Fugitive Politician 'Kamnan Poh' Absence In Court Will Cost Daughter Bt15M

[webfact]

Fugitive politician's absence in court will cost daughter Bt15m

The Nation

The daughter of influential businessman and fugitive local politician Somchai Khunpluem who has been on the run from two convictions sentencing him to more than 30 years' jail, was yesterday ordered to pay Bt15 million for the father's failure to attend the reading of his final verdict.

The Criminal Court judges told Jiraphorn that the four doctors' certificates issued five years ago submitted by her, claiming her father suffered from numerous illnesses, were not new and not enough to justify her request to postpone yesterday's session to next year.

The court ordered Jiraphorn to pay Bt15 million, or her assets worth Bt15 million that she had posted as Somchai's bail, would be seized.

The judges, who were supposed to read out a Supreme Court decision on his conviction for ordering the murder of a fellow kamnan based in Chon Buri's Muang district on March 9, 2003, granted the request from a co-defendant - Phassakorn Hommual - to postpone the session. Phassakorn had submitted a document explaining the reasons why he was unable to attend yesterday's session.

Phassakorn is a member of the Muang Saen Suk assembly, which issued the document affirming that Phassakorn was on a flood-relief assignment from November 25 until tomorrow and could not attend yesterday's session.

He and Somchai, better known as Kamnan Poh, are both based in Saen Suk.

The session was rescheduled to 9am on January 24 for both Somchai and Phassakorn to hear the final verdict on charges of being behind Prayoon Sitthichote's death.

Both Somchai and Phassakorn were found guilty of being behind Prayoon's death and sentenced to 25 years each in June 2004 by the lower court and Appeals Court.

Somchai has also been convicted of land-purchase fraud in connection with the construction of a garbage dump and sentenced to five years and four months in prison.

-- The Nation 2011-11-30

[EyesWideOpen]

Oh ......my.....god..... Punishment is being meted out to a wealthy and powerful Thai? He must have really pissed some one off. Seems like standard operating procedure is to endless delay the legal proceedings, then the whole issues gently goes away.

[webfact]

'Kamnan Poh': The long-living godfather

One of Thailand's best-known "godfathers", Somchai Kunplome - or Kamnan Poh as he is known - has come a long way since dropping out of school after Grade 4.

There was certainly a lot for this son of a Chon Buri village headman to look back on when he celebrated his 65th birthday last month. He had this to say about his education, or lack of it, in the recently released book, "In Search of the Meaning of a Man Named Poh''. "At the time, people did not give much importance to education. In fact, my mother wanted me to continue school but I decided not to," he recalled.

"Godfather" is a term used to describe influential persons, usually in the provinces, with presumed criminal links. Kamnan means village headman. Poh's first job was as a bus boy on the Bang Saen-Chon Buri route. He later became a bus service operator after managing to acquire a vehicle. That business only lasted a year. He spent the next two years as a helper on a fishing boat, before entering into the monkhood.

A stint in the military soon followed. He was still only 21. After completing his military service, he returned home and shortly afterwards married Satil, a beauty from his Bang Saen neighbourhood. The couple had their first son, Sontaya - Thailand's new tourism and sports minister - in 1963. Poh returned to the fishing industry, and his life changed forever when he bumped into a French tourist on holiday in Bang Saen.

The well-connected Frenchman later invited him to run a commercial fishing business in Cambodia. Poh, who was elected headman of tambon Saen Suk, a sub-district of Bang Saen, in 1966 at age 29, used his influence to mobilise 14 boats for the venture. The rapid rise of his business and influence later spilled over into other provincial districts.

Growing up in Chon Buri, known for its high number of gangsters and mafia members, he was used to seeing power asserted. "During my childhood, being a nak-leng [gangster] was not unusual. There used to be around 30 bridges in the province and each was controlled by three different nak-leng.

Torture and killing were commonplace," he recalled in his book. In 1976, Poh moved up the village governance ladder when he was elected kamnan of tambon Saen Suk. His fast-rising influence prompted the now-defunct Social Action party to enlist him as its key canvasser for a general election.

Eventually, he helped former finance minister Boonchu Rojanasathien win a House seat in Chon Buri. The victory earned Poh plaudits from the party's leader, former premier MR Kukrit Pramoj, because at the time the Chon Buri constituency was a key to victory.

For a long period Chon Buri was dominated by Uthai Pimchaichon, the current president of Parliament. Poh recalled that Kukrit used to visit him when he was ill. "He said he missed me so he dropped by when he was around my neighbourhood. We did not talk much. When I was mentioned [in connection with the death of Sia Hor - a former Chon Buri godfather killed in broad daylight in 1981], newspapers published this story for months.

One day, MR Krukrit wrote in his column in Siam Rath about this. The next day, other newspapers suddenly stopped writing about me." Politically, Poh was a loyal supporter of the Social Action Party for a long time, before championing the now-defunct Samakki Tham Party.

He later supported the Chat Pattana and Chat Thai parties. In the last general election, Poh managed to help the Chart Thai Party win all eight House seats in the province amid the Thai Rak Thai Party's national landslide. That, Poh asserted, reflected the good deeds he had done for Chon Buri's voters over the past 30 years. Those "good deeds'' also helped two of his children, Wittaya and Ittipol, get elected Chon Buri MPs.

-- The Nation 2007

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/Kamnan-Poh-The-long-living-godfather-66927.html

[Buchholz]

.

Jiraphorn Khunpluem's 15 million baht loss will be somewhat cushioned by her sister-in-law, Culture Minister Sukumol Khunpluem, who declared 82.8 Million Baht in assets for the recent asset declaration statements of Yingluck's Cabinet ministers.

Of course, any one in the family could have avoided any loss by convincing Somchai to turn himself in.

.

Edited November 30, 2011 by Buchholz

[geriatrickid]

.

Jiraphorn Khunpluem's 15 million baht loss will be somewhat cushioned by her sister-in-law, Culture Minister Sukumol Khunpluem, who declared 82.8 Million Baht in assets for the recent asset declaration statements of Yingluck's Cabinet ministers.

Of course, any one in the family could have avoided any loss by convincing Somchai to turn himself in.

.

How will it be cushioned? How do you know that the sister in law even cares about this man's fate? How many people do you know would "cushion" a sister in law's loss, in this type of case?

Please explain your statement. Just how close are these two women?

[Buchholz]

.

Jiraphorn Khunpluem's 15 million baht loss will be somewhat cushioned by her sister-in-law, Culture Minister Sukumol Khunpluem, who declared 82.8 Million Baht in assets for the recent asset declaration statements of Yingluck's Cabinet ministers.

Of course, any one in the family could have avoided any loss by convincing Somchai to turn himself in.

How will it be cushioned? How do you know that the sister in law even cares about this man's fate? How many people do you know would "cushion" a sister in law's loss, in this type of case?

Please explain your statement. Just how close are these two women?

The entire family is wealthy and like most Thai families are close to one another and pool resources.

.

[Orac]

.

Jiraphorn Khunpluem's 15 million baht loss will be somewhat cushioned by her sister-in-law, Culture Minister Sukumol Khunpluem, who declared 82.8 Million Baht in assets for the recent asset declaration statements of Yingluck's Cabinet ministers.

Of course, any one in the family could have avoided any loss by convincing Somchai to turn himself in.

.

How will it be cushioned? How do you know that the sister in law even cares about this man's fate? How many people do you know would "cushion" a sister in law's loss, in this type of case?

Please explain your statement. Just how close are these two women?

Surely the sister in law is just keeping the spot warm for her husband while he serves his ban from politics. Her declared assets probably pale into insignificance against the rest of the family which also includes the major of Pattaya. I somehow don't think that a loss of 15m baht will need too much 'cushioning' here.

[hammered]

15 million isnt exactly a great deal at this level.

This whole case is actually very interesting if you care to follow it with all kinds of people you wouldnt have expected to get hit by bullets getting hit by bullets among a few other rather intriguing details. The whole chain of how the gunman was allegedly arranged was also shall we say somewhat unusual. It will actually be interesting to see this one at court if it ever moves anywhere.

Of course if Kamnan Poh or Vattana or any of the other more famous non-Thaksin fugitives were willing to deliver a bunch of poltical defectors into the Abhisit camp Im sure things would look up for them. However, right now the Abhisit camp is having a few problems even keeping in with its opposition "allies" (no suprise there as no party or politician really likes the hypocritally self righteous Dems), and managed to even start the ball roling on things that have shall we say totally and utterly pissed off the more liberal side of the anti-Thaksin alliance by their outcome.

Edited November 30, 2011 by sbk
drop the nicknames

[jalansanitwong]

15 million to these people is a drop in the bucket. Probably wont even bother paying the fine.They will appeal and appeal again until the matter blows over or someone more sympathetic takes the chair. TIT :jap:

[Oberkommando]

They call these people 'gangsters' or 'mafia' but in truth they are just typical Thai bullies. Kamnan Poh is no exception nor are his spawn. Allowed to rise up to these positions because of a flawed culture and a cultural acceptance of corruption, greed and criminality.

It is as Buchholz alludes to a very tight network; where else would you see a convicted political criminal (escaped and not served sentence like oh so many) have his family so prominently involved in politics?

[Orac]

They call these people 'gangsters' or 'mafia' but in truth they are just typical Thai bullies. Kamnan Poh is no exception nor are his spawn. Allowed to rise up to these positions because of a flawed culture and a cultural acceptance of corruption, greed and criminality.

It is as Buchholz alludes to a very tight network; where else would you see a convicted political criminal (escaped and not served sentence like oh so many) have his family so prominently involved in politics?

Not too sure that Somchai can be described as a 'typical' bully - he appears to be one of the few people that can make even Thaksin look good.

His alleged comment “I used to have enemies in Chonburi, but they all died.” says it all.

Edited November 30, 2011 by Orac

[elgato]

Money will indeed change hands but I doubt it will be the Bt15 M

[geriatrickid]

The entire family is wealthy and like most Thai families are close to one another and pool resources.

.

Oh I see, Thai families are special and have a magical cohesiveness. Thatks for the generalization. I must have some friends that are atypical; One family is marked by two uncles that are bitter foes, another one of my friends can't stand his cousins and won't attend family functions if they are present. You know what? Thais are alot like western westerners now when it comes to family units. just Many family members don't get along with other family members. Don't make assumptions when you do not have personal knowledge of the family. You are are aware that divorce rates are quite high in your magical land of the cohesive family unit right? And you are aware that in the past two decades, there is a growing problem of elderly parents not being taken care of by their children which has given rise to social activists asking for a better old age pension system. However, don't let me get in the way of your 1950's era of Thai family relationships. If you have any Thai friends ask them whetehr everyone is so loving and willing to cough up 15million baht for a sister in law. I would be surprised if som relatives are probably very happy the family will lose the bail pledge. And yes. that's another attribute of Thais, just like westerners:.

[IAMSOBAD]

Now we see that papas boat business taught the family how to run a jet ski business in Pattaya.

Connect the dots...the truth is disgusting.

Anyone getting sick and tired of the TIT excuse?

Maybe the new UN Ambassador of Crime can use her power to jail these thugs?

[peterdk]

The entire family is wealthy and like most Thai families are close to one another and pool resources.

.

Oh I see, Thai families are special and have a magical cohesiveness. Thatks for the generalization. I must have some friends that are atypical; One family is marked by two uncles that are bitter foes, another one of my friends can't stand his cousins and won't attend family functions if they are present. You know what? Thais are alot like western westerners now when it comes to family units. just Many family members don't get along with other family members. Don't make assumptions when you do not have personal knowledge of the family. You are are aware that divorce rates are quite high in your magical land of the cohesive family unit right? And you are aware that in the past two decades, there is a growing problem of elderly parents not being taken care of by their children which has given rise to social activists asking for a better old age pension system. However, don't let me get in the way of your 1950's era of Thai family relationships. If you have any Thai friends ask them whetehr everyone is so loving and willing to cough up 15million baht for a sister in law. I would be surprised if som relatives are probably very happy the family will lose the bail pledge. And yes. that's another attribute of Thais, just like westerners:.

I dont know enough of this story to comment, but it would seem he was the initial source of wealth and power for the entire family.

That should count for something, no ?

[Buchholz]

The entire family is wealthy and like most Thai families are close to one another and pool resources.

.

Oh I see, Thai families are special and have a magical cohesiveness. Thatks for the generalization. I must have some friends that are atypical; One family is marked by two uncles that are bitter foes, another one of my friends can't stand his cousins and won't attend family functions if they are present. You know what? Thais are alot like western westerners now when it comes to family units. just Many family members don't get along with other family members. Don't make assumptions when you do not have personal knowledge of the family. You are are aware that divorce rates are quite high in your magical land of the cohesive family unit right? And you are aware that in the past two decades, there is a growing problem of elderly parents not being taken care of by their children which has given rise to social activists asking for a better old age pension system. However, don't let me get in the way of your 1950's era of Thai family relationships. If you have any Thai friends ask them whetehr everyone is so loving and willing to cough up 15million baht for a sister in law. I would be surprised if som relatives are probably very happy the family will lose the bail pledge. And yes. that's another attribute of Thais, just like westerners:.

As I said, "most" Thai families are close.

There are certainly exceptions, such as the two families you cite (unless those are the only two Thai families you are familiar with).

This family is close and are always appearing in public together at local events I've attended. If that's a facade, then it's been a very convincing decade plus long facade that I've been witnessing.

The Thai friends and families that I'm familiar with have no qualms about pooling their resources. They wouldn't blink to support each other to the equal proportional amounts mentioned.

I'm sorry that you seem to have more exposure than I to the dysfunctional families of which you speak, but they do not account for "most" Thai families.

.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Buchholz, unfortunately, she isn't out the money yet...despite the court order... With these kinds of things, it's typically hard to believe they're actually going to happen until if and when they do... which is often never.

Somehow, I see a cash filled box of donuts heading for the court office one of these days...

If the guy ever does face justice and end up in jail, I hope they give him a cell right next to Jatuporn, and that they both have a good long stay together.

[saintofsilence]

Now we see that papas boat business taught the family how to run a jet ski business in Pattaya.

Connect the dots...the truth is disgusting.

Anyone getting sick and tired of the TIT excuse?

Maybe the new UN Ambassador of Crime can use her power to jail these thugs?

Not to forget connections to TAT an orgaisation that promote tourism including water sports to tourists with full knowledge scam gangs work the beach's extorting and scamming money along with co coperation of some law enforcement.

Edited November 30, 2011 by saintofsilence

[alexth]

Let's just think for a minute what do actually 15 million mean for this guy...I did my thinking...it's nothing

[geriatrickid]

I dont know enough of this story to comment, but it would seem he was the initial source of wealth and power for the entire family.

That should count for something, no ?

I agree, and I wouldn't be surprised if the children have boxes of cash stashed away. I was irked because of the assumption that other family members would be quick to cough up 15million baht to help out. It was malicious to intimate that a sister in law who by coincidence is an elected official would run over to pay the money to a non blood relative. My experience is that the wealthier the Thai family, the greater the likelihood there will be acrimonious relationships between relatives. I suppose its one of those things one needs to experience first hand. In that regard, Thais are quite like westerners,

[hammered]

I dont know enough of this story to comment, but it would seem he was the initial source of wealth and power for the entire family.

That should count for something, no ?

I agree, and I wouldn't be surprised if the children have boxes of cash stashed away. I was irked because of the assumption that other family members would be quick to cough up 15million baht to help out. It was malicious to intimate that a sister in law who by coincidence is an elected official would run over to pay the money to a non blood relative. My experience is that the wealthier the Thai family, the greater the likelihood there will be acrimonious relationships between relatives. I suppose its one of those things one needs to experience first hand. In that regard, Thais are quite like westerners,

Anyone who has ever followed the sagas of some of the famous Thai very wealthy family inheritances and the dramas and deaths that surround them would certainly agree with you. This family do though seem to be an exception and very tight

[Buchholz]

Let's just think for a minute what do actually 15 million mean for this guy...I did my thinking...it's nothing

Precisely. It would be nothing for this wealthy family to kick in that much or just let the assets that were used for his bail to be seized. Why some poster would think it's somehow a significant amount to them or that this close family which contains several significant politicians would all of a sudden abandon one of the patriarch's daughters is mystifying, but I guess they've not experienced how most Thai families band together.

.

[slapout]

The lady put up 15 million in assets, not cash, so she can pay 15 million or let the security of the bail bond revert to the court. If the assets put up are worth the bail (knowing Thailand, not a chance), then great. Realistically, the bail guarantee is probably a piece of swamp land, subject to high tide flooding, or possibly the land is located next to a garbage dump (down wind , low side drainage). This man/family seem to be a tad more intelligent than the legal beagles of Thailand, doubt they will be having a wake over forfeited property.

[givenall]

.

Jiraphorn Khunpluem's 15 million baht loss will be somewhat cushioned by her sister-in-law, Culture Minister Sukumol Khunpluem, who declared 82.8 Million Baht in assets for the recent asset declaration statements of Yingluck's Cabinet ministers.

Of course, any one in the family could have avoided any loss by convincing Somchai to turn himself in.

.

How will it be cushioned? How do you know that the sister in law even cares about this man's fate? How many people do you know would "cushion" a sister in law's loss, in this type of case?

Please explain your statement. Just how close are these two women?

How do you think these families get so rich? They collaborateand use all means including the corruptions together to stay very rich. And there are a lot of bodies in each other closets that the best is to stay hidden. So yesthey will help each other

Edited November 30, 2011 by metisdead
Font, again.

[TAWP]

GK>> Are you opposed to the idea of the family helping out because of the sister-in-laws political position/post, that you happen to support, or is there other evidence to us to ponder?

I hope we one day get to see every criminal, no matter the political affiliation/even not having any, punished for their deeds.

I don't get this habit some people have of defending them.

[SteeleJoe]

...a sister in law who by coincidence is an elected official...

Classic.

[geriatrickid]

GK>> Are you opposed to the idea of the family helping out because of the sister-in-laws political position/post, that you happen to support, or is there other evidence to us to ponder?

I hope we one day get to see every criminal, no matter the political affiliation/even not having any, punished for their deeds.

I don't get this habit some people have of defending them.

As there is no breach of the law by the act of assistance, It is up to the individual to follow his or her conscience in the matter.

My point that eludes some people, is that the assumption is made that a non blood relative, a sister in law, is going to assist. For all anyone knows, these two women could loathe each other, yet an unsubstantiated allegation is made. I have not defended the daughter, nor the accused. If they are guilty of the offense then they need to deal with the legal ramifications. From my understanding of the charges, the judgement appears to be merited

Edited November 30, 2011 by geriatrickid

[Buchholz]

GK>> Are you opposed to the idea of the family helping out because of the sister-in-laws political position/post, that you happen to support, or is there other evidence to us to ponder?

I hope we one day get to see every criminal, no matter the political affiliation/even not having any, punished for their deeds.

I don't get this habit some people have of defending them.

As there is no breach of the law by the act of assistance, It is up to the individual to follow his or her conscience in the matter.

My point that eludes some people, is that the assumption is made that a non blood relative, a sister in law, is going to assist. For all anyone knows, these two women could loathe each other, yet an unsubstantiated allegation is made. I have not defended the daughter, nor the accused. If they are guilty of the offense then they need to deal with the legal ramifications. From my understanding of the charges, the judgement appears to be merited

They certainly didn't seem to loathe each other at any of the 3 events I saw them together at.

As for "allegation"... what on Earth is this supposed "allegation"?

That they are sister-in-laws? That they are in a close family? That they are rich? I haven't alleged either has done anything wrong.

As for you not "defending the daughter," there's nothing to defend.

She didn't commit any crime. All she did was pay for the bail.

As for the wealth of the families, (Sukumol's side of the family is loaded as well), the paltry 15 million can be properly viewed if one looks at what the families gave when Sonthaya (Somchai's son) and Sukumol (Culture Minister) married :

The dowries included 4,444,400 baht, 20 baht gold, and over 100 million baht worth of diamond jewellery. The groom’s parents, Somchai and Satil Khunpluem presented the couple with a Mercedes Benz E-280, a house, and the Khunpluem family ring. The bride’s parents gave a plot of land worth hundreds of millions of baht.

Pattaya Mail - January 17, 2003

I suppose I should point out that 8 years later after the marriage, Sukumol declared assets this year were worth only 82.8 million baht, so I do extend my condolences to her misfortune for having lost a great deal of money in the intervening years. Still, when I saw her and her entourage 2 months ago at yet another public event, she seemed to be still doing ok.

.

Edited November 30, 2011 by Buchholz

[cgphuket]

Oh ......my.....god..... Punishment is being meted out to a wealthy and powerful Thai? He must have really pissed some one off. Seems like standard operating procedure is to endless delay the legal proceedings, then the whole issues gently goes away.

Spot on

[NanLaew]

It's just a game to all involved; from the absentee gangbanger, his family to the judiciary. Everyone knows that 15 million is a drop in the ocean for this family and their associates. In the real world, a judge would stop f*cking about and bang-up the daughter in jail until the murderous father returned. But his spawn have all managed to get into local or national government with all the 'immunities' that this imparts.