Imprisoned Yellowshirt Founder 'Not Enjoying Any Privileges'
By Khaosod English
 

Sondhi Limthongkul on his way to prison after an appeals court found him guilty of fraud and falsifying loan documents on 7 August 2014 and rejected his request for a release on bail. 

BANGKOK — A top official has insisted that prison wardens are not privileging the recently-incarcerated founder of the Yellowshirt movement who was sentenced to 20 years in prison last week.

Sondhi Limthongkul, 66, has been imprisoned since an appeals court found him guilty of fraud and falsifying loan documents on 7 August and rejected his request for a release on bail. He is currently incarcerated at Klong Prem Central Prison in northern Bangkok, a high-security prison for those sentenced to more than 15 years in jail.

"He has been living strictly under the rules of the prison," Department of Corrections director Witthaya Suriyawong said today. “There are no privileges for him.” Mr. Witthaya added that Mr. Sondhi is sharing a cell with other prisoners.

However, Mr. Witthaya said he has instructed the director of Klong Prem Prison to keep a close watch on Mr. Sondhi and prevent prisoners "with different political ideas" from mixing with him in order to maintain peace and order in the prison.

According to the Department of Corrections director, the prison wardens have relied on night guards and CCTV footage to keep an eye on Mr. Sondhi's personal safety.

The official emphasised that these policies are necessary and should not be considered a privilege for Mr. Sondhi.

"The important thing is that no one must be allowed to harm him, lest it escalates into a big issue," Mr. Witthaya said.

He added, "Mr. Sondhi has been in prison for almost a week now. I believe he has already adapted his mind and habits to the prison environment by now. His relatives never requested anything special for him either."

A group of family members, colleagues, and friends visited Mr. Sondhi for 15 minutes today.

Mr. Sondhi and two other executives of Manager Media Group, of which Mr. Sondhi is a founder, were deemed guilty by the Court of Appeals on 7 August for falsifying an internal memo that allowed the company to guarantee a 1.078 billion baht loan from Krung Thai Bank to the The M Group, a company that Mr. Sondhi held shares in.

The company later defaulted on its loan, forcing Manager Media Group to pay back the debt. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also accused Mr. Sondhi of hiding the loan guarantee from the financial statement the company filed to the stock market.

The defendant contested the verdict but the Supreme Court has not yet confirmed whether it will take up the case.

Mr. Sondhi was a well-known media tycoon before he became anti-corruption activist and launched a campaign against the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2005.

He founded the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which later became known as the Yellowshirts for adopting yellow - His Majesty the King's personal colour - as the group's symbol. Mr. Sondhi accused Mr. Thaksin of corruption, abuse of power, and plotting to overthrow the monarchy.

Street protests led by the PAD eventually led to the military coup against Mr. Thaksin on 19 September 2006.

Source: http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1407926616&section=11&typecate=06

[khaosod]2014-08-13[/khaosod]

Is this the same Sondhi that was the target of a failed assassination attempt a few years ago?

Well done. This should shut up the red sympathizers who are accusing the junta of bias.

One law for all . . . good to see it being upheld here for once 

 

(at least for the moment)

Is this the same Sondhi that was the target of a failed assassination attempt a few years ago?

 

Yes, according to Wiki

So apparently, he quoted another person (Mr Daranee Chanchoengsilpakul) and then Jailed for quoting that person.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sondhi_Limthongkul 

towards the bottom

he can have an air con room for all i care as long as he,s inside..wonder if he does spoon,s with anyone yet...

Good.

 

Why should anyone deserve privileges when doing time (except for when they are earned)?

This guy has been out on bail for over half a dozen convictions in the past.  Good to see he finally got smacked down for once.

Is this the same Sondhi that was the target of a failed assassination attempt a few years ago?

 

Yes

 

His wikipedia makes very interesting reading in regard to who he thought was behind the attack

Edited August 13, 201411 yr by bkkgooner

I think the red brigade are loving this although it has nothing what so ever to do with his political leanings, but then that's typical red bias for you.

I think in that photo he's giving a 'secret thumbs up' that's all's cool.

Is this the same Sondhi that was the target of a failed assassination attempt a few years ago?

Yes, according to Wiki

He has been relatively quiet since then.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

I think the red brigade are loving this although it has nothing what so ever to do with his political leanings, but then that's typical red bias for you.

Oh? Many of those who share his political views have been doing the same thing for decades, with impunity. Maybe he is the sacrificial lamb ( or pig).

 

I think the red brigade are loving this although it has nothing what so ever to do with his political leanings, but then that's typical red bias for you.

Oh? Many of those who share his political views have been doing the same thing for decades, with impunity. Maybe he is the sacrificial lamb ( or pig).

 

Who knows... but he is in jail and one could argue he is a man of wealth and power and was on the side of the coup makers. So it seems there is not much bias. I don't see many important reds in jail (yet). 

Do i think its deserved... YES the guy was corrupt and forged documents. I don't care that he was on my side.. if they can get Suthep or anyone.. go for it. Go for corrupt ones on ANY side and hope they turn on each other and spill secrets and get more of them in jail. 

So he's been convicted and there's no bail. Shouldn't he be in chains, hands and feet manacled like less financially fortunate villains? Looks like he is already enjoying the privilege of avoiding that particular loss of human dignity.

Criminals should be in prison. Now see what happens to the criminals of another political denomination. I do not understand how it can be that Jattuporn can have two probation sentences of both two years. He called upon thousands to bring bottles with petrol to burn BKK.

And then there are Tarit, Chalerm and the darling of Isan as front people. Will they have to serve time?

And what about the bad guy in Dubai? Will there be any attempt to get him back and serve his sentence?

Has anyone seen any news whatsover about Chalerm in the last months since the take over?

Interesting really. After the coup the Junta released the red shirt activists from their exclusive red only jail back into the public prison system which must have seemed biased against them. Now they have a prominent yellow activist in the general prison population which further illustrates their unbiased attitude and determination to remove the colour divide. It's a shame they can't adjust the colour divide amongst some TVF members

 

 

Is this the same Sondhi that was the target of a failed assassination attempt a few years ago?

Yes, according to Wiki

He has been relatively quiet since then.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

 

 

I believe he has been living a very quiet life because he knows exactly who ordered him dead and he knows that person is not to be fucked around with on any level.

I hope he has sent Thaksin a postcard "Wish You Were Here" 

Well done. This should shut up the red sympathizers who are accusing the junta of bias.

he is not a friend of the junta, so it is more a confirmation of their bias.

Is this the same Sondhi that was the target of a failed assassination attempt a few years ago?

Yes, according to Wiki

He has been relatively quiet since then.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

I believe he has been living a very quiet life because he knows exactly who ordered him dead and he knows that person is not to be around with on any level.

We think the same way.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

 

Well done. This should shut up the red sympathizers who are accusing the junta of bias.

he is not a friend of the junta, so it is more a confirmation of their bias.

 

 

Maybe yes maybe no. But he is defiantly not a friend of the red shirts. Don't forget that if you are not a red shirt as far as they are concerned if you are not a red shirt backer you are a yellow shirt even though the yellow shirts pretty well ended any say they had trying to get Abhist to invade Cambodia

 

That alone will show them that the NCPO is non biased. Well they are biased against corruption.

Edited August 13, 201411 yr by northernjohn

One law for all . . . good to see it being upheld here for once 

 

(at least for the moment)

 

what about the comfortable "special prison" for redshirts only that the Yinhgluck government isntalled ?

So apparently, he quoted another person (Mr Daranee Chanchoengsilpakul) and then Jailed for quoting that person.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sondhi_Limthongkul

towards the bottom

Yes, it pays to be aware of the laws in Thailand.

Even if you do not know all the intricacies, you should be aware that some topics are verboten.

 

 

Criminals should be in prison. Now see what happens to the criminals of another political denomination. I do not understand how it can be that Jattuporn can have two probation sentences of both two years. He called upon thousands to bring bottles with petrol to burn BKK.

And then there are Tarit, Chalerm and the darling of Isan as front people. Will they have to serve time?

And what about the bad guy in Dubai? Will there be any attempt to get him back and serve his sentence?

 

 "I do not understand how it can be that Jatuporn can have two probation sentences of both two years. He called upon thousands to bring bottles with petrol to burn BKK."

 

Well, no actually, he didn't. You may mean Arisman whose "fiery" rhetoric was a warning of a possible response if any UDD supporters were injured by the military. Some people without an agenda may even take note that the speech was made in January 2010, some 3 to 4 months before the military did indeed "injure" UDD supporters, as prophesied.

 

Or you could be mistaking Jatuporn with Nattuwat, who declared on May 19th 2010, that if there was a coup, Nattawut would take responsibility for UDD supporters "burning places all over Thailand".

 

 

So your "justification", such as it is, for criticising Jatuporns bail conditions is without founding. I won't bother with the rest of your polemic.

 

 

well done fab, as usual we can only get proper fact, only from people like you
 

 

Only the facts you want to hear and believe ?

But but but, anyone that reads ThaiVisa forums ought to know by now that the Yellowshirts are pristine angelic beings, incapable of wrongdoing. heh

20 years for falsifying a memo? bit harsh isn't it? I would have taken all his money and worldly possessions

of him and strip him naked to his last penny and on a good behavior bond, after all, he's not a drug

dealer, murderer or a mafia figure... 20 years jail... a bit much..

20 years for falsifying a memo? bit harsh isn't it? I would have taken all his money and worldly possessions

of him and strip him naked to his last penny and on a good behavior bond, after all, he's not a drug

dealer, murderer or a mafia figure... 20 years jail... a bit much..

 

 Falsify a memo = get 20 years imprisonment

 Falsify an overseas degree = get 3 years premiership

 Falsify a contract where you called yourself "Lady" before the the prestigious title was bestowed upon you = get Slimdog to write pages of obfuscating bullshit, and escape from any charge.

 Falsify your cub scouts paperwork = get hounded by rowdy reds for eternity.

 

 The differing fates of yellows and reds. Why do the reds always get special treatment?

 Hahaha anti-corruption activist gets 20 years for Corruption

 

Karma's a bitch and Mr T must be loving it