No caviar but oodles of noodles for Prawit
Expensive caviar snack rumoured for Deputy PM's flight to Honolulu for defence meeting, actually noodles & rice, but in-flight flood cost of 600,000 baht remains unexplained.
Expensive caviar snack rumoured for Deputy PM's flight to Honolulu for defence meeting, actually noodles & rice, but in-flight flood cost of 600,000 baht remains unexplained.
CORRUPTION
No caviar but oodles of noodles for Prawit
5/10/2016
Wassana Nanuam & Aekarach Sattaburuth
He did not eat caviar on the 20.9-million-baht chartered flight to the Asean-US defence meeting in Hawaii last week, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon insisted on Tuesday.
Critics have slammed the flight as overpriced.
The first meal served on the charter flight from Bangkok to Honolulu was alleged to be a snack that included caviar and Italian smoked ham. The photo posted on the CSI LA facebook page was alleged to have been taken from the in-flight menu, but has not been verified (Source: Facebook)
CAVIAR RUMORS, RICE & NOODLES REALITY
Mr. Prawit was responding to a claim which circulated, along with criticism over alleged misspending, on social media that caviar was served on the flight.
According to images and information posted on a Facebook page calling itself CSI LA, the first meal served on the charter flight from Bangkok to Honolulu was a snack that included caviar and Italian smoked ham.
The photo, described as being taken from the in-flight menu, has not been verified.
Gen Prawit said he only ate rice and noodles on the flight.
WHO WAS ON THE EXPENSIVE FLIGHT?
In response to calls for him to disclose the names of 38 delegates travelling to Hawaii on the same trip, Gen Prawit told reporters to ask Maj Gen Khongcheep Tantrawanich, spokesman of the Defence Ministry.
X Gen Prawit also dismissed rumours that some of his close associates who were not involved in the Hawaii meeting also joined the trip, saying all delegates on the trip were involved in the meeting.
Every delegate worked for him while on the trip.
A reporter also joined the trip because he was there to cover the event, he said.
"Meeting the United States Secretary of Defense Ash Carter (in yellow tie, seated in front of ASEAN logo) along with my ASEAN counterparts at the ASEAN-US Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting" (Source: Ng Eng Hen facebook page)
600,000 FOR IN-FLIGHT FOOD & DRINKS
Criticism flared after the cost of the flight was posted on the Secretariat of the Prime Minister's website, which included 600,000 baht for in-flight food and drinks.
Gen Prawit said on Monday the flight's information was made public as taxpayers' money funded the trip.
WOULD FACE CENSURE DEBATE, IF ELECTED
This was clearly proof of double standards in the government's anti-corruption policy, said Pheu Thai Party's acting deputy spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ard.
If this government were elected, it would have faced a censure debate as a result of the charter flight matter, he added.
20.96 MILLION BAHT, BUT NOT ACTUAL PRICE...
The reported charter fee of 20.95 million baht was only a median price set in compliance with regulations.
The actual fee to be collected could be lower.
This is according to THAI (Thai Airways International), reiterating statements made by executive vice-president Usanee Sangsingkeo and THAI president Charamporn Jotikasthira.
NO PROBE
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha insisted on Monday he would not order a probe into the matter, saying the delegation went on the trip to Hawaii for a function and not a leisure visit.
He added there was no direct flight to Honolulu so the plane had to be chartered.
"Taking a group photo with ASEAN and US Defence Ministers, as well as the ASEAN Secretary-General, at the ASEAN-US Defence Ministers' Informal Meeting" (Source: Ng Eng Hen facebook page)
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/1102433/no-caviar-but-oodles-of-noodles-for-prawit
https://www.facebook.com/ngenghen/photos/pcb.1122164477876810/1122163887876869/?type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/CSILA90210/photos/a.600950366649359.1073741828.596740650403664/1153326048078452/?type=3&theater
สามารถฝึกอ่านออกเสียงและดูคำแปลได้ที่ : http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learning-from-news/1102896/no-caviar-but-oodles-of-noodles-for-prawit
