Witness Exposes Senate Vote Rigging and Payments

Matichon•Politics•17d ago

Reader Briefing

Opposition whips and witnesses hold an event to expose evidence of alleged vote-rigging and financial irregularities in the Senate elections.

•The event was organized by the Opposition Whip led by Parit Wacharasindhu on August 9 at the Parliament.
•Former Senate candidates provided testimony regarding the hiring of candidates and the distribution of money in Nong Bua Lamphu and Nakhon Si Thammarat.
•Allegations include the use of 'lists' to determine winners and the involvement of specific individuals in coordinating payments.

Overview

•Parit Wacharasindhu and the Opposition Whip organized an evidence-deep-dive activity regarding the Senate election fraud case on August 9 at the Parliament.
•Pol. Maj. Gen. Banyat Piansawat stated that the Election Commission (ECT) failed to provide progress on a report submitted on June 15, 2024, regarding candidates who were husband and wife applying simultaneously.
•Panya Thapisai claimed a coordinator named Kam (pseudonym) offered 5,000 Baht per person to recruit candidates, with Worawit Chailimpamontri acting as the financial source.
•Panya Thapisai reported hearing that 80,000 Baht was paid to candidates at Krua Takiab restaurant and that Kam received 1.7 million Baht at Udon Thani's UD Town.
•Montree Chieplaem alleged that 29 candidates in Nakhon Si Thammarat knew in advance who would become Senators and claimed money was funneled through Warin Chinnawong.
•Montree Chieplaem called for Senators Nattakit Nurod, Techasit Chukaew, and Somsak Nukaeo to clarify their presence in room 706 at the Asawin Hotel.
•Montree Chieplaem questioned Senator Pisit Apiwattana-pong regarding his application in the tourism group despite his background in mathematics and rental business.

Full article content is available on the original source.

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Source: Matichon (Original)

Key Quotes

Montree Chieplaem

"We come out to fight for the truth, we speak the truth. If speaking the truth is dangerous, society is based on deception; why live then?"

เราออกมาต่อสู้เรื่องของความจริง เราเอาความจริงมาพูด หากความจริงพูดแล้วอันตราย สังคมก็อยู่บนพื้นฐานของการหลอกลวง จะอยู่กันไปทำไม

Key Entities

Person

Parit Wacharasindhu(พริษฐ์ วัชรสินธุ)ℹ️

List MP of the People's Party and leader of the Opposition Whip.

Panida Mongkolsawat(พนิดา มงคลสวัสดิ์)

MP for Samut Prakan from the People's Party.

Yingcheep Atchanont(ยิ่งชีพ อัชฌานนท์)

Director of the Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw).

Bunyanuch Matthujak(บุณยนุช มัทธุจักร)

Individual who participated in the exchange of views at the event.

Banyat Piansawat(บัญญัติ เพียรสวัสดิ์)

Former Senate candidate for Group 2 in Phetchaburi and lawyer known as Lawyer Krit.

Panya Thapisai(ปัญญา ท่าพิสัย)

Former Senate candidate for Nong Bua Lamphu.

Montree Chieplaem(มนตรี เฉียบแหลม)

Former Senate candidate for Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Kam(คำ)ℹ️

A pseudonym for a head of a farmers group in the area.

Worawit Chailimpamontri(วรวิทย์ ชัยลิมปมนตรี)

Senate candidate for Group 8 in Nong Bua Lamphu.

Wuttichart Kallayanamit(วุฒิชาติ กัลยาณมิตร)

Senator asked by Panya Thapisai to clarify financial links.

Aphinan Phueakphong(อภินันท์ เผือกผ่อง)

Independent Senator from Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Wanchai Ekpornpich(วันไชย เอกพรพิชญ์)

Independent Senator from Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Nattakit Nurod(ณัฐกิตติ์ หนูรอด)

Senator from Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Warin Chinnawong(วาริน ชิณวงศ์)

President of Nakhon Si Thammarat Provincial Administrative Organization.

Piphat Ratchakitprakan(พิพัฒน์ รัชกิจประการ)

Former Minister of Labour.

Techasit Chukaew(เตชสิทธิ์ ชูแก้ว)

Senator from Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Somsak Nukaeo(สมศักดิ์ หนูแก้ว)

Senator from Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Somkiat Liangprasit(สมเกียรติ เลียงประสิทธิ์)

Also known as Ko Kiat, father of Wasit Liangprasit.

Wasit Liangprasit(วศิษฐ์ เลียงประสิทธิ์)

Deputy Minister of Interior.

Pisit Apiwattana-pong(พิสิษฐ์ อภิวัฒนาพงศ์)

Senator from Krabi province.

Organization

Opposition Whip(พรรคร่วมฝ่ายค้านในสภาผู้แทนราษฎร)ℹ️

Coordination committee of opposition parties in the House of Representatives.

People's Party(พรรคประชาชน)

Political party of Parit Wacharasindhu and Panida Mongkolsawat.

Internet Law Reform Dialogue(โครงการอินเทอร์เน็ตเพื่อกฎหมายประชาชน)

Also known as iLaw.

Election Commission(คณะกรรมการการเลือกตั้ง)

Agency responsible for managing elections, referred to as ECT.

Place

Parliament(รัฐสภา)ℹ️

Venue where the evidence-deep-dive activity took place.

Phetchaburi(เพชรบุรี)ℹ️

Province where Pol. Maj. Gen. Banyat Piansawat applied for the Senate.

Nong Bua Lamphu(หนองบัวลำภู)ℹ️

Province where Panya Thapisai applied for the Senate.

Nakhon Si Thammarat(นครศรีธรรมราช)ℹ️

Province where Montree Chieplaem applied for the Senate.

Udon Thani(อุดรธานี)ℹ️

Province where Kam allegedly received 1.7 million Baht.