From Father To Sons – But Where Is Kamnan Poh?

Recently, Itthipol Khunpluem, son of illustrious Somchai Khunpluem aka Kamnan Poh, won the mayoral election in beautiful Pattaya. Khun Itthipol, youngest brother of veteran politician Sonthaya, former tourism and sports minister, won by thousands of votes. Thousands of votes? What’s again the population of Pattaya?

Kamnan Poh was an influential figure in, or better: the godfather of Chon Buri. Was, because nobody knows his whereabouts since he went underground after being found guilty of hiring hit men to murder his business rival and local administrator Prayoon Sitthichote. Prayoon was gunned down at a wedding reception in full glamor in March 2003.

In 2006 a nationwide hunt was launched to capture Kamnan Poh, who knew a trick or two to enjoy growing influence. Today though nobody knows where he is. Or so they say. But that’s not the story of this topic. The story is his son Itthipol’s clear election win. By thousands of votes. Of a total of 31,672 votes. That’s right. Because only 64,735 voters were registered and not even half went voting. In a Pattaya that according to conservative estimates hosts a population of 500,000 people.

Khun Itthipol got 17,743 votes – more than double of his two challengers who each got 7,818 and 6,111 votes. And from now on Khun Itthipol will oversee Pattaya’s yearly budget over three billion baht. That equals over 46,000 baht for each registered voter. Quite an amount – gone where?

I guess daddy is proud of his sons. First tourism and sports minister Sonthaya, then Itthipol. And we love Itthipol’s promises. He promised a streetcar for Pattaya and protection against high tides. But then again, not everybody in Pattaya would have voted for Itthipol. But obviously only about the area of Walking Street was allowed to vote.

Talking to friends in Pattaya who eagerly tried to vote but were rejected one can only assume that the election may not have been too representative.

But then again, political success runs in the blood of the Khunpluems. The week before Pattaya’s mayoral election family member Witthaya Khunpluem made it into Chon Buri’s Provincial Administrative Organisation.

We congratulate the Khunpluems – and still wonder: Where is Kamnan Poh?




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May 9, 2008 | Filed Under Politics, Society, The Thai Mind 

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