By Thai Newsroom Reporters
DE FACTO BHUMJAITHAI boss Newin Chidchob may have been so displeased with a popular TV news commentary which had unrelentingly taken to task his son/Digital Economy & Society Minister Chaichanok Chidchob over the contentious TH-AI Passport project that he allegedly managed to put an abrupt end to it, according to an opposition lawmaker.
Though the disputable AI project, the implementation of which was originally scheduled to begin as soon as early next month, may be viewed as a relatively low cost one estimated at about 1.6 billion baht, compared to other costly government projects, it is being eagerly pushed by the de facto Bhumjaithai boss’s son who would probably prefer to see nobody else stand in his way, particularly including news commentator Danai “Mah Kae” Ekmahasawat of the Inside Thailand programme on the state-owned MCOT TV channel.
Finally, straightforward criticisms of the allegedly cronyism-driven AI project on the news commentary programme had prompted his father to have it unexpectedly terminated at the end of this month, according to People’s MP Pukkamon Nunarnan.
She referred to the so-called TH Consortium, a joint venture between Turnkey Communication Services Pcl and Human Intelligence Co. which won the AI project run by the Ministry of Digital Economy & Society, pushed by the digital economy & society minister and criticised on air by the famous news commentator.
Certain executive officials of the contentious project’s winning contractor have been allegedly discreetly associated with Chaichanok who concurrently acts as secretary-general of the Bhumjaithai, currently core of the coalition government steered behind the scenes by his father.
The MCOT executive officials supervising the news programme would probably have been dismissed if they failed to meet the frustrated Newin’s demands involving that particular commentator and the AI project which had been allegedly predestined for the winning firm under the cronyism of his son.
The People’s MP who concurrently chairs the House Committee on Political Development, Mass Communication & Public Participation said her standing panel will definitely pick up the issue for consideration in regard to the abrupt termination of the news commentary programme to find out how the de facto Bhumjaithai boss could possibly unduly influence the state-owned media at the expense of their freedom of speech.
Meanwhile, Chaichanok’s educational background could possibly be suspected by his critics as falsified claims after he has recently admitted that he had spent 17 years in England during which he had repeatedly flunked at a prep school since he was eight years old and finally opted out by returning home in Buriram to help his father build a car racing venue currently named Chang International Circuit.
However, the digital economy & society minister has stopped short of elaborating as to exactly where or when he may have graduated high school before he advanced his studies for a bachelor degree at a private university’s campus in the northeastern province.
CAPTIONS:
Top and Front Page: Danai “Mah Kae” Ekmahasawat. Both photos – MNG Online
First insert: De facto Bhumjaithai boss Newin Chidchob. Photo – Naewna
Second insert – Digital Economy & Society Minister Chaichanok Chidchob. Photo – Naewna
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