Five Thais On Trial In Cambodia Over Border Case

[webfact]

Five Thais on trial in Cambodia over border case

PHNOM PENH, January 21, 2011 (AFP) - Five Thais, including a ruling party politician, went on trial Friday on charges of illegally entering Cambodia in a case that has strained diplomatic ties between the two countries.

They were among seven Thais arrested in Cambodia on December 29 for illegal entry and trespassing on a military area, charges that carry a maximum combined sentence of 18 months in prison.

Lawmaker Panich Vikitsreth of the Democrat Party told the court he crossed the disputed border by accident while inspecting contested territory.

"I had no intention at all to cross into Cambodian territory," he said.

"I received a request from Thai people to visit Thai land... I didn't expect to see the Cambodian People's Party logo there (in the border village)."

He added that the group was arrested some 15 minutes after entering the village.

It was unclear when a verdict would be announced.

The two other detainees -- high-profile nationalist activist Veera Somkwamkid and his aide -- did not appear in court.

They face an additional espionage charge for attempting to gather information that could affect national defence, an offence punishable by up to 10 years in jail.

Veera is the only member of the group who was not granted bail. The other six are understood to have been staying at the Thai embassy since their release from a Phnom Penh prison.

The neighbouring countries, long at odds over their border, have both stressed they want to avoid a row over the issue, although Cambodia rebuffed Thailand's demand last month for the detainees' immediate release.

Thai officials have acknowledged that the seven were on Cambodian territory when arrested.

The Thailand-Cambodia border has never been fully demarcated, partly because it is littered with landmines left over from decades of war in Cambodia.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-01-21

[webfact]

Cambodian court sentenced the 5 Thais 9 months in jail and fined of 1 million riel but later suspended the jail term. /via@tukky_nt

[webfact]

The 5 Thais can walk free now /TR @Cake_NBC #tvthai /via@tukky_nt

[webfact]

The 5 Thais have left court for Thai embassy. /via@tulsathit: RT @ktnews: RT @NationChannel24

[webfact]

Chavanond: Govt is ready to give full assistance to Veera, Ratree, the two remaining Thais /via @tulsathit: RT @Juarawee: RT @NationChannel24

[webfact]

Five Thais walk free in Cambodia border case

PHNOM PENH, January 21, 2011 (AFP) - Five Thais including a ruling party politician received a suspended sentence Friday for illegally entering Cambodia, in a case that has strained diplomatic ties between the two countries.

They were among seven Thais arrested in Cambodia on December 29 for illegal entry and trespassing on a military area, charges that carried a maximum combined sentence of 18 months in prison.

"The Phnom Penh Municipal Court has found the five suspects guilty" on both charges, said presiding judge Suos Sam Ath, adding that each had been sentenced to nine months in jail and a fine of one million riel ($250).

Acknowledging time already spent in a Phnom Penh prison before they were bailed a few days ago, the judge said the rest of the sentence was suspended.

Thai lawmaker Panich Vikitsreth of the Democrat Party looked relieved and smiled after the verdict was read out.

He was seen leaving the court in a Thai embassy car with the four other Thais.

Panich had earlier told the court he crossed the disputed border by accident while inspecting contested territory.

"I had no intention at all to cross into Cambodian territory," he said.

"I received a request from Thai people to visit Thai land... I didn't expect to see the Cambodian People's Party logo there (in the border village)."

The two other detainees -- high-profile nationalist activist Veera Somkwamkid and his aide -- did not appear in court.

They face an additional espionage charge for attempting to gather information that could affect national defence, an offence punishable by up to 10 years in jail.

Veera is the only member of the group who was not granted bail.

The neighbouring countries, long at odds over their border, have both stressed they want to avoid a row over the issue, although Cambodia rebuffed Thailand's demand last month for the detainees' immediate release.

Thai officials have acknowledged that the seven were on Cambodian territory when arrested.

The Thailand-Cambodia border has never been fully demarcated, partly because it is littered with landmines left over from decades of war in Cambodia.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-01-21

[webfact]

BORDER DISPUTES

Five Thais sentenced to nine-month suspended jail term

By The Nation

The five Thais charged with immigration charges in Phnom Penh have been sentenced to nine-month suspended jail term.

They were ordered to a fine of about Bt10,000 each.

The group who were earlier freed on bail can now return tome.

Thai FM's secretary Chavanond Indharakomalayasutr said that the verdict has no legal binding on the bilateral demarcation disputes.

Thai government is ready to give full assistance to Veera Somkwamkit and Ratree of Thai Patriots Network who are facing charge of spying.

-- The Nation 2011-01-21

[jackr]

Stroll on.

[Credo]

That sounds like a fair verdict and sentence for the five.

Now, let's see what happens to Veera.

[animatic]

That sounds like a fair verdict and sentence for the five.

Now, let's see what happens to Veera.

Repeat offender, and recidivist. He has shown no remorse and repeats his actions.

So I suspect his sentence will reflect his actions and his general demeanor towards Cambodian law.

[mkawish]

Wise animatic

I am extremely surprised to read your current post, sir.

Did you not know that the three jokers--ministers;

the deputy national security minister, the foreign affair minister and the defense minister

are going to face Treason Charges which will be filed by two groups of citizen.

It is inexcusable to have a defense minister who during the first national press conference to have said unequivocally that :

1--The land where the 7 were arrested, is in Cambodian territory. He said he unequivocally knew that for a fact 'cause he was born nearby there and he has been living around there and worked around there since the day of his youth.

2--When pressed by news ladies if he knew about some farmers who claimed the farm land where the 7 were arrested belongs to their family? And that those farmers do have free and clear and unencumbered warranty deeds (ChaNote) to those farms to prove?

The defense minister retorted--do you have those paper to show me right here and now to prove that I am wrong? There has never been any warranty deed issued in the history of Thailand to those Cambodian land which has been occupied by the Cambodian for over thirty years. The land around where the 7 were arrested was in Cambodia territory. The 7 were asking for it and now they were expecting the govt to come to their rescue for their intentional crossing into our neighboring country Cambodia.

3--He also announced, If you don't believe me, you can also ask the minister of foreign affair, who could also testify to the same effect that the 7 were arrested inside Cambodia territory.

4--The minister of foreign affair also stated to the same affect that the 7 were rightfully arrested inside Cambodian territory.

Now fast forward to last Saturday and Sunday national news telecast:

5--A group of some 20 or so farmers with warranty deeds in hands to show and to prove to everyone that the warranty deeds were legitimately issued by the then Thai govt some 50 years ago which contained the correct govt seals, signature, date and time and proper legal description for each plot of land surrounding the water pool dug up by the UNESCO and the International Red Cross around 1980 with the approval of the then Thai govt granting the permission for the UN and the International Red Cross to use those parcels of land for relief for the Cambodians as refugee camps....

6--A week prior to this revelation, Apisit and his deputies have had summoned these same group to the govt house to examine their warranty deeds. Apisit then asked these farmers not to say anything to the press nor to go on television, and Apisit said to the group that if they showed their warranty deeds that would muddle up the govt rescue effort for the 7. The farmers believed Apisit and went back home.

7--However, when they watched the television at home, they saw and heard from some of the same ministers that the govt was trying its best to help the 7 who were rightfully arrested by the Camb on Cambodian territory. These farmers were enraged to the n^th degree.

8--They took their case with warranty deeds in hand to the public through television station other than the govt station and they told their story including how Apisit govt misled and deceived them and the whole country by ignoring their rights to their own farm land. They further provided receipt of taxes year after year paid to and receipted by the Thai revenue services, as clincher.

How this Apisit govt is going to survive, is as much any one's guess....

For your own peace of mind, wish you would verify these facts yourself....

These ministers are traitors.... trying to give away part of Thailand to the Camb and Husan

One would wonder about their ulterior motives.... which I am certain would be many and various.... to say the least....

That sounds like a fair verdict and sentence for the five.

Now, let's see what happens to Veera.

Repeat offender, and recidivist. He has shown no remorse and repeats his actions.

So I suspect his sentence will reflect his actions and his general demeanor towards Cambodian law.

[webfact]

5 Thais get suspended terms

By The Nation

Return to Kingdom today after Cambodia ordeal; Yellow shirt activist Veera remains in Prey Sar prison

A Phnom Penh court yesterday suspended the jail terms of five Thai nationals, including Democrat Party lawmaker Panich Vikitsreth, after convicting them on charges of trespassing and sentencing them to nine months imprisonment and a fine of 1 million rial (Bt7,500) each.

The Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh will clear their documents and arrange their return to Thailand as soon as possible, said Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, secretary to the foreign minister.

According to a report, the five will return to Thailand today.

Panich and six yellow-shirt activists, including high-profile nationalist Veera Somkwamkid, were arrested near Sa Kaew province's Ban Nong Chan while inspecting a disputed border area on December 29.

They were charged with illegal entry and unlawfully entering a military zone. "The Phnom Penh Municipal Court has found the five suspects guilty" on both charges, said presiding judge Suos Sam Ath.

Panich told the court that he had had no intention to cross into Cambodian territory. "I received a request from Thai people to visit Thai land ... I didn't expect to see the Cambodian People's Party logo there" in the border village.

He added that the group had been arrested about 15 minutes after entering the Cambodian community.

Information from the Royal Thai Survey Department and the Foreign Ministry indicated that the seven were 55 metres into territory under Cambodian sovereignty.

Democrat MP Panich was a former vice foreign minister and is a member of the Parliament's committee on the border. He inspected the area after complaints from the local community that Cambodian people had occupied Thai territory.

Nationalist activists Veera and his aide Ratree Pipatanapaiboon were additionally charged with espionage for allegedly collecting information that could harm Cambodia's security. The charge could lead to imprisonment for up to 10 years.

Veera is being held in the notorious Prey Sar prison on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, while Ratree, who was granted bail and has been housed at the Thai Embassy, is awaiting his trial set to begin on February 1.

Panich and other activists, mostly from Buddhist group Santi Asoke, got a quick verdict as they, under advice from the Thai Foreign Ministry, asked the Cambodian court to speed up the prosecution.

They admitted that they had crossed the border into Cambodian territory but said they had done so unintentionally. Their confession made the prosecution easy and quick, an analyst said.

However, Veera's case became complicated as he insisted that he had been arrested in territory under Thai sovereignty, so he could not be under the Cambodian court's jurisdiction. Veera did not cooperate in the trial. He refused to testify through a translator arranged by the court but requested one from the Thai Embassy and wanted a new legal team. He vowed to fight until the end even though it would take time.

Veera had been briefly held by Cambodian authorities at the same location when he visited the disputed area last August. The previous case was settled at the local level when officials from the Thai border police unit nearby negotiated for his release.

The nationalist Veera believes that the area near Ban Nong Chan belongs to Thailand but has been occupied by a Cambodian community since the late 1970s. He claimed that Thai authorities had issued land titles to local residents for a long time before Cambodians, seeking refuge from the civil war, settled there.

Veera was concerned that Thailand would lose its claim over the area if he admitted in the court that he had crossed the border into Cambodia.

Chavanond disagreed, saying that the court's ruling in this case was binding only on an individual. It has nothing to do with the national border, which is a matter for the two states to determine.

"We will settle the border conflict with Cambodia via the Joint Border Committee, not by the court's verdict in this case," he said.

Veera's move is connected to the ongoing protest by the Thai Patriots Network, a faction of the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy, near Government House to put pressure on Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government.

The Network wanted the government to scrap a memorandum of understanding on the land-border demarcation signed with Cambodia in 2000, and use force to expel Cambodians from the disputed areas.

The two countries have been at loggerheads over the border for a long time in many areas, notably in the vicinity of the World Heritage-recognised Preah Vihear Temple.

The nationalist PAD has called a massive protest on Tuesday in Bangkok to mount pressure on the government for termination of the border deal and withdraw from the World Heritage Committee.

-- The Nation 2011-01-22

[mkawish]

If the Nation newspaper and/or any other news media still continue to use the Camb terminology--Preah Vihear Temple,

then that organization should relocate to Cambodia territory rather than remains in Thailand who never recognizes such Camb name.

As for the numerous inaccuracies reported in print, the reporter(s) and the editor(s) concerned with this news piece should really be doing something else.

The local Thai farmers around the kidnapping of the 7 by the Camb soldiers on their farms have already presented the valid and recognized Warranty Deeds (ChaNotes) dating back some 30 years showing that ever since their grand parents era, their families own those land free and clear and unencumbered and they have also been paying yearly tax revenues to further prove their ownerships; which Apisit and his doggy ministers have privately accepted those doc as legal and binding but have never been courageous enough to reconcile in public denouncing the Camb claims and sending Thai military to forcefully vacate the former refugees settling on those farmers' properties since around 1980 on the account of the U.N. and the International Red Cross petition to the then Thai govt to temporarily set aside some border land to be called Refugees Camp to accommodate the fleeing Camb refugees. The Thai people were gracious enough to grant the international organization's request.

Up to date, as far as I could recall, those farms and the land surrounding the farms as described in those farmers' warranty deeds as legal descriptions have never been assigned, transferred nor deeded either temporarily nor permanently to any one or any party, be it another Thai or Cambodian.

The deputy PM, the defense minister and the foreign affairs minister might be ignorant of these facts at one time when the kidnapping and arresting of the 7 occurred.... but they surely could not claim to be ignorant now.... after all these facts and legal documentations have been publicly aired last week.

My question is, why does a reputable news media owned by SuTheChai, my own schoolmate, would continue to print and propagate such inaccuracies which could be amounting to treasons....

More importantly, there really is nothing to settle in terms of border territorial between Thailand and Cambodia....

Unless someone like HuSan would dream up some fancy plan to bury the facts and to claim the refugee resettlement land granted by the Thai govt some 30 years back.... as belonging to the Camb because the former refugees and their offsprings have been allowed to remain in the settlement by the good grace of Thai people for some two or three generations....

Since when do squatters or refugees have any rights to claim any land under their feet as legitimately their own.... even if they and their offsprings have been on the same spot for ions....?

If one were to verify the UN doc, one would certainly come to the same conclusion that the current Cambodian claim has no legal ground whatever.

Ask the peace corp volunteers who were stationed in Thailand in the 80, which country were the Cambodian refugees allowed by the UN and the International Red Cross to set up temporary refugee encampment....?

Or ask those volunteers working to resettle the refugees to other countries than Thailand.... whose land were those refugees setting up their temporary encampment....?

Or ask those volunteers working in foreign countries facilitating the resettlement of the refugees, where were the refugees from....?

I could categorically assure everyone that all these groups would give the same answer which is--

they were from resettlement camp in Northeastern Thailand....

There was never a doubt in those years just whose land it was.... that the Camb refugees came for assistance and alm....

It really is mighty interesting to find out just who or which group is trying so very hard to give away a piece of Thailand to the Cambodia and Husan in particular?

Yes, your truly was one of those volunteers who loves to see someone doing some more serious investigative journalism to expose whoever behind all these shameless maneuvers between and among Thais and Cambodians and other suspecting interfering dignitaries from European countries....

If any farang wants to know more as to who are part of the instigators of all these, just check into who or which nationalities have been granted by the Cambodian govt, Husan in particular, the exclusive exploration concessions and rights to explore the lands and lands under the Gulf of Siam.... for possibly immense amount of oil and gas....

The Cambodian leadership, Husan in particular, even before all these development has already pre-granted the exploration concessions to whoever willing to donate something substantial to his coffer....

Figure that out.... It is really crazy out there in terms of farang idea of doing biz....

The most important question is.... just who will stand up for Thailand, at the same time also representing the interests of the Royal Family members who actually and truly are the real owner of those land along the border in hot dispute....? :jap:

Any one in mind....?

[Buchholz]

That sounds like a fair verdict and sentence for the five.

Now, let's see what happens to Veera.

Musn't forget the other super-sleuthing, special-agent spy Ratree Pitpattanapaibul

The other one charged with espionage, however, has potential for being a super covert spy....

Look, here she's got a camera!! She must be filming the inner workings of a secret air base hidden somewhere in the E.U. as a warm-up exercise for her black ops in Cambodia. She's also wearing black to help conceal her disallowed presence.

[softgeorge]

I thought 5 had been freed ?

[asiawatcher]

Nice outcome - not too lethal on the pocket but a warning nonetheless - let's hope Veera gets a hefty slap and a long term for his arrogance and insolence.

[webfact]

Senior foreign affairs officials travel to Phnom Penh to pick up freed Thais

BANGKOK, Jan 22 -- A group of senior Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry officials left Early Saturday to pick up five Thai citizens convicted of trespassing on Cambodian territory, but freed after the Phnom Penh court gave them suspended jail terms, while media swarmed to Suvarnabhumi airport to cover their arrival in Thailand.

The officials, led by Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, secretary to the minister of foreign affairs, left Suvarnabhumi Airport at 7am for the Cambodian capital.

They will meet the five Thais now staying at the Thai embassy and are expected to escort them home later Saturday.

An army of journalists turned up at the airport awaiting the arrival of five -- who were apprehended by Cambodian soldiers on Dec 29. The first aircraft arrival from Phnom Penh to Bangkok was a Bangkok Airways flight which landed at 8.15am, but none of the former detainees.

Two other flights are scheduled from Phnom Penh to Bangkok later Saturday, Bangkok Airways at 10.50am and Thai Airways International at 11.05am.

The five were among seven Thai citizens who were arrested more than three weeks ago on charges of trespassing on Cambodian territory. The Phnom Penh court on Friday found that they were guilty of illegal entry and intentionally trespassing into Cambodian territory and sentenced them with nine-month suspended jail terms and fined of one million riel (US$250), but since they have been behind bars since Dec 30, all the five have been set free.

However, the remaining two Thais who did not attend the court session on Friday were Veera Somkwamkid, coordinator of the Thai Patriots Network, who is the sole detainee still being held in Prey Sar Prison and Ratree Pipattanapaiboon, Mr Veera's secretary.

Both received additional charges of espionage and the court is expected to hand down its verdict on Feb 1 as earlier scheduled. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-01-22

[whybother]

Senior foreign affairs officials travel to Phnom Penh to pick up freed Thais

They couldn't let them walk back. They get in the habit of getting lost when they're walking.

[webfact]

Five Thais released following Cambodian court's suspended sentence are in good spirit, to fly back from Phnom Penh today, expected to arrive BKK at 5pm /MCOT

[Buchholz]

That sounds like a fair verdict and sentence for the five.

Now, let's see what happens to Veera.

Musn't forget the other super-sleuthing, special-agent spy Ratree Pitpattanapaibul

The other one charged with espionage, however, has potential for being a super covert spy....

Look, here she's got a camera!! She must be filming the inner workings of a secret air base hidden somewhere in the E.U. as a warm-up exercise for her black ops in Cambodia. She's also wearing black to help conceal her disallowed presence.

I thought 5 had been freed ?

There were. Seven were arrested. The two high-tech spies covertly photographing Cambodian's top secret military base, located 55 meters inside an unfenced area of their territory, remain in custody.

.

[phiphidon]

Five Thais released following Cambodian court's suspended sentence are in good spirit, to fly back from Phnom Penh today, expected to arrive BKK at 5pm /MCOT

So, can we now expect to see a new Bangkok by election fairly soon in the interests of Mr Abhisits squeaky clean government. I mean it wouldn't really be in the spirit of things to have a convicted criminal as a Democrat MP, would it?

[webfact]

PM: Cambodian court verdict does not affect Thai sovereignty, no loss of land to Cambodia; will help two Thais still facing charges /MCOT

PM calls urgent security meeting with top security officers at Government House following release of five Thais from Cambodian detention /MCOT

[webfact]

Five Thais released by Cambodia arrive at Suvarnabhumi airport, amid army of reporters; no interview, leave by vans /MCOT

[mkawish]

PM: Cambodian court verdict does not affect Thai sovereignty, no loss of land to Cambodia; will help two Thais still facing charges /MCOT

PM calls urgent security meeting with top security officers at Government House following release of five Thais from Cambodian detention /MCOT

The poor PM of Thailand....

An educated PM, reputedly a graduate from Oxford....

The very fact that the Thai PM, Apisit along with his entire ministers in the Thai govt subjudicates themselves and their own citizen, the 7, to the mercy of a foreign court which in reality should be investigating its own citizen for kidnapping the 7.... as factual and historical evidence recently surfaced, clearly demonstrated, from Thailand territory.... not Cambodian territory by any means....

By such virtue of submissiveness without any demonstration of any sort of protest thru any means of modern communications.... to show the Thai people as well as the rest of the world, particularly the members of the JBC participating countries.... that Thailand is protesting such illegal seizure and kidnapping by the encroaching Camb soldiers.... lends itself to directly prove to the entire world, particularly the JBC board which is meeting in June, 2011; that Camb govt led by HuSan does have legitimacy to claim those parcels of land....

which in reality those very same parcels of land belongs to Thai farmers since its inception ions ago.... already proved to the world by those poor farmers' warranty deeds which both Thai govt led by Apisit and Camb govt led by HuSan very much like to sweep them all under some carpet to bury the facts....

Why do both govt concoct such scheme is really arousing to inquisitive minds of both Thai and Farang alike....

Such infantile claim by Apisit--PM: Cambodian court verdict does not affect Thai sovereignty, no loss of land to Cambodia; will help two Thais still facing charges /MCOT

is a bewilderment to the world....

By virtue of such acceptance, Apisit and his clans already hand over part of Thailand to HuSan.... almost without recourse....

which is very much like those Thai ministers-clowns, Thai National Security, Foreign Affairs and Defense dept ministers who even before the Camb court convened,

went on national television stations to accuse the 7 of being guilty of stepping onto Cambodian territory which in fact was Thai farmers' rightfully owned land....

The saga is more than saddening to many Farang like myself who love the impartiality of the Royal Family....

However, the current govt is really something else to behold....

I sincerely hope and pray that some able and honest Thai will emerge from all these spiteful shambles to lead Thailand to regain its dignity soon.... long before the JBC meeting in June, 2011

Imho, in many instances, adorable PM Apisit contradicted himself endlessly, acting like an inexperienced freshmen state man who fails to see the immense impact of his own words and actions that the whole world might understand or misinterpret his once honorable intention....

Finally, to allow Camb govt and HuSan to continually claim sovereignty over the same parcels of land set aside to accommodate refugees by the UN and the International Red Cross some 30 years ago.... without even a whimper from the Thai PM, Apisit and his entire ministers, somehow in my humble opinion, shows utter contempt on the Thai govt part.... bordering on treason....

And now to proclaim that--

PM: Cambodian court verdict does not affect Thai sovereignty, no loss of land to Cambodia; will help two Thais still facing charges /MCOT

is almost unbearable as a good intended Farang living and contributing in Thailand....

A case of extreme infantile-ism .... to say the least....

[whybother]

<all snipped>

Are you protesting outside gov house with the other yellow shirts?

[mkawish]

<all snipped>

Are you protesting outside gov house with the other yellow shirts?

I really wish I could....

And if I could, I would....

But the fact of the matter is....

The yellowshirts consider me.... an overly spirited demonstrator....

Whereas the redshirts folk consider me unmanageable and too dangerous to their cause....

I am therefore momentarily unwanted and unassigned....

[Emptyset]

My question is, why does a reputable news media owned by SuTheChai, my own schoolmate, would continue to print and propagate such inaccuracies which could be amounting to treasons....

I really enjoyed the rest of your post. It was hysterical What school did Yoon go to anyway?

[Buchholz]

Five Thais released following Cambodian court's suspended sentence are in good spirit, to fly back from Phnom Penh today, expected to arrive BKK at 5pm /MCOT

So, can we now expect to see a new Bangkok by election fairly soon in the interests of Mr Abhisits squeaky clean government. I mean it wouldn't really be in the spirit of things to have a convicted criminal as a Democrat MP, would it?

Election Commission: Panich remains MP

BANGKOK, 22 January 2011 (NNT) - The Election Commission (EC) has ruled that Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth, who is among the five Thai border crossers facing a jail term in Cambodia, remains an MP because the jail term is suspended.

The Cambodian Court has sentenced each of the five Thai border crossers a suspended nine-month jail term and a fine of one million Cambodian riel (KHR) for illegally entering and trespassing into a military zone late last month.

Election Commissioner Prapan Naigowit said that the suspended jail term means Mr Panich is not jailed by the Court’s verdict.

Mr Prapan added that the EC is waiting for the official document from the Foreign Ministry about the Cambodian Court’s decision in detail to further deliberate on Mr Panich’s MP status again.

-- NNT 2011-01-22

[Siam Simon]

Five Thais released following Cambodian court's suspended sentence are in good spirit, to fly back from Phnom Penh today, expected to arrive BKK at 5pm /MCOT

So, can we now expect to see a new Bangkok by election fairly soon in the interests of Mr Abhisits squeaky clean government. I mean it wouldn't really be in the spirit of things to have a convicted criminal as a Democrat MP, would it?

Election Commission: Panich remains MP

BANGKOK, 22 January 2011 (NNT) - The Election Commission (EC) has ruled that Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth, who is among the five Thai border crossers facing a jail term in Cambodia, remains an MP because the jail term is suspended.

The Cambodian Court has sentenced each of the five Thai border crossers a suspended nine-month jail term and a fine of one million Cambodian riel (KHR) for illegally entering and trespassing into a military zone late last month.

Election Commissioner Prapan Naigowit said that the suspended jail term means Mr Panich is not jailed by the Court’s verdict.

Mr Prapan added that the EC is waiting for the official document from the Foreign Ministry about the Cambodian Court’s decision in detail to further deliberate on Mr Panich’s MP status again.

-- NNT 2011-01-22

A convicted criminal is allowed to remain as an MP? Amazing Thailand!

[Siam Simon]

My question is, why does a reputable news media owned by SuTheChai, my own schoolmate, would continue to print and propagate such inaccuracies which could be amounting to treasons....

I really enjoyed the rest of your post. It was hysterical What school did Yoon go to anyway?

Suthichai Yoon went to Assumption:

http://www.whoswho-thailand.com/listings/opinion-leader/suthichai-yoon.html

Which brings into question mkawish's claims that he's farang:

cut// is almost unbearable as a good intended Farang living and contributing in Thailand....

A case of extreme infantile-ism .... to say the least....

From:

And:

cut// Many farang like myself have been very much bewildered and antagonized by these Thai ministers, what are they really up to, really.... accusing and betraying their own kind and their own MP....? Such a disgrace to Thailand.... It seems....[/size]

hanuman1, do you have an insight, pls?

From: