Fund inflow sparks concern

Today's Top Stories - Thursday December 13, 2007

Fund inflow sparks concern

Bangkok Post

Deputy Prime Minister Sonthi has ordered the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) and Immigration Police to trace a group of HK nationals who carried cash equivalent to 60 million baht into the country.

Gen Sonthi, chairman of the government committee fighting vote buying, said he received a report that nine Hong Kong nationals carried the money into Thailand via Suvarnabhumi airport.

As they had brought the cash into the country during the run-up to the election, he said, Amlo and Immigration Police must check on the sources of the money and whether it was unusual for the nine Hong Kong nationals to bring in such large amounts.

The cash report has put authorities on the alert following deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's call in an interview in Hong Kong last week for a national unity government after the Dec 23 election.

Prime Minister's Office Minister Thirapat Serirangsan said he could not determine if the cash was linked to Mr Thaksin until there was evidence to implicate him.

As far as he knew, the group included at least six Hong Kong nationals. Some brought in six million Hong Kong dollars at a time, while some others brought in two million Hong Kong dollars.

Mr Thirapat said those Hong Kong nationals also declared their large amounts of cash with customs officers. However, before leaving the country, they will have to declare to custom officers again how much cash they have got left and what they have spent their money on, said Mr Thirapat.

Pol Gen Wichian Potporsri, chief of the National Police Office's election monitoring centre, confirmed that three Hong Kong nationals carried cash worth 60 million baht into Thailand via Suvarnabhumi airport on Nov 28. They had declared their money to customs officers at the airport.

Gen Sonthi yesterday held a meeting with about 700 taxi, tuk tuk and motorcycle taxi drivers, and community radio producers, at Government House, urging them not to accept vote-buying money.

Each of the participants in the seminar yesterday received a 400-baht allowance, and anti-vote buying souvenirs from the Election Commission (EC).

During the meeting, Gen Sonthi asked community radio producers to help campaign against vote buying through their programmes.

He also called on drivers of public vehicles to help tip off authorities about vote buying and to elect candidates who are honest and loyal to the monarchy.

''Please, don't let a small amount of money have more influence over you than the national interest,'' he said.

However, at the end of the seminar, when asked by reporters what type of person they wanted as the next prime minister, a motorcycle taxi driver said ''I want the Thaksin type. I want Mr Thaksin to return to Thailand.''

In Bangkok, most public vehicle drivers are core supporters of the dissolved Thai Rak Thai party and its founder Mr Thaksin.

Another motorcycle taxi driver, Santi Manas, said he wanted the former premier to return to Thailand as soon as possible since Mr Thaksin had done many good things for the Thai people.

Kasikorn Research Centre has estimated that political parties, the EC and other agencies would spend up to 21 billion baht during the run-up to the Dec 23 election, four billion baht lower than the spending the EC estimated for the last election.

Bangkok Post