Big Pom-ise: Prawit vows to return salary and attend Parliament

The party-list MP and leader of the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), Prawit Wongsuwan, announced yesterday, October 1, that he intends to return his salary and related allowances to the Secretariat of the House of Representatives, and promised to attend parliamentary meetings more frequently.

The Secretary-general of the PPRP, Paibun Nititawan, revealed at a press conference yesterday that the party leader, Prawit, decided not to receive his salary, including the position allowance and other related payments, from now until the end of his term.

In addition to refraining from receiving his salary, Prawit is keen to return the total amount he received to the Secretariat of the House of Representatives. Some news agencies reported that the total amount is around 2 million baht.

Paibun conveyed Prawit’s reason for this decision to the public, stating that the PPRP leader wanted to set an example for other MPs who, like him, had busy schedules and were unable to attend parliamentary meetings regularly.

Prawit expressed his pride in being selected by the people to serve as an MP. He promised to attend parliamentary meetings more frequently but confirmed that he would not be present at the upcoming meeting on October 3, citing important business on that day. He added that he had submitted a leave request long ago.

Restore reputation

Prawit, known as “Big Pom,” has frequently made headlines since embarking on his political career. He became a subject of public scrutiny when the media spotted him wearing a luxury watch, a Richard Mille RM 029 valued at 3.6 million baht, that was not declared in his asset account.

Moreover, Prawit is notable for his poor attendance and lack of participation in parliamentary meetings. A photograph of him asleep during one such meeting went viral on social media, further fuelling public criticism.

The PPRP leader also failed to attend the prime minister selection vote for Paetongtarn Shinawatra, despite being a member of the government coalition. He even attracted more negative comment by physically assaulting a reporter who asked him about the PM.

Prawit is currently facing a political crisis, as members of the PPRP are now divided into two factions, allegedly due to a conflict between him and prominent member Thamanat Prompow.

Furthermore, Prawit became the prime suspect in a leaked voice recording shared last month. He was accused of demanding the position of PM, though both Prawit and his party members denied the allegations.

This decision to return his salary may be an attempt to restore the PPRP leader’s public image and garner more support from the public.