BANGKOK, May 9 (TNA) – The United Thai Nation Party (UTN) issued a statement, saying that the party was not involved in the laser election campaign display on the main pillar of the RamaVIII Bridge but it was arranged by a UTN member personally.
The laser display on the night of May 8 featured the party’s name, logo, number and a message for campaigning for votes. It has drawn criticism over the political party’s use of public building for election campaign.
The party of which caretaker prime minister Gen. Prayut Chan-ocha is the leader clarified that it did not arrange the laser lighting display on the bridge and launched the investigation into the issue.
The investigation found that Tipanan Sirichana deputy government spokesperson and a UTN party-list candidate sought permission from permanent secretary for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration by a personal letter without informing the party or asking the party’s executives.
After learning about the fact, the party issued a warning letter, ordering her to stop projecting the laser display. The party apologized for the incident.
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the permission was sought by Tipanan as the party-list candidate of the UTN to use the riverside ground under the RamaVIII Bridge for campaigning from May 8-12 from 8 pm – 2 am.
The letter did not say the bridge’s pillar would be used for the laser election campaign display but the attached document showed the pictures of the venues with the laser display and arrow symbols.
The BMA did not imagine that the laser display would be on the bridge’s pillar. The BMA would not have allowed that. It could be miscommunication.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission chairman Itthiporn Boonprakong said about the laser display on Rama VIII bridge that it would look into the issue in details whether the permission was sought from the concerned agency and whether the action could be deemed as violation of the election rules. (TNA)
