Speculation mounts over Thai Police General Prawut

[webfact]

Speculation mounts over Prawut
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- POL GENERAL Prawut Thavornsiri, the recently sacked national police spokesman, has still not shown up for work, despite returning this week from a holiday in Europe.

His office on the fourth floor of police headquarters was empty and the few officers who worked in the vicinity refused to reveal Prawut's whereabouts.

He hasn't been seen since Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda, the recently-appointed national police chief, sacked him around the same time that three high-profile suspects, including a now-deceased police major, were arrested for alleged lese majeste offences last week.

The police earlier revealed that Prawut was in Italy on holiday from October 26 to November 1.

Meanwhile, Pol Gen Dejnarong Suthicharnbancha, the new police spokesman, said Prawut probably had a personal reason for not coming to work. Maybe he is sick, the spokesman said.

He declined to comment on rumours that Prawut had already resigned. According to police regulations, Prawut will have committed a disciplinary offence if he is absent without leave for more than 15 days, starting from Monday. He could be suspended from duty in such a case.

The spokesman also said the police would soon clarify if warrants would be issued to arrest senior Army officers in connection with the ongoing lese majeste case, amid speculation that they may flee the country.

He said the probe team led by acting deputy police chief Lt-General Sriwara Ransibrah-manakul is investigating all the reports.

Army spokesman Col Winthai Suvaree said it was still unclear if any Army officers were involved in the lese majeste case. "As of now, police have not yet contacted the Army about the reports and there are no official arrest warrants issued for any Army officers."

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Speculation-mounts-over-Prawut-30272221.html


-- The Nation 2015-11-04

[Somtamnication]

I got my popcorn ready......

[Tatsujin]

I got my popcorn ready......

Yeah, looks to be getting interesting, but they've already confirmed publicly it has nothing to do with any LM cases ... maybe he was simply sick of defending the lies he was forced to spout on behalf of the higher-ups ...?

[JAG]

The writing is on the wall - and he must have caught a sneak preview!

I wonder what he did to cause his fall- we will probably never know.

[In Town]

Some of these people must fear the coming purge, and some must be regretting throwing in with the mad hatter. Interesting days ahead if we have serious splits in the regime.

[Orac]

Some of these people must fear the coming purge, and some must be regretting throwing in with the mad hatter. Interesting days ahead if we have serious splits in the regime.

40-50 senior military officers the police have told the BP in an article this morning - not sure if this is shaping up as a purge or a turf war.

[In Town]

Some of these people must fear the coming purge, and some must be regretting throwing in with the mad hatter. Interesting days ahead if we have serious splits in the regime.

40-50 senior military officers the police have told the BP in an article this morning - not sure if this is shaping up as a purge or a turf war.

If I were one of those officers I would be thinking about getting on the right side of history, the right side of the population, and the right side of the international community (particularly the human rights NGOs), as it is too easy to slip on the soap or fall out a window or simply disappear in this country. Better to be high profile and have someone looking out for you than an anonymous sacrificial lamb.

Edited November 4, 2015 by In Town

[phantomfiddler]

When you repaint a dirty room you start at the top. Maybe, and hopefully, this could be the start of a desperately needed reform of the entire corrupt police network

[Orac]

Some of these people must fear the coming purge, and some must be regretting throwing in with the mad hatter. Interesting days ahead if we have serious splits in the regime.

40-50 senior military officers the police have told the BP in an article this morning - not sure if this is shaping up as a purge or a turf war.

If I were one of those officers I would be thinking about getting on the right side of history, the right side of the population, and the right side of the international community (particularly the human rights NGOs), as it is too easy to slip on the soap or fall out a window or simply disappear in this country. Better to be high profile and have someone looking out for you than an anonymous sacrificial lamb.

Note - military officers not police!

Will be very interesting to see if it goes any further since the army\govt have said they have no knowledge of this list.

[waldroj]

Should have sought political asylum while in Italy.

Maybe he IS sick!

[sharecropper]

40 - 50 "major-generals and colonels", apparently.

Let's see if here too, justice is half blind and mostly colour blind.

[joebrown]

This is all very strange because on 28th October TVF Latest News included an item titled "Sacked Spokesmand Resigns from Thai Police". The link being

http://www.nationmul...e-30271754.html .

I often ask myself who makes up these 'fairy' stories, the Thai media or the RTP?

[Vandadavid]

Do these dills not own phones or are they waiting for a tip off from the public

[billd766]

Some of these people must fear the coming purge, and some must be regretting throwing in with the mad hatter. Interesting days ahead if we have serious splits in the regime.

40-50 senior military officers the police have told the BP in an article this morning - not sure if this is shaping up as a purge or a turf war.

In the BP this morning the police spokesman said that at this stage there was no evidence against the Army officers and nothing to take to the court for arrest warrants.

So before you start crowing too loudly (you may be right or wrong, I don't know) why not wait for confirmation first. Remember everyone is sopposedly presumed innocent until proven guilty, even Yingluck.

Of course the Army could always say it is politically motivated, couldn't they?

[Orac]

Some of these people must fear the coming purge, and some must be regretting throwing in with the mad hatter. Interesting days ahead if we have serious splits in the regime.

40-50 senior military officers the police have told the BP in an article this morning - not sure if this is shaping up as a purge or a turf war.

In the BP this morning the police spokesman said that at this stage there was no evidence against the Army officers and nothing to take to the court for arrest warrants.

So before you start crowing too loudly (you may be right or wrong, I don't know) why not wait for confirmation first. Remember everyone is sopposedly presumed innocent until proven guilty, even Yingluck.

Of course the Army could always say it is politically motivated, couldn't they?

Politically motivated by who?

When the guy recently put in charge of a major LM case says that 40-50 senior military officers could be involved I take notice.

As for the innocent until proven guilty bit, don't forget one of three people already arrested in this current case has already died in suspicious circumstances.

[HerbalEd]

If he was sacked, why would he return to a job he no longer has?

[saakura]

If he was sacked, why would he return to a job he no longer has?

Sacked from the rank of a spokesman and shunted to oversee dept of traffic technology. Not sacked from the police force.

[jaywalker]

Some of these people must fear the coming purge, and some must be regretting throwing in with the mad hatter. Interesting days ahead if we have serious splits in the regime.

40-50 senior military officers the police have told the BP in an article this morning - not sure if this is shaping up as a purge or a turf war.

Probably both.

A purge is needed, but what is the agenda of the guy instigating it? Only time will tell I suppose.

I used to work for a large company, and one of my friends got several major promotions over the years. He kept saying that on his next promotion, he was going fire half the incompetents on a Friday and the rest on Monday. We were surrounded by them at the admin levels (we were the guys with 'boots on the ground', flying all over the world).

The Praetorian Guard stepped in and interceded his grandiose schemes of efficiency though.

I'd imagine that Prayut has had this happen at levels X5,000 or more. Not saying he's a good guy at all, just looking at it from a different perspective.

I still think he's an idiot though. I wish him luck.

=================

After my 'friend' (I'd gotten dead drunk with the guy many times and crashed out on his couch, helped him work on his house, played with his kids, been to his son's baseball games etc) got into a position of POWER he started micro-managing me to the point I resigned from the company.

Edited November 4, 2015 by jaywalker

[Srikcir]

It's okay for officers to be transferred to inactive stations with full pay. But Prawut could be dismissed for not being in his office? Maybe he is in a temple making merit or some religious contritions.

[wabothai]

The spokesman ain't speaking.