Senior official resigns after saying that drinking caused him to steal paintings

[snoop1130]

Senior official resigns after saying that drinking caused him to steal paintings

By Coconuts Bangkok

 

Photo: Sanook

 

The Thai senior official who was arrested in Kyoto, Japan for stealing three cheap paintings from a hotel blamed drunkenness for his actions.

 

In an open letter he sent to media, Deputy Director-General Suphat Sanguandeekul, expressed remorse and apologized to the Minister of Commerce and officials in his Intellectual Property Department, as well as Thai citizens, for his misbehavior.

 

 

“After my official duty in Japan was done, I visited my friends, whom I have known from studying in Japan. Our reunion was delightful, and I may have drunk too much liquor that I lost my sense of morals and committed the misconduct,” wrote Suphat in an attempt to explain what happened.

 

Full Story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2017/01/31/senior-official-resigns-after-saying-drinking-caused-him-steal-paintings

 

-- © Copyright Coconuts Bangkok 2017-1-31

[bokningar]

Yes it was the alcohol who did it..............

[Rhys]

Wapp his pp then...take away his pension for shaming the Thai Govt Officers' image...

[rkidlad]

"He declared that he will take responsibility by resigning from his position as Deputy director-general of the Department of Intellectual Property"

 

No, he's not taking responsibility. He took long enough to resign which makes me think he was pushed to do so or be fired. He should have been fired straight away. 

 

Also, blaming alcohol? Really? You got drunk and lost your morals? They're not your car keys, for god's sake. And, if it really was the alcohol that's to blame, was he also hammered when he checked out of the hotel? Or did he pack his bags loaded and forget he had the paintings in his luggage. 

 

 

[saakura]

It is commendable that he has done the right thing by resigning from his position, apologising to the nation for his misconduct and agreeing to cooperate in any disciplinary action against him. Now he should be left alone as he will have to live with this stigma for the rest of his life, over such a trivial amount.

[Pib]

Well, I'm sure glad he didn't do it and instead it was the liquor that did it.    He should sue the liquor industry for making him drink it.

[ratcatcher]

14 minutes ago, saakura said:

It is commendable that he has done the right thing by resigning from his position, apologising to the nation for his misconduct and agreeing to cooperate in any disciplinary action against him. Now he should be left alone as he will have to live with this stigma for the rest of his life, over such a trivial amount.

"It is commendable that he has done the right thing by resigning from his position."                         He had no option, the social network pressure was formidable.

 

" apologising to the nation for his misconduct and agreeing to cooperate in any disciplinary action against him."       Grovelling.

 

" Now he should be left alone as he will have to live with this stigma for the rest of his life, over such a trivial amount."  

 He is still a petty thief who got caught. He is wealthy enough that he could simply have approached the hotel management said who he was and that he admired their decorative art works and offer to make a deal to purchase them.

He effed up and is now paying the price.Not sad, just pathetic.

When this country imprisons poor forest dwellers for picking wild mushrooms in a National Park, you will get zero sympathy from me for this man or his ilk.

As for chucking in the alcohol excuse, that is pure and high quality bull shit!

[Sphere]

56 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

I may have drunk too much liquor that I lost my sense of morals and committed the misconduct....

 

Was drunk while packing his bag, right until he was caught at checkout.....

 

On 26/01/2017 at 4:59 AM, webfact said:

The paintings were found in his luggage when he checked out of the hotel.

 

[chuang]

Should perform hara kiri. LOL

Sent from my Redmi 3S using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[thai3]

28 minutes ago, saakura said:

It is commendable that he has done the right thing by resigning from his position, apologising to the nation for his misconduct and agreeing to cooperate in any disciplinary action against him. Now he should be left alone as he will have to live with this stigma for the rest of his life, over such a trivial amount.

Took him long enough though, maybe given no option?

[AGareth2]

made the BBC

[Brer Fox]

Brave man knowing his retirement is looming and he can cash in on his benefits. Typical grafting, lying, stealing, head honcho Thai official.

Tomorrow is another day. Collect the cash and run.

[BigBadGeordie]

Not going to invite him round to mine for a beer or 3

[robblok]

51 minutes ago, ratcatcher said:

"It is commendable that he has done the right thing by resigning from his position."                         He had no option, the social network pressure was formidable.

 

" apologising to the nation for his misconduct and agreeing to cooperate in any disciplinary action against him."       Grovelling.

 

" Now he should be left alone as he will have to live with this stigma for the rest of his life, over such a trivial amount."  

 He is still a petty thief who got caught. He is wealthy enough that he could simply have approached the hotel management said who he was and that he admired their decorative art works and offer to make a deal to purchase them.

He effed up and is now paying the price.Not sad, just pathetic.

When this country imprisons poor forest dwellers for picking wild mushrooms in a National Park, you will get zero sympathy from me for this man or his ilk.

As for chucking in the alcohol excuse, that is pure and high quality bull shit!

Ah you will be surprised how many blame alcohol, as with any drug it just lower inhibitions and brings out what was already there. 

[Artisi]

Guess it can be described as typical Thainess ..

 

[ratcatcher]

36 minutes ago, AGareth2 said:

made the BBC

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38808516

 

"After I finished my mission in Japan I met with some university friends. We were drunk and I unconsciously and unintentionally AND unconscionably committed an inappropriate act," he wrote in the letter. " BBC

synonyms:

unethical, amoral, immoral, unprincipled, indefensible, unforgivable, wrong;

 

However next day he unconsciously forgot to return these paintings he unintentionally stole while drunk with "university friends"

Unconscionable behaviour from this 60 year old pillar of the Thai community.

 

 

[KhaoNiaw]

I've done some stupid stuff under the influence. He was probably thinking that 'what goes on tour, stays on tour'. Unfortunately for someone in his position, and perhaps age, it all blew up in his face. But it's really not at all like your usual thieving corrupt Thai official. Much more like your typical British rugby club tour (very very tame version), and a step bolder than the many people who stuff the hotel towels in their bag. 

As someone said though, he could have tried putting them back. But maybe the knock on the door came before he'd realized what he'd done. Assuming he'd really had a night on the ale, I have a degree of sympathy. His position is obviously untenable however.

 

But I bet most run-of-the-mill hotels displaying cheap prints on their walls in the countries of posters who are so outraged here wouldn't bat an eyelid. They'd ask him to return the pictures and/or pay some form of compensation and it wouldn't get anywhere near the police. Unfortunately he chose to act like a student in the wrong country.

[Hutch68]

47 minutes ago, BigBadGeordie said:

Not going to invite him round to mine for a beer or 3

I am the wife made me put up some of the most cheesy paintings in our house, send him round and I'll buy all his beer if he agrees to steel them.

[Bluespunk]

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Our reunion was delightful, and I may have drunk too much liquor that I lost my sense of morals and committed the misconduct,” wrote Suphat in an attempt to explain what happened.

 

BS. 

[trogers]

I wonder...

 

Will hotels worldwide now hide all alcohol or all paintings when they have Thais checking in, or perhaps both...?

[webfact]

Supat claims he was drunk but will resign from government service

 

 

BANGKOK: -- Deputy Director-General of Intellectual Property Supat Sa-nguandeekul claimed he was under the influence of alcohol when stole three cheap paintings worth 15,000 yen from a hotel in Kyoto and said he would resign from government service to show his responsibility.

 

In a written statement released to the media on Tuesday, Mr Supat said he felt sorry for the incident which, he added, caused damage to the reputation of the Department of Intellectual Property, the Commerce Ministry, the country and the Thai people as a whole.

 

He then offered an apology to the minister of commerce, the permanent secretary and his colleagues in the Commerce Ministry and, more importantly, to the Thai people.

 

The embattled senior official said he had no intention to make any excuse and agreed to accept his guilty, but would like to have an opportunity to make a clarification about the incident.

 

He explained that, after having finished his assignment in Japan, he met with some old Japanese friends from the days they were in the university and had a lot of drinks together until he was so drunk that he unconsciously did something that he should not have done (stole three cheap all paintings in his hotel room).

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/supat-claims-drunk-will-resign-government-service/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2017-02-01

[grumbleweed]

This is only the first time he's been caught, at 60 years old I wouldn't bank on it being the first time he's misplaced his morals

He's only apologizing for getting caught,  not for thieving

[arrowsdawdle]

Oh, that explains it Suphat, the liquor made you steal the paintings. No worries, now we understand.

[Tchooptip]

11 hours ago, robblok said:

Ah you will be surprised how many blame alcohol, as with any drug it just lower inhibitions and brings out what was already there. 

In other words: in vino véritas !

[Eligius]

1 hour ago, arrowsdawdle said:

Oh, that explains it Suphat, the liquor made you steal the paintings. No worries, now we understand.

Yes - and he had probably gone against the great Leader's sage advice and brewed his own beer in the toilet!

[Kiwisailor]

Guns, paintings ..... oh, the things we forget about when packing our bags for the trip home from overseas

[nontabury]

So he's resigned. Did he mention on what terms. Will he still receive a salary or a % of salary,will his pension be affected? 

[Inepto Cracy]

The guy is a normal official liar and cheat. Dont talk thai to me.

[pookiki]

Lame excuse but at least he resigned.  A lot of other government officials should follow this example.

[TheFishman1]

Drinking right why not tell the truth I am a thief and man up all these Thai make excuses TIT