Jailed politician erects billboard to wish voters Happy New Year

A former Thai politician appears to be making a joke out of his current prison term by splashing the cash on a billboard to wish his constituents a Happy New Year.

A picture of former Democrat MP Thepthai Senpong features on a Happy New Year billboard in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. The billboard has drawn a mixed reaction from voters in the region.

Thepthai and his Democrat MP brother, Manote Senpong, were found guilty of election fraud after they bought votes in a mayoral election in Nakhon Si Thammarat in 2014. They were finally sentenced to two years in prison and banned from participating in any political activities for ten years. Both of them entered the prison in July of this year and there they remain.

The family is well-known in the province. Most of them have embarked on a political career and are popular with their constituents.

The youngest brother of Thepthai, Nakhon Si Thammarat MP Pongsin Senpong, was behind the billboard with a mocked-up picture of his brother behind prison bars wishing a Happy New Year to Senpong supporters.

The message says…

“Happy New Year 2023! You will fall in love with me when you know the real me. Thepthai Senpong.”

Thepthai and Senpong family supporters also posted the billboard to Facebook with a poem in the caption, which read…

“Despite the suffering inside the jail, Thepthai isn’t afraid, and he still has a strong determination to serve the public. Thepthai will be ready to serve people in Nakhon Si Thammarat immediately after getting out of jail.”

Pongsin told the media that the billboard isn’t related to an election campaign and that there was nothing sinister behind the billboard.

Pongsin added the Senpong family always creates a billboard portrait of Thepthai. The costume, messages and themes are changed according to the situation and event.

Some netizens found it humorous, others said that the billboard was creative while supporters said they were looking forward to seeing the politician back when he gets out of prison

But not everyone liked the gesture. Many thought the billboard was inappropriate because Thepthai actually committed a crime and got jailed.