Published: 19 May 2013 at 00.00

The Democrat Party has demanded the government review its water management scheme after the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) pointed to several alleged irregularities in some projects.

The NACC also raised doubts over the costliness of the 350 billion baht scheme aimed at preventing chronic floods and drought problems.

The NACC subcommittee’s working group studying the scheme voiced concerns that the small number of contractors bidding for the projects under the scheme and turnkey contracts could lead to corruption.

• See also: Water Summit deal

“The government still has time to correct its mistakes,” Democrat Party list MP Ong-art Klampaiboon said Saturday.

Mr Ong-art was also curious as to why the government drafted new regulations to speed up the projects when there were already laws on the books.

Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi said Saturday he was not worried about the NACC’s criticisms and the doubts expressed by the Democrat Party.

However, he welcomed suggestions made early in the scheme’s conception rather than later when everything is done and problems are difficult to solve.

Government spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ard denied the Democrats’ accusation that government cronies are speculating by buying land where reservoirs under the water project will be built.

The scheme has also come under fire from environmental activists and villagers who will be affected by the projects.

Meanwhile, organisers of the Asia-Pacific Water Summit in Chiang Mai said Saturday they would not allow reporters to cover a play starring Mr Plodprasop at the historical Wiang Kum Kam city in Saraphi district of the province.

The play, held to welcome participants to the summit, will be broadcast on Channel 11 today.

The 40-minute show, in which Mr Plodprasop will play King Mangrai, the founder of the ancient Lanna Kingdom in northern Thailand in the 19th century, tells the story of severe flooding in Wiang Kum Kam, the first capital of Lanna, which resulted in an urgent need for relocation.

However, the planned performance has been criticised by those who say that parts of the script are invented and do not reflect historical facts.

Published: 19 May 2013 at 00.00

CHIANG MAI : Participants at the second Asia-Pacific Water Summit are expected to adopt a Chiang Mai Declaration on technical, academic and financial cooperation and support in water management projects, Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi said Saturday.

He said leaders and delegates of the countries attending the summit will meet Sunday and Monday to discuss the results of technical workshops held during the past five days.

The Water Summit began on Tuesday, with around 1,300 participants attending forums and seminars on water management. However, most heads of state are expected to arrive Sunday and will give statements during the Leaders’ Forum Monday. The conference concludes Monday. The first water summit was held in Japan in 2007.

Mr Plodprasop, who chairs the Water and Flood Management Committee (WFMC), said preparations for the Leaders Forum were now complete.

He said that during the forum, each country leader would speak about their policies on water management before reaching a conclusion on what should be done to benefit countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

The conclusion will then be adopted as the Chiang Mai Declaration, which will outline a framework for cooperation between countries in the region. The areas of cooperation will include academic collaboration, financial assistance and technology transfers, Mr Plodprasop said.

He said a meeting would be held on the sidelines of the summit to showcase Thailand’s vision on water management.

Meanwhile, Somkiat Khuenchiangsa, a coordinator of the Network of Northern River Basins, said local activists will also hold a parallel meeting in Chiang Mai to discuss alternative measures to tackle floods and water shortage problems.

The result of the meeting will be presented to the government to incorporate their suggestions into its 350-billion-baht water management scheme to ensure it does not adversely affect the environment or the lives of people living in affected areas.

Published: 19 May 2013 at 00.00

A member of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission is concerned that the redistribution of TV and radio frequencies may be guided by the interests of the powerful and not benefit the public.

NBTC member Supinya Klangnarong said that the body is committed to drafting a plan to better manage frequencies, but is meeting resistance to the idea of recalling state-owned frequencies for redistribution.

This is because some NBTC members, who have previously held high-level state and military jobs, oppose the idea of redistributing frequencies owned by their former agencies, Ms Supinya said.

”The direction of media reform is probably in the hands of former military officers,” she said. ”Even the chairman of the NBTC board [Thares Punsri] is former military.”

The NBTC plans to set up 12 television channels that would focus on public service broadcasting. Ms Supinya was concerned that state agencies would be favoured in the granting of concessions for these new channels.

She was speaking at a forum on Friday discussing Thailand’s media environment 21 years after the 1992 Black May military crackdown on protesters.

Journalists and media observers at the event said they hoped the NBTC would be able to promote a freer media environment in which journalists can operate without government controls such as those in place under the Suchinda Kraprayoon government of 1992.

Frequency reallocation is a way to establish radio and TV stations that serve the public’s interests, Ms Supinya said. But she doubted whether there would be any major reforms in Thai media.

”Interests seem to be shared among soldiers, police, politicians and even some businessmen,” Ms Supinya said.

”I believe everyone will eventually be satisfied with the frequency redistribution, but any intention to serve the public will disappear.”

Veteran journalist and Isara Institute director Prasong Lertrattawisut agreed that media reforms would prove difficult.

The public had expected that the NBTC would design a frequency bidding system that prevents manipulation by interest groups and political intervention, but that is unrealistic, he said.

”Media frequencies will remain under state control as those in power have already sent their representatives to sit on the NBTC,” Mr Prasong said.

Published: 19 May 2013 at 00.00

City Hall has threatened Alliance of Thai Patriots protesters with legal action if they do not call off a demonstration at Sanam Luang.

Around 100 ATP supporters have been protesting against the International Court of Justice’s role in the Preah Vihear territorial dispute between Thailand and Cambodia since May 6.

Pol Maj Gen Wichai Sangpraphai, adviser to Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra, said City Hall had held several rounds of talks with the protest leaders, asking them to leave Sanam Luang, but they have refused to do so.

“It’s now beyond negotiation,” Pol Maj Gen Wichai said. He gave the rally-goers until midnight last night to leave Sanam Luang.

If the group continues to occupy the grounds today, Phra Nakhon district office, which oversees the area, will make a final announcement ordering them to leave.

If the order is not complied with, district officials will then lodge a complaint with police and will ask for a court order to force them out, Pol Maj Gen Wichai said.

However, ATP leader Chaiwat Sinsuwong yesterday said the group would not be moved and the protest would instead be intensified.

The group would now target Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, he said.

“Once the premier resigns from her post, we will go home,” Mr Chaiwat said.

The protesters are disappointed with the Yingluck administration for agreeing to have the border conflict settled in the ICJ after Cambodia asked the court to reinterpret its 1962 ruling that granted Phnom Penh ownership of Preah Vihear temple.

The court, however, did not say at the time which country owned the land surrounding the temple.

Thai and Cambodian legal teams travelled to The Hague in the Netherlands to deliver oral statements to the court last month.

Published: 18 May 2013 at 17.16

Police on Saturday arrested three Hmong tribesmen and seized drugs with an estimated street value of more than 450 million baht at Chatuchak market.

The haul included 1.45 million methamphetamine pills and eight kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine, said officers.

Police said they had received intelligence reports that the three men had rented a stall at Chatuchak market, ostensibly to sell Hmong bags and handicrafts.

Officers staked out the area, believing the drugs were on the scene.

About 5am Saturday, the three suspects came to the stall. While one of them was opening a locker, police arrested the three. When officers searched the stall’s back room they found the “ya ba” pills and the “ya ice”.

Charged with possessing illegal drugs for sale were Kasama Charoenman, 37, Anuchon Laojang, 20, and Panya Wangtrakul, 25.

Police said the suspects admitted they had been paid 380,000 baht by a Hmong drug ring in a northern border province to transport the illicit drugs to Bangkok.

Published: 18 May 2013 at 15.11

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will address the international forum on water security in Chiang Mai on Monday, an embassy official in Bangkok has confirmed.

His scheduled appearance comes as Iran gears up for elections and as world powers press the Islamic republic over its suspected nuclear programme and support for the Syrian regime.

Mr Ahmadinejad, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third straight term in next month’s polls, will join regional leaders at the Asia-Pacific Water Summit, which focuses on water security and climate change.

“He will arrive on Sunday in Chiang Mai,” an Iranian embassy official in Bangkok said.

Mr Ahmadinejad has challenged the West since taking office in 2005 with his defiance of nuclear inspectors, fierce criticism of the US and Israel, and tough response to opposition protests.

The Water Summit began on Tuesday, with around 1,300 participants attending forums and seminars on water management.

Most heads of state are expected to arrive on Sunday and will give statements during the Leaders’ Forum on Monday, when Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will preside over the opening ceremony.

SCIENCE MINISTRY

Published: 18 May 2013 at 00.00

Staff at the Science and Technology Ministry’s key research agency have been urged to wear black on Monday to protest against the alleged poor performance of their minister, Woravat Au-apinyakul.

The plan, which spread through online social media, was part of a letter claimed to have been written by staff members of the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) who said they wanted to “mourn for the setback” suffered by Thai scientific development, according to the protest letter.

NSTDA, which is the main science research and development body of the country, is known for its major research ranging from biotechnology and nanotechnology to electronics and computer technology.

The letter reflects NSTDA staff’s disappointment with a drastic budget cut in 2014 of nearly 30%, despite the fact that the government had announced a policy to increase the research and development budget.

It said the budget cut will affect work in 870 NSTDA research projects.

Among those affected are studies into biodiversity in nature to find plant genes with such qualities as drought resistance and add them to rice or corn under genetic engineering technology.

The NSTDA’s researchers were also instructed to focus on projects which could generate income for the agency, instead of basic scientific research that will benefit the country in the long run.

NSTDA researchers were also assigned to do jobs which do not correspond to their career paths, such as promoting the sale of farm products which is the duty of the Commerce Ministry and private sector.

The letter also said Mr Woravat’s policy to transfer NSTDA researchers to work at any state agency has severely damaged the morale of the researchers.

It said the minister also demanded that any NSTDA agreement worth more than 2 million baht, including research grants from overseas, will be reviewed by the minister.

In his response to the letter, Mr Woravat yesterday denied all of the allegations it contained.

However, he admitted budget cuts were needed in some projects because “the details of those projects are unclear”.

Meanwhile NSTDA president Thaweesak Koanantakool yesterday sent an email to agency staff urging them to call off the plan to wear black.

Mr Thaweesak’s email was reportedly sent after he met Mr Woravat over the issue.

Mr Thaweesak said in his letter that the government give importance to research and development but the NSTDA working process needed to be adjusted to ensure integration with other agencies.

He said the minister’s planned review of projects worth more than 2 million baht is aimed to improve efficiency and to prevent legal problems.

Mr Thaweesak denied the allegation that the NSTDA puts its staff members in the wrong jobs.

CYBER ATTACK

Published: 18 May 2013 at 00.00

The deputy commander of the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) has denied promising a man suspected of hacking into the Prime Minister’s Office website he would not be prosecuted if he helped investigators track down other suspects.

Pol Col Siriphong Timula said yesterday he and his team of investigators are “professional officers” who would never make such a deal to solve the case.

He was responding to a message that the suspect, Narongrit Suksarn, aka Ta Lek Window 98se, posted on his Facebook page on Thursday.

In his posting, Mr Narongrit, from Nakhon Si Thammarat, said he helped police track down the internet protocol (IP) addresses of people who are most likely to be those who hacked into the PM’s Office website.

Mr Narongrit claimed that Col Siriphong had agreed to clear him of suspicion in exchange for the information, but that he has so far failed to do so.

After being named as a suspect by the police, Mr Narongrit then reported in to TCSD commander Pisit Paoin on May 12.

The TCSD believes Mr Narongrit hacked into the PM’s Office website three days before the May 8 attack but he did not make any changes, according to Pol Maj Gen Pisit.

Pol Col Siriphong denied making the deal. He said he only asked Mr Narongrit, the sole suspect in this case so far, to help his investigators find the real culprits after he denied being involved in the hacking.

Sukumpol in talks with Cambodian counterpart

Published: 18 May 2013 at 00.00

Thailand and Cambodia have signed four new agreements focused on bolstering trust and maintaining security.

The documents were signed on Friday’s General Border Committee (GBC) meeting.

Defence Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat made the announcement after the 9th GBC meeting at Wangjuntr Golf Park in Rayong’s Wang Chan district.

He said one of the four agreements concerned the spread of information.

Both parties committed to promoting positive and factual information about each other to help bolster trust and respect, the minister said.

The second agreement concerns the suppression of illegal activities in border areas, especially drug smuggling and logging.

Part of that agreement is also a pledge to support maritime safety and law enforcement by taking into account protection of human rights, ACM Sukumpol said.

The third agreement involves supporting residents living in border areas by promoting job creation, tourism, education and health care.

Both parties also agreed to endorse the results of the Joint Working Group (JWG) meetings, which aim to solve border disputes, as well as the joint agreement on landmine clearance drawn up by the Thailand and Cambodian Mine Action Centres.

ACM Sukumpol said landmine clearance in the provisional demilitarised zone will kick off next month.

“These agreements represent shared benefits and mutual understanding carried out for the people of the two countries,” ACM Sukumpol said.

The minister was accompanied by Deputy Supreme Commander and Thai JWG chief Gen Worapong Sanganetra, while other Thai military chiefs who were invited failed to attend.

Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Bahn, Deputy Defence Minister Neang Paht, three top Cambodian military commanders, and Col Hun Manith, son of Cambodian premier Hun Sen, also attended the meeting. Gen Tea Bahn vowed to help boost border safety.

“There will be no fighting [between Cambodia and Thailand]. People will live safely together. The ICJ case [on the Preah Vihear temple dispute] still has to run its course,” Gen Tea Bahn said. He was referring to the International Court of Justice’s consideration of a request to reinterpret its 1962 ruling on the disputed land surrounding the temple.

The ruling is expected in October.

ACM Sukumpol reiterated that regular communication must be maintained between both sides to ensure peace at the border.

“Cambodia will tell us when they want to conduct military exercises. And if we want to hold drills nearby, we will also tell them,” ACM Sukumpol said.

“If we work together, we will ease the tension.”

The next GBC meeting will be hosted by Cambodia.

CHARTER COURT

Published: 18 May 2013 at 00.00

The Pheu Thai Party has called on Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva to explain himself after the Constitution Court accepted the draft-dodging allegation against him.

Pheu Thai deputy spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ard yesterday quoted Mr Abhisit to pressure him to clear public doubts about the draft-dodging claim.

“Mr Abhisit himself once said ‘political responsibility takes precedence over legal responsibility’, so he must answer the questions from the public,” Mr Anusorn said. Mr Anusorn, however, did not describe what level of responsibility Mr Abhisit should take.

He said Mr Abhisit must explain queries including the alleged use of a fraudulent document to apply for a teaching job at Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy and the absence of the original military exemption document. He also asked if Mr Abhisit will accept the Constitution Court’s decision, no matter what it is.

The charter court on Thursday accepted a petition by a group of 134 Pheu Thai MPs seeking its ruling on the parliamentary status of Mr Abhisit.

The petition followed Defence Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat’s order to strip Mr Abhisit of his military rank as an acting sub-lieutenant after a Defence Ministry probe ruled that he dodged the military draft. Mr Abhisit denied the accusation and said the move against him was politically motivated.

In stripping Mr Abhisit of his rank, ACM Sukumpol also retroactively nullified his appointment as a lecturer at Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy.

Mr Abhisit said yesterday he had received a letter from the court asking him to to submit a defence statement to the court within 15 days.

“I am sure ACM Sukumpol’s order was against the law and I will present this information to the Constitution Court,” he said.

ASSETS DECLARATION

Published: 18 May 2013 at 00.00

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has denied dragging its feet in probing allegations of assets concealment against Pheu Thai Party list-MP Yuranunt Pamornmontri.

Mr Yuranunt will tender his resignation as a list-MP next week to run as the Pheu Thai candidate for the upcoming Don Muang district by-election on June 16.

NACC member Klanarong Chantik told Isra News Agency yesterday the commission’s investigation into Mr Yuranunt began long before the party announced him as its by-election candidate.

“The NACC is not involved in politics. We are just doing our duty of investigating every politician accused of improperly declaring their assets and liabilities,” Mr Klanarong said.

“I can’t say exactly when this case will be completed. The investigators are still checking some information.”

An NACC source told the Isra News Agency that Mr Yuranunt failed to declare his holding of stocks worth more than 14 million baht when he was sworn in as an MP on Aug 31, 2011.

Mr Yuranunt is accused of failing to declare 144,500 shares he held in Villa Medica Co worth 14.4 million baht. He also allegedly failed to declare about 3,000 shares held in Troya Co by his wife, Marisa Pamornmontri.

The source said there were concerns that if Mr Yuranunt wins the June 16 by-election and the NACC subsequently finds him guilty, he may be stripped of his seat and another by-election would have to be held at taxpayers’ expense.

Last year, Mr Yuranunt reportedly told the NACC he failed to declare the shares because documents went missing during the floods in 2011. He said he had no intention of concealing any assets.

CITY LIFE

Residents fight to preserve one small area of green space

Published: 18 May 2013 at 00.00

Stuck in the middle of a corridor of towering apartment blocks, the residents of Mahadlek Luang in Bangkok’s Pathumwan district have had enough of construction and are gearing up for a struggle to get more green space for their community.

In particular, they have earmarked a plot of land belonging to the Office of the Privy Purse (OPP) which is to become another high-rise apartment building. They have prepared a submission calling on the OPP to lease the land to them for development as a park.

Hundreds of residents living at Mahadlek Luang sois 1, 2 and 3 have for the past five years strongly opposed the construction of a 43-storey condominium on the site.

The condominium, with 516 units, called Mahadlek Residences Project, is planned for the 1.3-rai plot in Mahadlek Luang Soi 2. The project is being developed by Thai Factory Development Plc (TFD), which rents the land from the OPP.

The OPP owns 67 rai in Soi Mahadlek Luang sois 1-3 on Ratchadamri Road in Pathumwan district. Most of the office’s land has been leased to land developers to build condominiums and hotels.

The plot where the Mahadlek Residences Project will be built has many large trees and is highly prized in the locality.

Oraya Sutabutr, a Mahadlek Luang resident who is leading the protest against the development, said more than 300 residents have so far signed a petition to fight for green areas in the sois.

So determined are they to retain the natural habitat in the area that they are prepared themselves to take over the lease of the plot from the OPP and develop it into a public park that they will call “Vajiravudh Park” with money donated from the residents.

“Vajiravudh Park will be a recreational area for Mahadlek Luang residents and those living nearby. It will be a new lung for Bangkok and people living in the area need not travel further to get to a park,” Ms Oraya said.

“This will set a precedent for other urban communities and people wanting to protect the environment and who are prepared to do everything to get green areas that are gradually disappearing from Bangkok due to business-oriented developments,” she said.

Ms Oraya has lived in an apartment at Mahadlek Lek Soi 2 for more than 10 years. She said most of the OPP’s 67 rai of land has been turned into high rises and now it is leasing out the last green plot for a condominium development.

The condominium, she said, would not only reduce the area of green space, but once it is completed, it will block sunlight and breezes.

TFD, the developer, has assigned Thai Environment Co to explain details of the project to residents living in the sois. Three public hearings on the project have been held, but the firm has been unable to answer questions about green area preservation, said Ms Oraya.

The OPP should have preserved this green area and protected the residents’ right to live in a good environment instead of leasing out the plot to a private firm to develop a project at the expense of the environment.

Aside from proposing the Vajiravudh Park project to the office, her group will submit a letter to the Office of Natural Resources and Environment Policy and Planning, which oversees environmental impact assessments, to look into the environmental impact of the high-rise condo project, she said.

If the OPP decides to let the condo project move ahead, the residents will petition the Administrative Court, she added.

The OPP could not be reached for comment.

However, Apichai Taechaubol, adviser to the TFD’s board, earlier insisted the Mahadlek Residences Project had followed proper procedures.

Once the project’s EIA report was approved, TFD would seek permission from agencies concerned to start the project, said Mr Apichai.

The design of the project had been approved by the OPP, he added.

He shrugged off claims by the residents that the new building would block the sunlight and breezes, saying it had followed the building control law and would pose no problems regarding air flow.

Published: 17 May 2013 at 20.59

A high-ranking police officer wanted in the murder of a senior provincial official in Khon Kaen surrendered on Friday.

Pol Lt Col Somjit Kaemprom, deputy superintendent of Nong Rua police station, turned himself in at the Khon Kaen police station. He denied all charges and will only testify in court, said Pol Lt Gen Kawee Supanan, chief of provincial police region 4.

Pol Lt Gen Kawee said the suspect refused to acknowledge the evidence hat officers showed him relating to the death of Suchart Kothum, the chief administrator of the Khon Kaen Provincial Administration Organisation (PAO).

The suspect will be detained at the police station after he is interrogated. Police denied bail and are requesting the court to detain him for further legal proceedings.

Pol Lt Col Somjit had been hiding in Bangkok but surrendered after contacting the superintendent of the Nong Rua police station, said Pol Lt Gen Kawee.

The two remaining suspects who had contacted the police to turn themselves in along with Pol Lt Col Somjit did not show up. Officers in Bangkok are trying to track them down.

He said there were enough witnesses and evidence to charge the deputy superintendent with conspiracy to commit premeditated murder, illegal possession of weapons, and carrying a firearm in public.

Suchart, 53, was shot dead outside his home in Muang district on May 3 while he was heading out to work. Witnesses saw three men approach him before his death.

Pol Snr Sgt Maj Veerasak Chamnanpol, an officer at the Nong Rua station, was arrested on May 7 for his involvement. He confessed that he coordinated the attack with three other men. He said Pol Lt Col Somjit was the team leader and the one who pulled the trigger.

The deputy superintendent disappeared on the same day that Pol Snr Sgt Maj Veerasak was caught.

Published: 17 May 2013 at 20.07

The dismissal of the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) chief would disrupt Thailand’s drug distribution system, health advocates warn.

The sacking of GPO managing director Witit Artavatkun could be part of a broader agenda to benefit private-sector drug firms, some said.

GPO board chairman Pipat Yingseree said the state agency’s board on Friday decided to dismiss Mr Witit for negligence.

Mr Witit has been under investigation since February by the Public Health Ministry and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).

He was accused of irregularities in the procurement of 148 tonnes of paracetamol ingredients, the delayed construction of a vaccine factory, and stockpiling of anti-flu ingredients.

However, the Food and Drug Administration ruled that the anti-flu drugs would not expire until 2015 and cleared Mr Witit of any wrongdoing.

The DSI then forwarded other cases to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).

The GPO board had begun its own investigation in February which led to the managing director’s dismissal.

Health activists suspected that the investigations might aim to discredit Mr Witit and the organisation to reduce its influence on the public health system.

There could be a hidden political or financial agenda to change the GPO’s structure and satisfy private-sector drug suppliers, said Niyada Kiatying-Angsulee of Chulalongkorn University’s Drug System Monitoring and Development Programme.

“The organisation has the privilege to supply drugs to state-owned hospitals nationwide,” she said. “The dismissal [of Mr Witit] has damaged the organisation’s profile which could lead to the loss of such advantage.

“The ejection may pave ways for the private sector to become alternative drug suppliers.”

Nimit Tian-udom, director of the Aids Access Foundation, said Mr Witit was a strong executive and his absence would have a negative effect on drug distribution to state-owned hospitals.

“When the GPO is weak, we will need to rely on foreign medicine suppliers which could be very expensive,” she said.

Saree Ongsomwang, secretary-general of the Foundation for Consumers, said she believed the dismissal was linked to the Thailand-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.

The government’s drug procurement system is a problem for foreign medicine suppliers who want to benefit from low tariffs under an FTA, she said.

The system does not allow them to sell products at high prices because the government buys in large quantities to be able to negotiate price discounts with suppliers.

“The GPO has long guaranteed national health security for Thai people. The dismissal of Mr Witit is definitely not a good sign,” said Ms Saree.

Former GPO board chairman Wichai Chokwiwat questioned the transparency of Mr Witit’s ouster.

Mr Wichai said the duration of the investigation was suspiciously short.

Mr Witit gave a two-hour statement about the vaccine factory construction to the DSI on May 7 and later he submitted more than 1,000 pages of documents on May 15.

The DSI somehow managed to declare its findings within one day.

In the case of the paracetamol procurement, Mr Witit was scheduled to give a statement to the DSI on May 7. But the DSI publicised his alleged wrongdoing on May 1.

“Every incident took place two years ago. Why did the investigation only begin recently though some public health officials have been with the GPO’s board for longer than the period of time?” asked Mr Wichai.

DSI chief Tarit Pengdith maintains the agency had enough evidence to charge the managing director. The investigation did not mean to defame anyone, he said.

Mr Witit piloted the 40-baht universal healthcare project at Baan Paew hospital in Samut Sakhon, which later became a model for the government’s 30-baht healthcare scheme.

He has been praised for increasing the GPO’s revenue from 5 billion baht to 12 billion baht over five years.

He is also one of major figures behind reductions in medicine costs by the government procurement system and the issue of compulsory licences (CL) to ensure cheaper drugs, Mr Wichai added.

Published: 17 May 2013 at 17.57

Science and technology development in Thailand is “going downhill” under the Pheu Thai government, which sees research only in terms of short-term business gains, says the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA).

The NTSDA has called on people to wear black on Monday to protest against Pheu Thai’s failure to keep its promises to improve research and innovation.

The government earlier announced a goal to raise spending on research from 0.25% of gross domestic product to between 1% and 2%. The NSTDA at the time lauded the government’s vision to drive science and technology forward.

But in reality, over the past seven months, policies imposed on different agencies under the Ministry of Science and Technology, such as the NSTDA, are not in line with the government’s declaration, the agency said in an open letter released on Friday.

Political micro-management makes conditions worse for researchers. All NSTDA projects costing more than 2 million baht must be approved personally by the science and technology minister, the agency said.

“We’re concerned about the internal and external changes and challenges that affect our country, and the fact that our country attaches little importance to creating knowledge and innovation that will increase skills in the long run,” the letter says.

“The government only sees science and technology as a way to solve short-term problems or to create business opportunities.

“As a result, our country’s skills and competitive edge are steadily declining.”

The NTSDA said its funding for research projects on biology, ecosystem restoration and biomass energy had been reduced.

Instead, it has been assigned to work on projects that focus on generating revenue for the organisation instead of creating knowledge for further application.

The government’s funding had been used on other activities besides research, it said.

The usage of creativity and innovation had dropped due to limitations placed on researchers, it added.