive lawyers and tax consultants and all that. And they can make donations to the right people and organizations, etc.

It's not just Thailand.

Do I like it? No. But that is reality. And often the rich and powerful can do what they do within the laws.

It is real life - if we like it or not.

[ezzra]

IMHO, the Thaksin fiasco and charade is a proof to the above premise. 

[mania]

A proclamation by the pigs who control the government in the novel Animal Farm, by George Orwell.

 

"All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others."

[Eric Loh]

Even among the rich and powerful, there are unequal justice. The uniformed and politically correct alignment will get you favor and blind eye from the prosecution. 

[MrMojoRisin]

Impunity for the rich is the very reason why the rich have supported the suppression of democracy in Thailand.

 

The fact that it is now being so frequently called out is proof of progress…, Thailand continues to move forward.

 

 

[CDG931]

I love Thailand but at the core, the institutions are corrupt. That's the whole problem.

 

 

 

 

[mfd101]

Workers of Thailand, Unite! You have nothing to lose except your lethargy.

[impulse]

1 hour ago, CDG931 said:

I love Thailand but at the core, the institutions are corrupt. That's the whole problem.

It's only a problem if you're not rich and powerful.  For them, it's working exactly as intended.

 

[Zapitapi]

4 hours ago, Phulublub said:

You talking about Thailand?  Or the USA (to name but one)

 

PH

fully agree.. thailand has its problems but to single it out is just wrong.. german chancellor is implicated in a fintech scam... not to speak about the USA and many others..this is a global problem

[TheFishman1]

It’s no surprise here that the corruption from the top goes all the way to the bottom look at the way they greeted the ex Prime Minister who they said was sentenced to eight years that night he slept in the lecture room in a hospital then he gets poured into one year in the hospital is going to say that he can go home and serve the one year at home because he’s healthy TIT 

[TheFishman1]

Whatever happened to the cop who used plastic bags and killed the kid in the police station? You know the guy they had millions of dollars with the cars in his garage what ever happened with him TIT

[Zapitapi]

6 minutes ago, TheFishman1 said:

Whatever happened to the cop who used plastic bags and killed the kid in the police station? You know the guy they had millions of dollars with the cars in his garage what ever happened with him TIT

good question!!

[n00dle]

well duh.

[kimamey]

9 minutes ago, IamNoone88 said:

It seems to be no different in the UK or the US if we are honest. Look at Biden and his son or the hundreds of millions squandered on well connect UK government contracts. More often than not investigations lead to nowhere. 

There a certain amount of this in all countries.  Some more than others. 

The difference between Thailand and the examples you give is that the ones in Thailand are mostly in the past. The double standards have already taken place and unless the Red Bull one leads to justice, which I doubt, that will be the same. 

In the US it's all ongoing. Hunter Biden's case is going through the courts. There  doesn't seem to be any evidence against Joe Biden, but that might change so at this stage nothing has been dropped due to wealth or influence. Donald Trump doesn't seem to be able to avoid criminal charges either through wealth or position.

 

In the UK we had the expenses scandal and some did go to prison for their part. Without looking it up Jonathan Aitken and Jeffrey Archer both went to prison despite a certain wealth and position.  There's a list of 70s celebrities that went the same way. 

Jimmy Saville did avoid detection due to the danger of accusing him of acts without sufficient evidence, so it does happen,  but if he had gone to court and been found guilty, he wouldn't have been able to avoid prison. 

I assume you're referring to contracts for PPE during Covid. I don't know if there's any possible litigation there, either in the future or ongoing. It may be that a lot of it, whilst being unethical, wasn't illegal.

 

Let's hope that in future Thailand can change. The Thaksin story doesn't bode well, although that's not easy to talk about here.

[Grandpa Cool]

The focus is on the 15 corrupt officials.....let's go beyond that and expose the actual influencers.....there is a chain.....where does it lead to.....

[CDG931]

30 minutes ago, impulse said:

It's only a problem if you're not rich and powerful.  For them, it's working exactly as intended.

 

indeed