With 3 updates: Thammanat’s never ending lies IV

Convicted heroin smuggler, influential person, government deputy minister, once accused of murder, former military officer and liar Thammanat Prompao is at it again.

After his recent blooper, saying the heroin he arranged to smuggle to Australia in the 1990s was flour, he’s now been caught out in a surgical mask scam.

Convicted heroin smuggler

His immediate response was his usual denial decorated with a bunch of bogus detail. The minister stated that linking him to a mask scam was “an attempt to discredit him and seek his removal from the cabinet.”

Yes, we know, he’s already discredited, so how could one more crime or scam do any more damage.

The details of the scam is simply wonderful for those who “enjoy” examples of the rich and powerful showing that they are a bunch of self-centered, grasping crooks.

Thammanat has “admitted … that his assistant had met a man who was said to be hoarding face masks, but he denied they discussed the mask trade.”

Maybe it was a drug flour deal?

He “admitted” this following social media reports that Thammanat’s close aide Pittinant Rak-iad was hoarding some “200 million medical masks for resale to China.” The boss went on to “explain” that “there was a man hoarding masks for sale, but he had no connection with the man.”

Presumably his close aide also had no “connection” either. Well, apart from meeting him and discussing masks….

Thammanat then claims that he “was advised by a friend to meet the man at the Marriott Hotel in Pratunam area to discuss a matter involving masks, but they did not make a deal to trade in any masks…”.

If we are to believe this pile of manure, we’d need to know what they discussed. Perhaps it was flour?

After the meeting, Thammanat claims he told Pittinant “to ask police to take action against the man.”

We look forward to the police “investigating.”

How high can he pile it?

Just for good measure and to protect himself (as he did on the murder charge) Thamanart set up Pittinant to take any fall that’s coming, saying that if his aide “were to be involved in any such offence, he would support his prosecution.”

Update 1: Khaosod has a more detailed account, with all the sordid details of Pittinant’s mask stockpiling and trading. Clearly, as ever, Thammanat is full of buffalo manure.

Update 2: The Bangkok Post now has a more detailed story on Thammanat’s mask crisis. It should be read in full to see how much manure Thammanat is piling up:

Capt Thamanat said on his Facebook page there was a man hoarding masks for sale, but he had no connection with the man. Capt Thamanat did not name the man.

He said his close aide Pittinant Rak-iad was advised by a friend to meet the man at the Marriott Hotel in the Pratunam area to discuss a matter involving masks, but they did not make a deal to trade in any masks, Capt Thamanat wrote.

Mr Pittinant had not known the man and it was their first meeting, the deputy agriculture minister said. He had instructed Mr Pittinant to ask police to take action against the man.

Mr Pittinant said in his complaint filed with police later that he only took a photo together with the man.

I know nothing!

Meanwhile, going full Sgt Schultz:

… Sornsuvee “Boy” Pooraveenasawatchari, who was pictured meeting Mr Pittinant in the hotel, told crime suppression police in Chon Buri province on Monday afternoon he had not stocked any face masks.

Asked about a clip he posted showing himself with a large inventory of face masks, he said he did not know to whom they belonged….

When reporters asked who the masks belonged to, Mr Sornsuvee said: “No one. I’ve never seen them. I don’t know who the owner is. I know nothing.”

And there’s more:

Sornsuvee’s Facebook posts and video clips … boasted of having 200 million masks. His Facebook was later closed.

A post at 12.15am on his Facebook on Monday read: “Five million pieces available tomorrow at 14 baht each. For hospital and medical use. Minimum order 1 million pieces. You can show [proof of] your financial position or bring Chinese buyers. Brokers with no readily available money need not waste their time. Hurry. Price is not high for three-ply products. Goods are with my team.” He also added the hashtag #WorkAsTeam.

The post also shows two photos of opened cases filled with green boxes containing 50 pieces each and a few samples on top. A label on one of the cases partially shows what appeared to be “Made in Thailand” and the name of a local manufacturer.

A clip in early February shows several cases being loaded on a truck with Mr Sornsuvee supervising the process. He was heard in the clip saying he was filling orders to China and giving an assurance he had plenty of products for sale to “anyone who has the money”.

Another post shows a photo of Mr Sornsuvee and Mr Pittinant at a hotel with a Chinese merchant.

Interestingly, Thammanat is now copping “friendly” fire:

Palang Pracharath MP Sira Jenjaka on Monday called on Capt Thamanat to resign in order to fix the image of the government. That call was echoed across the floor by deputy Democrat leader Nipit Intarasombat and Democrat MP Panit Wikitset.

Update 3: It all just gets better and better. Thammanat now claims that police have jumped into action and found no mask hoarding. Ipso facto, all of the social media posting was “doctored.” A bit like heroin being flour….