Former senator says Phuket governor transfer will not solve nominee and influence problems
Former senator Suradej Yasawat says transferring Phuket's governor and deputy governors will not fix the province's problems, and urges central police and DSI to investigate alleged influence networks and foreign nominee businesses.
Independent politician Suradej Yasawat said the transfer of Phuket's governor and two deputy governors would not solve the province's underlying problems, arguing that authorities should instead bring in central police units and the Department of Special Investigation to investigate alleged influence networks and foreign nominee businesses.
Suradej, a former senator, former member of parliament and former deputy leader of the Palang Pracharath Party, said the reshuffle addressed only the symptoms and not the root causes of problems in Phuket. He said the transfer of two deputy governors linked in reports to conflicts and other issues in the province was not a punishment, because the two receiving provinces, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Songkhla, are also top-tier large provinces.
He also said the transfer of Phuket's governor to a post as deputy permanent secretary of the Interior Ministry reinforced earlier rumors that the governor had been threatened with removal. Suradej said that if the governor had been working well, he should have been allowed to continue in office to address the problems.
According to Suradej, the response should involve central law enforcement agencies, including the Crime Suppression Division and DSI, to investigate alleged protection money demands, local power brokers and links to foreign nominee groups. He said the use of outside investigators would put pressure on local officials and police.
He said Thailand's Foreign Business Act carries penalties of up to three years in prison, fines of 100,000 to 1 million baht, or both, plus daily fines of 10,000 to 50,000 baht, and argued that stricter enforcement would reduce nominee shareholding arrangements.
Suradej also called for the government to review its visa-free policy, saying tougher screening was needed for national security reasons. He said the government should act in a concrete way rather than relying on site visits or transfers alone, so that Phuket residents could see clear improvement.
