Korn Threatens To Sue Over Pheu Thai Abuse-of-position Claims

[webfact]

Korn threatens to sue over Pheu Thai abuse-of-position claims

By THE NATION ON SUNDAY

Published on December 27, 2009

Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij yesterday threatened to sue three Pheu Thai MPs if by tomorrow they had not retracted their "libellous" allegations that he abused his position to fly Thai Airways International first class on personal trips.

"The flights for which the Pheu Thai MPs claimed I used the privilege to upgrade tickets 14 times, I insist were business trips as finance minister and trips when I joined the prime minister, while my wife was sometimes invited and we were eligible for first-class tickets already," Korn said.

The Pheu Thai MPs should have shown evidence to support their accusations, he said.

Pheu Thai MPs Anudit Nakornthap and Karun Hosakul as well as deputy party spokesman Jirayu Huangsap held a press conference at party headquarters to call on Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and THAI to investigate the case.

Anudit said the party had received complaints that Korn took advantage of his privilege as a minister to upgrade THAI tickets for him and his family that were worth more than Bt3 million when he actually paid only Bt400,000.

The tickets were for 11 private trips to the United Kingdom, two to Bali and one to France, said Anudit, who chairs the party's anti-graft committee.

Korn said he had never exploited privileges to seek upgrades. He and his family hold gold cards for Royal Orchid Plus, which can promote its members to higher classes.

He said that when he and his wife took personal trips, they sometimes redeemed their mileage rewards just like other members of the loyalty programme.

Reservations in case seats were available were normally offered by the airline, he said, adding that he had never taken any baggage exceeding the weight limit.

On Facebook, Korn also wrote that he always paid for tickets on private trips with his own money, and that his children always travelled to and from London in economy class.

Pheu Thai Party maintained that Korn's children's tickets were upgraded from economy class to business class, while Korn and his wife's flights to London in March and April were upgraded from economy to first class. They took seven bags.

-- The Nation 2009/12/27

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[Thailand]

I find it hard to believe that any Thai politician would abuse his privileges by trying to gain any such benefits.

[Credo]

Have to agree with you. It's ludicrous to believe any politician would take advantage.

[sunsamourai]

. . . in any country . . .

[lazygourmet]

A decade ago, Khun Korn sold his own investment bank to JP Morgan, at the age of 35... Believe me: he is not in the need!

Having the chance to meet him from time to time, this gentleman is definitely not playing in the same league than this bunch of red crooks.

[tig28]

Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij ............this gentleman is definitely not playing in the same league than this bunch of red crooks.

Nope!! --- He is playing in a much greedier league of yellow crooks!!

"The tickets were for 11 private trips to the United Kingdom, two to Bali and one to France, said Anudit, who chairs the party's anti-graft committee."

[animatic]

Anudit, who chairs the party's anti-graft committee."

In other words the P.T. get something to smear on anyone in the government committee,

and this is just another grasping at straws.

As LG, said this guy Korn is loaded from his own past successful international businesses,

and plane tickets are nothing to him at his level.

[webfact]

THAI'S FIRST-CLASS TICKETS

Korn's family seek libel suit against Pheu Thai MP

By The Nation

The family of Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij on Sunday filed a complaint at Bang Rak police station, accusing Pheu Thai MP Anudit Nakornthap of defamation related to the upgrading of air tickets issued by Thai Airways International.

Korn's wife Vorakorn and her two children, Panthit and Pongsakorn Mahapaoraya, cited Anudit's remarks on Saturday as evidence.

Speaking at a press conference, Anudit said he suspected foul play that Korn might have abused his office, which has the controlling stakes in the national carrier, to upgrade air tickets when the minister and family members made private trips overseas.

In her statement given to police, Vorakorn said Anudit had smeared her family with false accusation.

"After consulting with my lawyer, I plan to sue Anudit for Bt30 million in damage because he is MP who should be held accountable for his remarks," she said.

She said Anudit maliciously tried to tarnish her reputation and that of her family. She insisted Korn did not invoke his ministerial privilege to upgrade air tickets for the family.

-- The Nation 2009/12/27

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[jayboy]

Anudit, who chairs the party's anti-graft committee."

In other words the P.T. get something to smear on anyone in the government committee,

and this is just another grasping at straws.

As LG, said this guy Korn is loaded from his own past successful international businesses,

and plane tickets are nothing to him at his level.

I agree with you.In this case it's a non story.Korn is legitimately very wealthy and it's not in his character to freeload anyway.Would that others were like him.

[Thai at Heart]

He is undoubtedly minted either through family and his own career. However, he wouldn't be the first to take advantage of freebies in Thailand or elsewhere.

Having cash doesn't mean you want to spend it. This should be as easy as pie to prove one way or another, and having met Korn once or twice and knowing a little about him, it is probably true he didn't do anything underhand.

A slightly different issue, is what is the published policy within Thai airways for government tickets and travel. Anyone know where to find that juicy little bit of paper? We all know that the company is losing boat loads, so it would be interesting to know how much is the actual government spend on ALL tickets for govt and civil service?

[scotbeve]

He is undoubtedly minted either through family and his own career. However, he wouldn't be the first to take advantage of freebies in Thailand or elsewhere.

Having cash doesn't mean you want to spend it. This should be as easy as pie to prove one way or another, and having met Korn once or twice and knowing a little about him, it is probably true he didn't do anything underhand.

A slightly different issue, is what is the published policy within Thai airways for government tickets and travel. Anyone know where to find that juicy little bit of paper? We all know that the company is losing boat loads, so it would be interesting to know how much is the actual government spend on ALL tickets for govt and civil service?

The last bit there about the "govt. tickets" hits the nail on the head perfectly!!!!

[animatic]

All governments fly their people about.

If there is a national carrier, this is a more prestigious choice nationalistically.

That the government also sees international P.R. benefits for wives to go along

and provides limited perks for families, is also not surprising.

Most USA government personnel get some free flights on military planes,

as do the families of military personnel.

This is just P.T's official smear committee trying to get some knock on milage

from the idiot Thai exec, caught bringing massive over weights aboard planes,

and hoping some of that disapproval will wipe off onto ANY ONE in governments.

Korn was a particularly bad choice for this particular maneuver,

but P.T. is not know for good choices in it's entire life cycle so far.

[brahmburgers]

Right. 'grasping at straws' and 'egg on their face' are just two idioms that come to mind when one looks at how the Puea Thai people conduct their flaccid smear campaigns (yikes, yet another idiom).

I can just see them huddling with Thaksin (or doing it via conference calls) - all squeezing their brain power trying to come up with new ways to smear Abhisit or members of his cabinet.

What have P.Thai (or the Reds, or UDD or T himself) proposed in the past 3 years that would be of tangible benefit to Thailand or the Thai people? Answer: nothing.

Have they made one suggestion regarding cleaning up the environment or assisting the hundreds of thousands of disenfranchised people at the fringes of Thai society? Answer: No.

Have they thrown muck at the current government, hoping it will stick? Yes.

[virtualtraveller]

"After consulting with my lawyer, I plan to sue Anudit for Bt30 million in damage because he is MP who should be held accountable for his remarks," she said.

She said Anudit maliciously tried to tarnish her reputation and that of her family. She insisted Korn did not invoke his ministerial privilege to upgrade air tickets for the family.

Too right, everyone has just about had enough of the Puea Thai' sleazy tactics, all these false allegations, half truths and pure fictions are really getting too much. How can we take them seriously as an opposition when they keep coming up with rubbish like this. Sue him, and Jatuporn, hopefully they will wind their necks in.

[TAWP]

Pheu Thai MP Files Suit against Finance Minister

UPDATE : 29 December 2009

Pheu Thai MP Anudit Nakornthap files a complaint with the Crime Suppression Police against Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij on the allegation Korn had abused his authority in upgrading Thai Airways International plane tickets for himself and his family.

Anudit also claimed he has been harassed with unknown individuals taking pictures of his house.

Korn has come out to deny the allegations and his wife has filed a defamation suit, seeking Bt30 million in compensation, on Sunday.

http://www.tannetwork.tv/tan/ViewData.aspx?DataID=1022972

THAI Affirms Finance Min Never Used Influence to Win Seat Upgrades

UPDATE : 29 December 2009

THAI Airways International has come out to affirm Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij and his family never used any influence to win seat upgrades on any TG flights. The airline also clarified that Korn and his wife are members of the Royal Orchid's gold class which allows them benefits and seat upgrades based on miles collected.

http://www.tannetwork.tv/tan/ViewData.aspx?DataID=1023001

Edited December 29, 2009 by TAWP

[TAWP]

So Anudit Nakornthap is a tool that files a suit without evidence of maleficence? How surprising...

[Nuchanart]

Opposition will file complaint against Korn with NACC

The opposition will petition with the anti-graft agency against Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij for alleged abuse of power in connection with his family members' upgrade of the national carrier's air tickets.

Anudit Nakornthap, a Pheu Thai Party MP for Bangkok who started the allegation against Korn, said Monday that the opposition would next week lodge its petition with the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

The opposition MP said that he suspected the finance minister might have exceeded the legal limit of Bt3,000 for accepting a gift in the form of voucher.

He said that Korn and his family members flew 14 times abroad by the Thai Airways International since Korn assumed his ministerial post. He claimed that most of the flights were not taken by Korn and that they were personal trips.

The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingne...nst-Korn-with-N

[hammered]

Team Thaksin want to knock Korn out any way they can. They certainly dont want any opponets around who can come up with better thought out and accounted for long term policies which will change the lives of the poor and will take on the elite. TRTs original populist stuff was thought out by Somkid but became rather badly implemeted and bastardized by others and of course Somkid is no longer on team. That leaves Korn with ideas over unused land tax and inheritance tax along with certain alternative land and crop support ideas as the only current economic thinker sparing one second to think of ideas that could be seen in any way as pro-poor. To date not all has been implemeted so the necessity to wreck the government or force Korn out becomes important and the government are not very good at the PR game so another reason. This is all pure politics but Korn like Somkid before him has the opportunity to unlock things for the less well off. It remains to be seen if liek Somkid he will see his ideas ruined and is eventually forced out leaving the usual pile of self serving and self promoting polticos to big up ideas they would never habve thought of as their own while not being able to come up with a single new original idea but being strong on Rush style poltical mantra and set of simplistic ideas anyone can be brainwashed into thining are their own, but that is how modern democratic (sic) politics works the world over now.

[Siripon]

They won't get Korn with this, Thaksin will have to pay up the 30 million himself for libel damages

And you're right about Pheua Thai being afraid of reforms initiated by the Democrats, the crop price subsidy and free education has rattled Pheua Thai already.

[animatic]

Team Thaksin want to knock Korn out any way they can. They certainly dont want any opponets around who can come up with better thought out and accounted for long term policies which will change the lives of the poor and will take on the elite. TRTs original populist stuff was thought out by Somkid but became rather badly implemeted and bastardized by others and of course Somkid is no longer on team. That leaves Korn with ideas over unused land tax and inheritance tax along with certain alternative land and crop support ideas as the only current economic thinker sparing one second to think of ideas that could be seen in any way as pro-poor. To date not all has been implemeted so the necessity to wreck the government or force Korn out becomes important and the government are not very good at the PR game so another reason. This is all pure politics but Korn like Somkid before him has the opportunity to unlock things for the less well off. It remains to be seen if liek Somkid he will see his ideas ruined and is eventually forced out leaving the usual pile of self serving and self promoting polticos to big up ideas they would never habve thought of as their own while not being able to come up with a single new original idea but being strong on Rush style poltical mantra and set of simplistic ideas anyone can be brainwashed into thining are their own, but that is how modern democratic (sic) politics works the world over now.

Yes, spot on.

Korn is a real thinker and functioning person in his job,

regardless if those around him are not as astute, and as such

he is a very large threat to Phuea Thai's future plans.

They have no one that can think at this level

and so must try and remove him from the scene.

In general his so far implemented ideas are things that ARE sustainable,

not just sustainable till the buck can be passed to others; like 30baht health care,

and million baht village fund allocation to headmen to use as they please.

As such they can eventually show long term improvement for ALL Thais,

not just a short term route to keeping in power via spurious and disingenuous populism.

[hammered]

They won't get Korn with this, Thaksin will have to pay up the 30 million himself for libel damages

And you're right about Pheua Thai being afraid of reforms initiated by the Democrats, the crop price subsidy and free education has rattled Pheua Thai already.

If they only won Mahasarakham by a 1000 votes that is a disaster for PTP who should have won it by tens of thousands. Conventional wisdom on the upcoming election is going to be thrown into disarray. PTP campaigned massively while BJT didnt really try very hard and PTP almost lost it.

You are right on the crop subsidy it reaches far more people than the old TRT/PPP schemes did. Expect the attempts at violent removal of government to intensify as Thaksin and his allies wont want to see electoral swings like this to the government with an improving economy and more populist schemes coming to fruition. Newin will be quite happy at this especially as Mahasarakham was never on his turf. The dilemma for Thaksin is that the election result can be read as time may not be on his side, or that an election soon may not work but then again violence turns his softer supporters off. A dilemma.

[geriatrickid]

Anudit, who chairs the party's anti-graft committee."

In other words the P.T. get something to smear on anyone in the government committee,

and this is just another grasping at straws.

As LG, said this guy Korn is loaded from his own past successful international businesses,

and plane tickets are nothing to him at his level.

Whoa baby. Remember Leona Helmsley, the very wealthy hotelier from NYC that said taxes were for the little people and she did not need to pay them? Sometimes the super wealthy are incredibly cheap, so his wealth means SFA. I am willing to believe that this fellow pulled rank to get his seats. Upgrades are capacity limited on TG just as they are on any other member of Star Alliance. Try booking a 1st class ticket using points on a long haul. If you don't get at it 360 days in advance you are not in the game. These trips were taken on short notice and it's very difficult to get the upgrades and seats. I could understand on a few flights but on that many, no way Jose.

Other politicians in other countries have been nailed for similiar actions. That is why there are strict rules in place on the reimbursement for travel expenses in those countries. Show me where Thailand has the same rules, especially for air travel. Look at what just happened with TG's chairman and the shameful allegations.

You can make all the excuses you want, but on this I believe the allegations will be shown to have merit. A smart defense lawyer will pull up all the Royal Orchid redemption records and if TG and the government are not careful this could blow up on TG and expose the whole business of reward points for the sham that it is. (I'm not picking on TG, but its a comment about the entire industry practice. Look at the value accorded points by the airlines - approx. 0.01USD per air mile and then look at the redemption levels and you can see how it has now become a game of smoke and mirrors.)

The allegations should not be confused with whether or not the minister should fly on an F/P/J/C fare, because I believe he should if it is long haul and for work, but whether or not he took advantage of his position to get the seats. I'd like to see if the seats were 1A& 2A all the time And for the record, I don't think any other minister dating back since TG started flying has done any differently.

I think you will find those of us that regularly fly in F/P/J/C and then try to redeem points for tickets will have no compassion for the minister and that this will not be about politics for us, but about the airlines giving it to us up the ass when it comes time to redeem our points.

- Signed angry pax.

[Nuchanart]

If a politician holds a business class ticket turn up at the airport. TG staff reconsigned him/her, so move him/her to a complementary upgrade without the politician requesting for it.

Should the politician:

1. Told the staff that he/her cannot accept it, and ask the staff to put him/her back to business class as the upgrade is worth more than 3,000 Baht.

2. Smile and said thank you for the complementary.

3. Act as he did not notice it, and take the assigned upgrade seat.

PS. If Thailand can grill Samak for being a cook, why can't Thailand unseat Korn for taking complementary upgrades.

[Thai at Heart]

Anudit, who chairs the party's anti-graft committee."

In other words the P.T. get something to smear on anyone in the government committee,

and this is just another grasping at straws.

As LG, said this guy Korn is loaded from his own past successful international businesses,

and plane tickets are nothing to him at his level.

Whoa baby. Remember Leona Helmsley, the very wealthy hotelier from NYC that said taxes were for the little people and she did not need to pay them? Sometimes the super wealthy are incredibly cheap, so his wealth means SFA. I am willing to believe that this fellow pulled rank to get his seats. Upgrades are capacity limited on TG just as they are on any other member of Star Alliance. Try booking a 1st class ticket using points on a long haul. If you don't get at it 360 days in advance you are not in the game. These trips were taken on short notice and it's very difficult to get the upgrades and seats. I could understand on a few flights but on that many, no way Jose.

Other politicians in other countries have been nailed for similiar actions. That is why there are strict rules in place on the reimbursement for travel expenses in those countries. Show me where Thailand has the same rules, especially for air travel. Look at what just happened with TG's chairman and the shameful allegations.

You can make all the excuses you want, but on this I believe the allegations will be shown to have merit. A smart defense lawyer will pull up all the Royal Orchid redemption records and if TG and the government are not careful this could blow up on TG and expose the whole business of reward points for the sham that it is. (I'm not picking on TG, but its a comment about the entire industry practice. Look at the value accorded points by the airlines - approx. 0.01USD per air mile and then look at the redemption levels and you can see how it has now become a game of smoke and mirrors.)

The allegations should not be confused with whether or not the minister should fly on an F/P/J/C fare, because I believe he should if it is long haul and for work, but whether or not he took advantage of his position to get the seats. I'd like to see if the seats were 1A& 2A all the time And for the record, I don't think any other minister dating back since TG started flying has done any differently.

I think you will find those of us that regularly fly in F/P/J/C and then try to redeem points for tickets will have no compassion for the minister and that this will not be about politics for us, but about the airlines giving it to us up the ass when it comes time to redeem our points.

- Signed angry pax.

The statement that a gold card somehow entitles you to upgrades is also very disingenuous. It entitles you to 1 upgrade per year if I am correct. Any other upgrades would have to be through earned miles. There is no such thing as entitled upgrades.

I mean it isn't as though I would love them to just give me lots of upgrades because I have a gold card, but I think any of us who use these miles for upgrades know that aside from being pretty costly in terms of miles, they are virtually impossible to obtain at short notice.

I also wouldn't put it past being possible that he would do such a thing, however, until there is any proof, it is a complete non-story. If nothing else, exposing this bullshit might save Thai airways a boatload in free tickets and open up redemption places for the non gentry.

[Thai at Heart]

PS. If Thailand can grill Samak for being a cook, why can't Thailand unseat Korn for taking complementary upgrades.

Ooooohhhhhhhhhh. Wouldn't that be some rather weird karma.

[animatic]

Any bets on whether Thaksin's, Samak's and Somchai's upgrades beat out Korns?

This is nothing more than PTP's dirt committee throwing mud pies.

[geriatrickid]

Any bets on whether Thaksin's, Samak's and Somchai's upgrades beat out Korns?

This is nothing more than PTP's dirt committee throwing mud pies.

Ahhh the old chestnut of well they did it so we can do it too waaaaaaah.

C'mon, you can do better than this as you search your grab bag for excuses.

For those of us frequent flyers, we don't care if someone else did it in the past. What we care about is that this person was allegedly caught at it. Try and use your points to get a seat, go on, I dare you. There is a capacity restriction of usually 2 F/P seats for a specified number of flights, and often relegated only to the unpopular scheduled routes. For this fellow to have been able to use his upgrades so easily and on such short notice for 11 long haul flights, it screams out preferential treatment and that something was wrong. If the fellow played around, then deal with it and don't use the alleged wrongdoings of others to try and justify it. As I said before, this isn't about politics for those of us that usually pay for premium tickets. Consumers everywhere are fed up with the airlines playing around with the "loyalty" programs. If TG was a party to do this then F.U. TG. TG isn't going to explain this to its Royal Orchid members, but I bet you some people in Star Alliance are going to be annoyed.

The point of the Star Alliance shared reward system was to allow people on United, Swiss, Lufthansa, Air Canada etc. to be able to access seats in return for granting TG access to the seats on other airlines. If TG has made it difficult for people to use their points by screwing with the redemption programs, then this in turn screws the other airlines. TG has been on the hotseat since the return of SQ to Star Alliance. Now with Continental joining, the pressure is on even more. Need an example? Due to on time performance issues, pax are better off on the ANA and UAL flights for the BKK-NRT routes and I believe that more star alliance pax opt for ANA & UAL over TG. Delayed and lost luggage cost the airlines that connect to the TG feeder flights. It renders TG the US Airways of Asia.

[animatic]

Never said it's an excuse to get off free.

But just to point up the hypocrisy of PTP's charges.

[Thai at Heart]

Any bets on whether Thaksin's, Samak's and Somchai's upgrades beat out Korns?

This is nothing more than PTP's dirt committee throwing mud pies.

Somehow, I doubt much that any of the 3 or any of their supporters care in the slightest. They have been taking a political kicking for the last few years so a little bit of payback will be well received I am sure.

As for the "he did it too" defence, it might work in the schoolyard, but as they say, he who casts the first stone and all that. Lest, expenses received for cooking shows and all that be consigned to legal history as an aberration. We all said it would be probably impossible to find a completely clean politician to run Thailand. If there is nothing in their history to catch them with, abuse of position when it comes to politics in Thailand shouldn't be too difficult to prove.

If proven true, I think a story like this highlights the hypocrisy of the entire system more than one individual party.

Edited January 5, 2010 by Thai at Heart

[scotbeve]

Anudit, who chairs the party's anti-graft committee."

In other words the P.T. get something to smear on anyone in the government committee,

and this is just another grasping at straws.

As LG, said this guy Korn is loaded from his own past successful international businesses,

and plane tickets are nothing to him at his level.

Whoa baby. Remember Leona Helmsley, the very wealthy hotelier from NYC that said taxes were for the little people and she did not need to pay them? Sometimes the super wealthy are incredibly cheap, so his wealth means SFA. I am willing to believe that this fellow pulled rank to get his seats. Upgrades are capacity limited on TG just as they are on any other member of Star Alliance. Try booking a 1st class ticket using points on a long haul. If you don't get at it 360 days in advance you are not in the game. These trips were taken on short notice and it's very difficult to get the upgrades and seats. I could understand on a few flights but on that many, no way Jose.

Other politicians in other countries have been nailed for similiar actions. That is why there are strict rules in place on the reimbursement for travel expenses in those countries. Show me where Thailand has the same rules, especially for air travel. Look at what just happened with TG's chairman and the shameful allegations.

You can make all the excuses you want, but on this I believe the allegations will be shown to have merit. A smart defense lawyer will pull up all the Royal Orchid redemption records and if TG and the government are not careful this could blow up on TG and expose the whole business of reward points for the sham that it is. (I'm not picking on TG, but its a comment about the entire industry practice. Look at the value accorded points by the airlines - approx. 0.01USD per air mile and then look at the redemption levels and you can see how it has now become a game of smoke and mirrors.)

The allegations should not be confused with whether or not the minister should fly on an F/P/J/C fare, because I believe he should if it is long haul and for work, but whether or not he took advantage of his position to get the seats. I'd like to see if the seats were 1A& 2A all the time And for the record, I don't think any other minister dating back since TG started flying has done any differently.

I think you will find those of us that regularly fly in F/P/J/C and then try to redeem points for tickets will have no compassion for the minister and that this will not be about politics for us, but about the airlines giving it to us up the ass when it comes time to redeem our points.

- Signed angry pax.

The statement that a gold card somehow entitles you to upgrades is also very disingenuous. It entitles you to 1 upgrade per year if I am correct. Any other upgrades would have to be through earned miles. There is no such thing as entitled upgrades.

I mean it isn't as though I would love them to just give me lots of upgrades because I have a gold card, but I think any of us who use these miles for upgrades know that aside from being pretty costly in terms of miles, they are virtually impossible to obtain at short notice.

I also wouldn't put it past being possible that he would do such a thing, however, until there is any proof, it is a complete non-story. If nothing else, exposing this bullshit might save Thai airways a boatload in free tickets and open up redemption places for the non gentry.

ALL Thai Airways staff get fantastic discounts FOR THEIR FAMILIES and ALL staff flies free... Get to know a few and query them discreetly.