CHON BURI, June 17 (TNA) – Somchai Khunpluem, aka Kamnan Poh, who was the first mayor of Saensuk municipality and an influential figure of the East, died of colon and lung cancer at the age of 81 years and nine months at Smitivej Chonburi Hospital in Muang district of Chon Buri province at 3am.
He was released on parole in January 2018 after being sentenced to a combined jail term of 28 years and four months.
Three royal pardons, one in 2015 and two in 2016, reduced his term to 10 years, 18 months and 20 days. As he had served his term for four years, nine months and 25 days, it fell to six years, eight months and 25 days. His family sought his early release for his illness and old age.
The bathing rite was set at Wat Chaeng Charoen Don in Saensuk sub-district of Chon Buri’s Muang district at about 4pm.
Somchai was born on Sept 30, 1937 and had five sons and one daughter. Sonthaya Khunpluem is the mayor of Pattaya City. The others are Withaya, the president of the Chon Buri provincial administration organization, Miss Jirapon who supervises the family’s businesses, former Chon Buri MP Ittipol, and Narongchai, the mayor of Saensuk municipality.
Somchai was the son of Chanchai Khunpluem, former village headman in Saensuk sub-district, and pork vendor Thuam. He was a bus attendant, fishing concessionaire in Cambodia, constructor, politician and finally influential figure of the East. (TNA)
