Chuwit gets two years in jail for demolishing beer bars in Bangkok

[webfact]

Chuwit gets two years in jail



BANGKOK: -- Rak Thailand party Chuwit Kamolvisit was sentenced to two years in prison after the Supreme Court found him guilty for ordering 131 men to forcibly demolish 60 beer bars in the heart of capital in 2003 in defiance of law.

The court reversed the five year imprisonment sentence handed down earlier by the Appeals Court on him and 66 others to two years in prison without suspension after he withdrew his appeal and confessed to the offences.

Besides he has also contributed the land in dispute to build a park for public use.

He will be escorted to Bangkok Remand Prison to serve the two years jail term.

Earlier before attending the hearing of his final verdict, Chuwit arrived at the Criminal Court at 10 am with his wife and son and paid homage to the shrine in front of the court and preyed for luck.

He told reporters that whatever outcome will be reached by the Supreme Court, he will accept and will never seek royal pardon.

He said he is ready to be in jail as he wanted to set precedent for politicians to have courage to face any consequence from their bad deeds.

Chuwit, a former MP for Bangkok, had earlier reversed his testimony given to the Appeals Court in defending his charges, and confessed to the offences with the hope that the Supreme Court would grant him mercy.

Chuwit, who was then massage parlour tycoon before he entered politics and became leader of the Rak Thailand party, and two accomplices, were charged for leading 131 men to evict bar owners out of an area known as Sukhumvit Square on Sukhumvit Soi 10.

The bars sprawled over more than 10 rai of land. More than 60 beer bars were forcibly demolished.

Earlier he and 131 others who included his accomplices Lt Colonel Himalai Phiewphan, a military officer attached to the Armed Forces Development in 2003, and Major Thanyathep Thammathorn, who worked at the 11th Infantry Battalion of the Royal Guards, were prosecuted in the Criminal Court for the forced eviction.

But initially, the Criminal Court acquitted all defendants in the case including Chuwit, Himalai, and Thanyathep in 2006.

Only his lawyer, Chanwet Malaibucha was sentenced to an eight-month in jail for showing land ownership document to Lumphini police to mislead them into believing the eviction was legitimate.

Chanwet, prosecutors and co-plaintiffs appealed against the 2006 verdict.

But the Appeals Court found 66 of the convicts guilty, including Chuwit and the two officers.

It sentenced Chuwit and the two officers to five years in prison without suspension.

But both officers were released on 500,000 baht bail each pending appeal to the Supreme Court.

However Chuwit was freed as he had political immunity as a Bangkok MP. He then appealed to the Supreme Court.

But he later withdrew his appeal and confessed to the charges with hope he would get clemency from the high court.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/148585

-- Thai PBS 2016-01-28

[trogers]

Time to visit him with chicken rice and ice black coffee...

[jaywalker]

Strange case indeed. I was stomping around that area near the time this happened quite a bit.

One day that beer bar complex was there, the next it had been razed by maniacs with sledge hammers. It was quite a sight to behold.

[jacky54]

That shitty bar area was a disgrace and he did a public service ripping it down and replacing it with a park

[NextStationBangkok]

Some how i liked his political campaigns with No.5 as his symbol, his campaigns were different with a message to people. People also liked him because he was speaking truth.

He gave up his bad karma closing down his massage parlors that was cash cow for police and politicians.

Two year is not that much, he can reform the Thai jails and cleanup the capitalism a bit.

He is good person by not followed the money and joined Thaksin party.

[pedro01]

"He said he is ready to be in jail as he wanted to set precedent for politicians to have courage to face any consequence from their bad deeds."

Good man.

[steven100]

Well ........... I gotta say i'm impressed that justice has prevailed and caught up with the offender ..... !!

never thought anything would come of it ...... it cost alot of jobs and destroyed those juke boxes & pool tables ....

[steven100]

That shitty bar area was a disgrace and he did a public service ripping it down and replacing it with a park

it was just another place for piss heads to drink some more piss and bang some women ....

[webfact]

13 Years Later, Chuwit Gets 2 Years for Demolishing Property
By Sasiwan Mokkhasen
Staff Reporter


Still image of politician Chuwit Kamolvisit entering the Supreme Court on Thursday in a video from Matichon TV.

BANGKOK — Massage parlor king-turned-politician Chuwit Kamolvisit was sentenced two years in prison today for demolishing bars and shops 13 years ago on land he later turned into a park named after himself.

The leader of Rak Thailand Party and 65 others were sentenced by the Supreme Court to five years in prison for hiring a group of men to destroy 60 bars located in Soi Sukhumvit 10 in 2003. Unlike other high-profile cases, the court did not suspend Chuwit’s sentence, however it was reduced to two years because he filed a guilty plea before the verdict was originally to be read in October.

At 4am on Jan. 26, 2003, several hundred men arrived with backhoes and leveled 60 beer bars and other shops to clear about 10 rai of land called Sukhumvit Square, which Chuwit had recently purchased. In 2006 it became a private park called Chuwit Garden.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1453965738


-- Khaosod English 2016-01-28

[Prbkk]

That shitty bar area was a disgrace and he did a public service ripping it down and replacing it with a park

He had ZERO intention of putting a park there. When he and his thugs and bully boys were caught in their standover tactics evicting longstanding tenants he was shamed into the park deal and a show of fake remorse aimed at escaping justice.

[Bluespunk]

"Earlier before attending the hearing of his final verdict, Chuwit arrived at the Criminal Court at 10 am with his wife and son and paid homage to the shrine in front of the court and preyed for luck."

I would see this as a spelling error but given this man's predilections for preying on others, especially young girls, I'd say it fits.

[rhodie]

That shitty bar area was a disgrace and he did a public service ripping it down and replacing it with a park

Only building a park to get acquitted. But you keep believing he is one of the good guys.....

[mrrizzla]

He won't do a day behind bars. He has dirt on waaaaayyyyyyyyyyy too many people.

[ChrisY1]

Finally, a Hi-So grub taken down.........whether he actually does spend time in Klong Prem or Bank Kwai remains to be seen.............

[Just1Voice]

Chuwit is the kind of guy you kinda like, even though you know you probably shouldn't. 5555

[Tatsujin]

Well ........... I gotta say i'm impressed that justice has prevailed and caught up with the offender ..... !!

never thought anything would come of it ...... it cost alot of jobs and destroyed those juke boxes & pool tables ....

How has justice in ANY way prevailed in this case?

He admitted lying in Appeals Court, built a park cos of the bad press he got about all of this, and now the sentences have gone down from 5 years to 2 years cos he finally admitted his guilt 10+ years later.

I can see the Thai's now: "wow, what an admirable person, someone to look up to, admitting his guilt, taking the punishment like a man and building a pretty park, what a nice guy".

[Scotwight]

That shitty bar area was a disgrace and he did a public service ripping it down and replacing it with a park

Do you mean Clinton Plaza? The brainchild of a Dutchman and an American, began as a collection of beer bars in 1998. The following year it was named after then U.S. President Bill Clinton. A number of lively go-go bars appeared in 2000. Many of the names were tongue in cheek jabs at the president, including Monica Beer Bar, Bill's Coffee House and the White House.

I doubt any of you fellows ever saw the place.

[Basil B]

Those businesses lost everything, they had no time to remove their property, I hope he now gets stung for hefty compensation claims.

[steven100]

does anyone remember it was raised up on a timber platform .... you had a couple of steps to enter ... there were many bars with juke boxes amd pool tables that were all smashed .... the next morning it was a crumpled mess !!!

[DM07]

Like so many others of his ilk, he will not ever see a prison- cell from the inside!

All smoke and mirrors!

[roo860]

Legend, will be missed, his antics never ceased to amaze me!

[brewsterbudgen]

Chuwit is the kind of guy you kinda like, even though you know you probably shouldn't. 5555

A bit like Trump. There should be more like him!

[Basil B]

He told reporters that whatever outcome will be reached by the Supreme Court, he will accept and will never seek royal pardon.

He will accept? What??? his punishment ...or was that a hint to some of those in high places, they owe him???

[colinneil]

You could not make up stories like this.

The antics of Thai politicians is beyond belief

[jaywalker]

That shitty bar area was a disgrace and he did a public service ripping it down and replacing it with a park

Do you mean Clinton Plaza? The brainchild of a Dutchman and an American, began as a collection of beer bars in 1998. The following year it was named after then U.S. President Bill Clinton. A number of lively go-go bars appeared in 2000. Many of the names were tongue in cheek jabs at the president, including Monica Beer Bar, Bill's Coffee House and the White House.

I doubt any of you fellows ever saw the place.

Some of us were actually in Thailand besides just you, rode the Skytrain or walked by this location where it was impossible to NOT see the place.

I never ventured in.....Strike that. I just HAD to check out Clinton Plaza and Lewinsky's one afternoon.

I was thirsty.

[Misterwhisper]

That shitty bar area was a disgrace and he did a public service ripping it down and replacing it with a park

He had ZERO intention of putting a park there. When he and his thugs and bully boys were caught in their standover tactics evicting longstanding tenants he was shamed into the park deal and a show of fake remorse aimed at escaping justice.

Hear, hear! You've got that absolutely right, Prbkk.

[Valentine]

That shitty bar area was a disgrace and he did a public service ripping it down and replacing it with a park

Do you mean Clinton Plaza? The brainchild of a Dutchman and an American, began as a collection of beer bars in 1998. The following year it was named after then U.S. President Bill Clinton. A number of lively go-go bars appeared in 2000. Many of the names were tongue in cheek jabs at the president, including Monica Beer Bar, Bill's Coffee House and the White House.

I doubt any of you fellows ever saw the place.

I live in Phuket but have been in there to install some music speakers, I think at the White House. I thought at the time it was a fairly strange concept, did not seem to be any real planning.

[jaywalker]

That shitty bar area was a disgrace and he did a public service ripping it down and replacing it with a park

Do you mean Clinton Plaza? The brainchild of a Dutchman and an American, began as a collection of beer bars in 1998. The following year it was named after then U.S. President Bill Clinton. A number of lively go-go bars appeared in 2000. Many of the names were tongue in cheek jabs at the president, including Monica Beer Bar, Bill's Coffee House and the White House.

I doubt any of you fellows ever saw the place.

I live in Phuket but have been in there to install some music speakers, I think at the White House. I thought at the time it was a fairly strange concept, did not seem to be any real planning.

Planning schlmanning. The P in Thailand stands for Planning.

I do agree. It seemed to pop up out of nowhere.

I'd get down that way once a week or so. I was living on Lat Phrao.

One week it was a vacant lot, next week I saw some kind of construction, next week it was jam packed like Chatujack, shortly after that it had been destroyed in the most unusual way.

Bizarre for sure, but to be expected on that stretch of Sukhumvit...Bizarre things happen there, so it was normal.

[Hermeric]

You know you have been too long in Thailand when the only half decent politician you know is a thuggish massage parlour owner.

I have been here 25 years

[dbrenn]

Hmmm - he's cashed up. He'll get treated like a Lord in jail, if the jailers actually make him stay there once he's paid them off to look the other way .....