Prayut blows his top when asked about father's land sale

[Baerboxer]

Any Minister has the right to privacy. But when it comes to such a large sale in the nearest family, it is fair game for the journalists questions. I still think it is better to have a Premier with some passion, instead of a puppet that only reads a script, and doesn't answer any further questions.

Yingluck couldn't even answer the Ombudsman's question about the new passport her cousin issued illegally as a birthday present to her criminal fugitive brother. Still silence on that subject from her.

The PM's father sold some land and apparently made gifts to his children from the proceeds. The PM as a recipient declared that.

But the Shin supporters judge everyone by their own standards so suspect every transaction to be corrupt in some way like most of their boss's.

[casualbiker]

I'm going to be repeating myself on Thai Visa but General Cretino provokes me into doing so. First, he said he overthrew a democracy "to restore democracy", then he said freedom of speech exists for Thais except he can't be faulted, then the investigation into the murder of the two young Brits was both finished and perfect -- and now "I have rights to my privacy', not a pearl of wisdom you wish to drop when you've deprived 70 million Thais of their basic human rights

.

Let's hope the ballsy reporter isn't murdered by two Burmese.

Is it too soon to start guessing when he'll be dumped? By other Army types most likely who see how awful Cretino is.

We stay tuned.

" when you've deprived 70 million Thais of their basic human rights"

What are they then.. basic human rights?

[Carrerakiss]

Well he would do wouldn't he ? This look at the facts. Thaksin Shinwatra in 2006 met his demise because he escaped significant amounts of tax because the Shin corp shares were transferred via the British Virgin Islands account. Something the Elite have been doing in this country since 1923 with the support of Siam Commercial Bank. Unfortunately TS made it known publicy.

Cries of derision was heard by all.

Fast forward 8 years and the good general and his Father have been found out to have been doing exactly the same thing with the land sale that they put into a company name only 13 days earlier prior to the sale. Guess why he wanted the coup in 2014 ? Was it to return happiness to the Thai people, what ever that means, or was it so he can benefit from it ? What do you think ?

I think you are incorrectly linking two separate issues.

Yes, Thaksin stupidly made public a type of transaction that had been going on for years, and, clearly, still goes on now. Thaksins case was emotionally worse because the Thai assets were sold to a company partially owned by a foreign government. Were it mot for the latter fact, his transaction probably wouldn't have raised any eyebrows.

To suggest the General staged a coup simply to facilitate his own family's property transaction seems a false argument to me. He could have done the transaction, coup or no coup, and to stage a coup for such a purpose would be an incredible size sledgehammer to crack a small nut.

There are any number of reasons that might explain why the coup was staged, this property transaction is not likely one of them.

[newcomer71]

Look at this topic and you will understand why I took a long break from posting here...

Insults, attacks, name calling is the best sport here on TVF.

Whichever idea you post on, you will be attacked and told you are part of a gang, herd, group.

Come on guys be not babies and if you were protesting against corruption few months ago and cheering the coup because it could make a change againt corruption, now it's time to stand by the same principles and ask questions about PM asset declarations and transparency.

If you feel it's not the case, you're being at least naive.

Why yes! We were all awaiting a post from you with bated breath!

Comedy post of the year... and by the way, when you will delight us with some ON TOPIC insights?

[Carrerakiss]

Whoa Mr PM firstly your in a public position you choose to be in so you give up your right to privacy. Secondly what you do in public or private is State business no longer private business. Until you step down you work for the Thai public and you answer to the Thai public. Not like military where they do as you say with out question shoe is on other foot, Now It You do as the Thai people say.

I think you are looking at things in a Western way where government and civil service work for the people.

Here, government and civil servants RULE the people. Walk into any Amphur or Tessabaan and see how local people kowtow to their rulers.

Rulers set the rules of what will and won't be done.

[Jonmarleesco]

Tut,tut, Mr PM. You chose to be in the public eye. There isn't any given right to, nor should there be any expectation of, privacy in regard to any aspect of your actions or pronouncements that might reasonably be viewed as of public interest.

[Flex2791]

I guess it is safe to assume that it is only a coincidence that the PM and the entire 250 person appointed cabinet (who are mostly lifelong public "servants") just happen to all be multimillionaires and billionaires. None have any "businesses" to justify such wealth. As the PM himself said no too long ago, questions should not be asked about their wealth as it was probably inherited. Would it be a stretch of the imagination that ill gotten wealth could be used to buy land under a family name and then gifted back down the food chain?

[boomerangutang]

Not trying to protect Prayuth but people should be scrutinizing Prayuth's father than, not Prayuth. Land is indeed cheap back then, anyone who owns a big piece of land around Bangkok from 20 years ago will see the land prices increase by at least 10x in the right locations, even bigger increase if it was bought 30 years ago.

North of Chiang Rai, where I reside, there are thousands of semi-rural parcels. None have title. All the largest parcels (10 to 200 rai) are owned by (surprise!) absentee Chinese-Thai rich people. How much did they pay per rai back in the day? Probably somewhere in the hundreds or at most thousands of baht per rai. One example: I saw a tax statement from a 4 rai parcel from 16 years ago. How much tax? 36 baht. Many locals get land for very cheap or for free and later sell it (surprise again!) for high prices, up to Bt.2 million/rai.

Picture of the land in question :

That's the parcel? I wouldn't pay Bt.5,000 for that. It fits with my theory: the less attractive a parcel, the more it costs. That theory was best applied to Bangkok property, when you consider what Bangkok has to offer:

>>> smog, gridlock, crime, political riots every few years, noise, flooding, unfriendly people.

which cost 100 X the price of parcels of land with........

>>> clean air, big trees, birds singing, no gridlock, no flooding, friendly neighbors, low crime, seclusion.

Your dream land is Not so good if you want to build an industrial estate or similar!

Some Japanese companies paid high prices for 'prime' industrial properties near Bangkok. Then the floods came in 2011. Land under 1 to 2 meters of standing water, valuable equipment ruined. Sometimes I think people turn off the on-button on their brains when they come to Thailand. P.s. Bangkok suffers major floods on average, every 5 years. And future floods will get worse. You don't have to take my word for it, ask any meteorologist with two brain cells working in tandem.

[Jonmarleesco]

Whoa Mr PM firstly your in a public position you choose to be in so you give up your right to privacy. Secondly what you do in public or private is State business no longer private business. Until you step down you work for the Thai public and you answer to the Thai public. Not like military where they do as you say with out question shoe is on other foot, Now It You do as the Thai people say.

I think you are looking at things in a Western way where government and civil service work for the people.

Here, government and civil servants RULE the people. Walk into any Amphur or Tessabaan and see how local people kowtow to their rulers.

Rulers set the rules of what will and won't be done.

'I think you are looking at things in a Western way where government and civil service work for the people.' I'm hard pushed to think of any government, or department of mandarins, that works with the interests of the people uppermost in their minds ... except at election time.

[Jonmarleesco]

I guess it is safe to assume that it is only a coincidence that the PM and the entire 250 person appointed cabinet (who are mostly lifelong public "servants") just happen to all be multimillionaires and billionaires. None have any "businesses" to justify such wealth. As the PM himself said no too long ago, questions should not be asked about their wealth as it was probably inherited. Would it be a stretch of the imagination that ill gotten wealth could be used to buy land under a family name and then gifted back down the food chain?

Well, now you know why the IHT band has been set at B50m, and the rate at 10%.

[tim armstrong]

Good for the PM

[robertson468]

It is time Prayut realises that he has put himself and his Family in a Goldfish Bowl so that everyone can observe them, all part and parcel of being PM and he does himself and his Premiership a dis-service by berating journalists for asking pointed questions - it goes with the turf I'm afraid. Likewise bemoaning his lot at how hard he is working and that his Wife seldom sees him, is an indication of weakness. The Nation does not need to know or hear about his routine domestic arrangements, unless there is a particular issue that could affect his performance. He needs to stop acting like a General and more like a politician, which he claims now to be. Being criticized and under the magnifying glass is stressful, but he needs to cope with it and stop making himself sound like an autocratic bad tempered person - that's okay as a General, but not as a Prime Minister. I do hope that someone in his Government has the courage to tell him that his current attitude is inappropriate as a PM and he needs to review how he handles the press - they are the ones who pass information on to the Public and one would hope that he can learn to handle them so that there is a more positive spin of not only what he is doing, but how he is doing it. As has been said previously, "if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen".

[Thai at Heart]

Maybe you don't understand the difference and what's involved between a CONSORTIUM and a person who establishes a company ltd to register a land deal

People negotiate. You don't need a company to negotiate.

Why are they using a Virgin Islands company to buy land anyway.

Where do they pay taxes?

[whybother]

Maybe you don't understand the difference and what's involved between a CONSORTIUM and a person who establishes a company ltd to register a land deal

People negotiate. You don't need a company to negotiate.

Why are they using a Virgin Islands company to buy land anyway.

Where do they pay taxes?

Is it a VI company? I haven't read about that.

How does a foreign company buy land?

[whybother]

Why are they using a Virgin Islands company to buy land anyway.

Where do they pay taxes?

Is it a VI company? I haven't read about that.

How does a foreign company buy land?

It wasn't a BVI company. A major shareholder of the company had their address in BVI. I assume the major shareholder had less than 49%.

In addition to that, it was sold in May last year (18 months ago). It was owned by Prayuth since he was "a kid", so I don't know what the issue has to do with his father and inheritance tax now, or for that matter what it has to do with his pay as a General.

http://www.chiangraitimes.com/prayuth-on-defensive-over-familys-600-million-baht-property-sale.html

Edit: Anthony5 ... conflicting in the report is that his dad sold that land and that Prayuth owned it since he was a kid. But either way, I don't think that has much relevance given it was done 18 months ago.

Edited November 19, 2014 by whybother

[wow64]

He has his rights to privacy.

Don't reporters understand that?

[metisdead]

Posts in violation of fair use policy have been removed.

14) You will not post any copyrighted material except as fair use laws apply (as in the case of news articles). Please only post a link, the headline and the first three sentences.

[JoeBlowFromUSA]

Show me a Thai General that is NOT a millionaire.

[casualbiker]

Why are they using a Virgin Islands company to buy land anyway.

Where do they pay taxes?

Is it a VI company? I haven't read about that.

How does a foreign company buy land?

It wasn't a BVI company. A major shareholder of the company had their address in BVI. I assume the major shareholder had less than 49%.

In addition to that, it was sold in May last year (18 months ago). It was owned by Prayuth since he was "a kid", so I don't know what the issue has to do with his father and inheritance tax now, or for that matter what it has to do with his pay as a General.

http://www.chiangraitimes.com/prayuth-on-defensive-over-familys-600-million-baht-property-sale.html

Edit: Anthony5 ... conflicting in the report is that his dad sold that land and that Prayuth owned it since he was a kid. But either way, I don't think that has much relevance given it was done 18 months ago.

You would have thought that with the 18month lead time. There would be more information found and reported upon! NO?

[casualbiker]

Show me a Thai General that is NOT a millionaire.

One million baht = $30,500

[Anthony5]

Show me a Thai General that is NOT a millionaire.

One million baht = $30,500

It is even less British Pounds, but what is the relevance of that.

A average worker in Thailand earns less than 3000$ a year, but JoeBlow had actually dollar millionaires in mind.

[casualbiker]

Show me a Thai General that is NOT a millionaire.

One million baht = $30,500

It is even less British Pounds, but what is the relevance of that.

A average worker in Thailand earns less than 3000$ a year, but JoeBlow had actually dollar millionaires in mind.

Joeblow doesn't realise he's in Thailand then!

And you will be pleased to know average salaries are now about $4,800 a year.

" The Income and Expenditure of Household in 2013 (First 6 Months )

- Average monthly income per household 25, 403 baht (increase 4.6% of 2011 )

- Average monthly expenditure per household 19, 259 baht (increase 5.2% of 2011 )

- Average amount of debt per household 159, 492 baht (increase 8.7% of 2011 )

[binjalin]

Show me a Thai General that is NOT a millionaire.

One million baht = $30,500

yup 18,000,000 US DOLLARS not bad huh?

[casualbiker]

Show me a Thai General that is NOT a millionaire.

One million baht = $30,500

yup 18,000,000 US DOLLARS not bad huh?

What's " 18,000,000 US DOLLARS "????

[mike324]

Why do people keep on thinking its shady to form a consortium right before the purchase. Obviously the deal was talked and negotiated beforehand, none is illegal. Its just a business strategy, maybe its for partnership reasons and they do not want the information to leak before the purchase, maybe its for competitive reasons. Most of the big companies purchase land / negotiate through another company/individual so people won't jack up the price when they hear a big so and so company is interested.

Most people who think forming a company 7 days before purchase is suspicious are just fear mongers, silly to try to raise suspicions out of nothing.

It has nothing to do with fear or fear mongering. It has everything to do with transparency and a PM who freaks out when the subject is raised. If he weren't a high government official (he is the highest), it wouldn't be important if he was 'bent' but, as he is the PM, there should be no doubts. His behavior and secretiveness are what is raising suspicions. It all stems from the way the PM reacted to two simple questions: "What are some of the details of the land deal your father made?" and "Why was a newly formed company the buyer?". My own questions include: Why was the sale not advertised in advance to draw the highest bidders? What kind of favors were traded if the price was higher or lower than market value? How can one ascertain market value when the sale was not open to the free market? There are a few more and, depending on the answers, I may have even more questions. Why shouldn't authority be questioned? The PM may be above the law practically but he is not morally above the law and he should be transparent in his business dealings and those of his immediate family. Just supposing the land was not worth a tenth the price the seven days old company paid for it. Could this not be a back door way to bribe the PM? Why are you not in the slightest bit interested in a single land deal that netted the PM a cool 100 million Baht tax free?

This is Thailand and if you are not suspicious then you are incredibly naive or you want to protect someone. I never cared much for Thaksin apologists and, likewise, I have not much use for Prayut apologists. You don't have the facts to prove my suspicions wrong but you want to discourage them anyway. Sorry but it's going to take more than your post to allay my suspicions that there is something 'hinky' about the deal or else Prayut wouldn't have gotten all bent out of shape at being questioned about it.

The reporters should be asking him questions regarding to the nation and public, not his personal life. If they want to investigate, go a head, if they find proof of corruption, go ahead I would love to see it as well and stick it up to the PM. I don't see why PM has to waste his time answering questions regarding to his personal matter, same goes if reporters were asking Yingluck or any other politician.

The sale of his or his fathers property is private matter, why does it need to go through a bidding and your own terms? Its ludicrous, you obviously don't know how business works and think public servants needs to have bidders when they sell their property?!

You can scrutinise his public actions and work done as PM, its none of anyones business what his family does with their private properties as long as it does not involve the State or Public money. If so, by all means I welcome the scrutiny and questions as well.

This is Thailand so what, learn to differentiate who the land was sold to, it was sold to another private person/firm NOT the State, nor did it involved any public tax money. So move on and mind your own business. I have nothing to hide or protect, just stating the obvious that some people can't look beyond and feel like if you are a public servant you need to disclose your private life to the public.

Better question will be to scrutinize his father and where the land originated from. Even better, reporters should ask Prayuth when there will be elections, after all he said he will hold elections within a year, and there seems to be no election in sight.

his personal life his personal matter The sale of his or his fathers property is private matter its none of anyones business what his family does with their private properties nor did it involved any public tax money your private life to the public

The land sale by the PM's father was not a personal matter, it was a business matter and of interest to all citizens who value a clean government. The PM benefited from this 'personal matter' in 'his private life' from the 'private matter' of the sale of his father's property to the tune of 100,000,000 Baht. You seem afraid to address the 'elephant in the room' of the possibility that the sale was a way to funnel funds to the PM through his father with enough profit for everyone to keep quiet. I'll bet you were one of the one's who thought it was Thaksin's 'private matter' that he transferred millions of Baht to his gardener and chauffeur. When politicians have to declare their assets, they have to declare the assets of their immediate family also. They have to give up privacy in their business dealings when serving as an office holder in the government to avoid any suspicion they are in office to profit from their high position.

This is Thailand so what, learn to differentiate who the land was sold to, it was sold to another private person/firm NOT the State, nor did it involved any public tax money.

Are you really going to try and tell me there can be no corruption involved in this deal because it was not a sale to the State or did not involve public tax money? Really? Really? Have you been living under a rock?

I notice that you don't want to address the issue of the big shot, old guard, 'elite' being involved in the purchase. How do you know it is not 'payoff' for staging the coup against Madam Yingluck they all wanted so much?

You also don't want to address why the PM got so upset about the question, either. He could have dodged the question by stating that he would offer a press release soon explaining the pertinent details but nooooo, he wants badly for everyone to shut up about it.

No you are just being picky with words, its his "personal business" matter, and I will repeat again it has nothing to do with him as a PM, STATE, PUBLIC, TAX PAYERS. His dad sold the land and gave him the money which he declared in public like all politicians needs to do according to the law. So whats the crime in that? you guys want to implicate him and point fingers on something that holds no air. Please come back and question him when you have proof if its a shady dealing, there's not even a single rumor among the Thai forums that it was a shady dealing. Yes he is the PM and his private life becomes public because he has no choice, but he does not need to answer where his dad got the land etc etc. Reporters should instead go ask his dad or investigate the land department on the history of this piece of land. If it was indeed a shady dealing, PTP folks would have leaked the info already, land data is public record and you can easily obtain it from the land department. Since he is the PM, I'm sure it would be hard to pry that record out, but with influential figures in the opposition, its not hard to get someone to find out. I welcome you to dig some dirt and share it, I will be more than happy to support you and bash the PM if you have proof, but until then, lay the case to rest and stop beating a dead horse.

It was Thaksins personal matter that he transferred his assets to his driver and maid. But once he became PM and lied to the public and got caught doing so, its no longer a personal matter. I don't see Prayuth breaking any laws or falsifying his asset declaration.

I don't need go speculate if its a payoff or what not, I'm not here to make up stories and spread rumors like some folks here. Just stating the facts. Mind you, I did not say Prayuth didn't have to be transparent, just saying reporters and critics are wasting their time asking the wrong questions. Trying to make a big deal out of nothing. Why does a PM need to hold a press conference detailing a land that his father sold? that's absurd. Should we even host a reality show using the tax payers money call "Academy Prayuth" so everything is transparent?

[Colabamumbai]

Just a matter of time before we have another Coup.

[Alwyn]

Yet again he shows his class and skills with the media. Right at the beginning I got a lot of flack here for daring to say that this man has no intentions of developing democracy and then moving on the let an elected government take the the helm. He's here to say and if people cannot see this then God/Buddha help Thailand and it's folk. Generals and people like him (in Thailand) are not used to being questioned just people doing what they're told. Good luck Thailand!

[whybother]

Yet again he shows his class and skills with the media. Right at the beginning I got a lot of flack here for daring to say that this man has no intentions of developing democracy and then moving on the let an elected government take the the helm. He's here to say and if people cannot see this then God/Buddha help Thailand and it's folk. Generals and people like him (in Thailand) are not used to being questioned just people doing what they're told. Good luck Thailand!

You're getting a bit ahead of yourself considering it's still 12 months to when he said he have elections.

Come back with an "I told you so" if it's not going to happen then.

[Alwyn]

Yet again he shows his class and skills with the media. Right at the beginning I got a lot of flack here for daring to say that this man has no intentions of developing democracy and then moving on the let an elected government take the the helm. He's here to say and if people cannot see this then God/Buddha help Thailand and it's folk. Generals and people like him (in Thailand) are not used to being questioned just people doing what they're told. Good luck Thailand!

You're getting a bit ahead of yourself considering it's still 12 months to when he said he have elections.

Come back with an "I told you so" if it's not going to happen then.

You can be sure I will

[mojorison]

Show me a Thai General that is NOT a millionaire.

One million baht = $30,500

Think we're talking dollars...