Suspicious boat crash raises tensions in Chiang Rai

General News - Sunday December 16, 2007

RACE TO PARLIAMENT

Suspicious boat crash raises tensions in Chiang Rai

Influential kamnan missing in Mekong

By Theerawat Khamthita, Subin Kheunkaew & Pradit Ruangdit

An influential kamnan with solid connections to the old power circles is missing after a suspicious boat crash in the Mekong river on Friday, raising concerns about rising tensions and possible confrontations in the province as election day draws closer.

Prasong Pongpanyayuen, 50, was in a long-tail boat heading from Laos back to the Thai side in Chiang Saen district, according to police.

Mr Prasong is alleged to have been carrying 20 million baht in cash when he disappeared in the river. The money is said to be for financing election campaigns.

The other passenger on board was Taiching sae Lew, 45, who runs a tea business in Mae Sai district.

As the long-tail boat reached the middle of the Mekong river, a 40-seater boat full of passengers rammed into it, knocking Mr Prasong, Mr Taiching and long-tail boat driver Manas Sutawong, 38, overboard. The boat sank.

Mr Manas, who swam to safety, told police he and the two men managed to stay afloat for 20 minutes. Mr Prasong and Mr Taiching then disappeared in the fast current.

Police said rescue teams were sent out to find the two men and retrieve the boat.

Suwan Prompanya, 42, the driver of the passenger boat, said he did not see the other boat in the fading light until it was too late.

After the collision, he steered his boat slowly to shore where he was taken into custody by police and charged in connection with the crash. Police said Mr Suwan did not have a boat driver's licence. Mr Manas admitted he did not switch on his boat's headlight.

He said he was hired to shuttle Mr Prasong and Mr Taiching, who acts as an interpreter for Mr Prasong at a hotel and casino project in which he had invested in at Ton Pueng township in Laos opposite Chiang Saen district.

Pol Col Surachai Thienchai, the chief of Chiang Saen district police, said if Mr Prasong had cash with him it may have been much less than 20 million baht.

Police were investigating the cause of the boat crash, which was described as suspicious by some witnesses.

Mr Prasong is a well-known kamnan in Mae Chan district with close connection to Yongyuth Tiyapairat, the deputy leader of the People Power party (PPP), which maintains a strong grip on the political scene in Chiang Rai.

Mr Yongyuth, a former MP for Chiang Rai and a former cabinet minister in the Thaksin Shinawatra government, is thought to enjoy huge support in the province.

Amornpong Wichittakul, head of Chiang Rai election office, said his office would make inquiries about the allegation that a large sum of cash was involved.

He said he had received reports of huge amounts of cash being placed in casinos in neighbouring countries to be later smuggled into Thailand to finance vote buying.

Boontham Thipprasong, the vice-chairman of the Chiang Rai Chamber of Commerce, said the circumstances surrounding the crash appeared rather odd.

The crash happened on a very wide section of the river and he was told there were only the two boats on the water at the time. He said he hoped the incident would not create any pretext for violence in the province.

"My wish is for the election to be allowed to take its course," he said.

Inwan Bangngern, the leader of the kamnan and village head association in Chiang Rai, said he was afraid to believe allegations that the crash may not have been an accident.

"Was this necessary? If the allegation is true, I think Chiang Rai will descend into chaos," said Mr Inwan.

A source said soldiers and the PPP remain at bitter odds with the party accusing soldiers of attempting to block its supporters from getting to election campaign rallies.

The source added that some local policemen who were transferred over their lack of political neutrality have aligned themselves with Mr Yongyuth.

Bangkok Post