Political parties throwing extravagant dinners to raise election funds

The pro-Junta Palang Pracharat political party is expecting to raise 600 million baht from a grand fund-raising dinner named “One Thailand”. The event will be held tonight at Muang Thong Thanee in Bangkok.

The Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) appears to be winning over business leaders and the elite after selling most of the tables for tonight’s event.

The event will feature 200 Chinese-style dinner tables accommodating ten people each with a price tag of three million baht per table.

Highlight of the evening will be a speech by deputy party leader Suvit Maesincee, to be accompanied by entertainment featuring musicians John Nuevo and early 2000’s Thai pop-princess Tata Young.

Natthapol Teepsuwan, another deputy leader, says some of the guests paid more than three million baht for each table as the law has set a donation limit of five million baht for an individual donor and 10 million baht for a corporate donor.

After the fund-raising dinner, he said the party would check the qualifications of the donors whether they meet legal conditions, adding that the process would take about week after which the party would report to the Election Commission about the donations received and expenses incurred from the event.

Meanwhile, the Ruam Palang Prachachart Thai (ACT) party held a fund-raising gala dinner at the Queen Sirikit national convention centre last night raising approximately 240 million baht. There were, altogether 240 tables, each costing one million baht.

The event was attended by party leader M.R. Chatumongol Sonakul, party founder and de facto leader Suthep Thuagsuban plus key members and guests from the Palang Pracharat, Democrat and Chart Pattana parties.

In his ddress, Suthep outlined the party’s seven ideologies which include loyalty toward the Monarchy, major national reform, the sufficiency economy and people’s participation in politics.

A spokesman for the Democrat Party, Thana Chirawinit, said they are preparing to host their own event. The Pheu Thai Party is also said to be planning to host a banquet.

SOURCE: Thai PBS