Phuket Senators not short of spare change

BANGKOK: Phuket Senator Thanyarat Atchariyachai and her husband K. Pamuke have combined assets totaling just under 1.7 billion baht, according to asset declaration statements posted by the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) on its website on May 8.

K. Thanyarat declared assets totaling more than 684 million baht, while her husband K. Pamuke, managing director of the Kata Group, declared assets of just over 1 billion baht.

The bulk of their combined total comprised landholding assets worth about 1.1 billion baht, much of it coastal property in Phuket and Phang Nga. Other landholdings include plots in Nakhon Sri Thammarat’s Pak Panang district and central Bangkok.

K. Thanyarat also had debts totaling 29 million baht.

The couple listed one dependent, 17-year-old Preeyawit Atchariyachai, a student at Cushing Academy in the US state of Massachusetts.

Former Phuket City Mayor Phummisak Hongsyok, one of 74 appointed senators, was listed as having 224 million baht in assets and 21 million baht in debts. His wife, K. Sasinee, executive secretary at Anuphas and Son Co Ltd, declared assets of 1.4 million baht.

K. Phummisak was appointed by the Senate Selection Committee to represent the private sector in his capacity as president of the Phuket Real Estate Club.

The biggest component of his assets was landholdings, with 137.6 million baht in land title deeds. Most of it, over 200 contiguous rai in Wichit and Kathu, is still undeveloped. K. Phummisak also listed 72.4 million baht in bank savings and 12.8 million baht in stocks.

According to Sections 259 and 260 of the new Constitution, all 150 members of the upper house are required to submit to the NCCC an account showing assets and liabilities and that of their spouses and children who have not yet reached legal age within 30 days of being sworn in.

Asset statements are also required of the Prime Minister, his Cabinet and all members of parliament.

When the asset declarations of Phuket’s three MPs were announced in March, Tossaporn Tephabutra was listed as the second-richest member of the Thai parliament, with combined family assets of more than 963 million baht.

Fellow Democrat MP Chalermlak Kepsap, who won a seat from the party list balloting, declared more than 140 million baht in assets while Rawat Areerob had some 60 million baht in declared holdings.