People’s Party MPs allege entrenched influence network in Phuket is hurting business and investor confidence
Two People’s Party MPs say alleged extortion networks and entrenched influence in Phuket are damaging honest businesses, weakening investor confidence and hurting the provincial economy.
People’s Party MPs Chalermpong Saengdee and Pakamon Nunanant on June 22 raised concerns about what they described as an entrenched political influence network in Phuket, alleging that extortion and unofficial payments are harming the province’s economy, damaging honest businesses and undermining investor confidence.
Chalermpong, a Phuket MP for Constituency 2, said the issue in Phuket goes beyond the transfer of the provincial governor, deputy governor and the commander of Provincial Police Region 8. He said the problem is structural and involves influential figures with deep roots in the province.
He said a police officer had warned him to be careful, which he described as a sign that powerful interests were operating without fear of the law. According to Chalermpong, those interests are linked to politics, authority and local benefits, and have led to pressure on business operators through long-running demands for payments.
He said the government should focus on investigating networks of influence in Phuket, gathering evidence and prosecuting those involved. He also said the issue was not only about under-the-table money, but about broader damage to Phuket’s economy, honest entrepreneurs, investment opportunities, the province’s credibility and tourists’ sense of safety.
Pakamon, a party-list MP from the People’s Party, said the transfer of Phuket officials appeared to be only one scene in a larger political drama. She said business operators in Phuket had sent her a letter saying the reshuffle had affected investment confidence because investors no longer knew whom they would need to approach and whether they could operate safely.
She said complainants had told her that investing in Phuket requires not only business capital but also preparation for the cost of unofficial payments. She argued that straightforward investment could not take place under such conditions and said the resulting damage was falling on Phuket’s economy, which she described as important to Thailand as a whole.
Pakamon also questioned whether the transfers of Phuket’s governor and deputy governor were related to local influence groups or political bargaining. She called on the government and the prime minister to explain the facts behind the reshuffle and to show that it was not an attempt to entrench political power in the province.
Both MPs said symbolic action would not be enough and urged a clearer response from the government over allegations of entrenched influence and their impact on Phuket.
