Kalasin Governor Removes Two Council Members for Five Straight Absences
Kalasin Governor Suwan Khemthanpet has removed two provincial council members after they missed five consecutive assembly meetings and took unauthorized trips to Laos. An investigation found they filed false leave requests and fled the country without permission, violating local officials' leave regulations. The governor said the action was intentional avoidance of the law, and those affected have 90 days to appeal to the Administrative Court.
On October 19, 2069, at the Kalasin Provincial Hall, Governor Suwan Khemthanpet signed an announcement removing Pathanon Chandon, council member for Kho Chai district, and Pathomphong Putthaongern, council member for Yang Talad district, Constituency 4, from office, with the removal backdated to March 10, 2069. The governor cited their absence from five consecutive provincial assembly meetings—held on February 10, 17, 24 and March 4 and 10, 2069—as grounds for termination under the Provincial Administration Act BE 2540, which states that missing three consecutive meetings without reasonable cause ends membership. An investigation committee was convened and found that both members had submitted personal leave requests for the period February 1–28, 2069, claiming private business, but the assembly chair did not approve them. They also filed requests for foreign travel leave during the same period without providing the required justification. Immigration Bureau 4 records show Pathanon departed Thailand via Nong Khai on January 20, 2069, while Pathomphong left on January 15, 2069 for Laos without authorization; both returned together on March 19, 2069 through Don Mueang Airport. The governor said the trips violated Ministry of Interior regulations on leave for local administrators, assistants, and council members BE 2547 and represented an intentional effort to avoid legal obligations. The members claimed a court summons prevented them from attending meetings, but the governor determined the arrests occurred after March 19, while they were still abroad and had not requested leave. The announcement notes that anyone disagreeing with the decision may file a case with the Administrative Court within 90 days of notification, per the Administrative Court Act BE 2542. This action follows earlier reports linking Kalasin provincial council members to a network of local politicians and youth gangs involved in online gambling and money laundering, including online lottery websites, for which arrest warrants have been issued. The notices identify council member "Nay" (Pathanon Chandon) and his wife as having fled abroad since January 20, 2069, and council member "Prew" (Pathomphong Putthaongern) of Yang Talad district, Constituency 4, as having fled since January 15, 2069; the Ministry of Justice, Cyber Police, and the Department of Special Investigation have launched a crackdown and taken over the case as a special investigation.
