Chiang Rai governor faces probe for missing flood relief visit
Caretaker Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul orders an investigation, citing the governor’s unexplained absence during the delivery of crucial aid to flood victims
The governor of Chiang Rai faces an investigation and possible disciplinary action for failing to join ministers who went to visit flood victims in the province on Saturday.
Caretaker Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who had joined caretaker Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai on the trip, ordered the investigation into Chiang Rai governor Puttipong Sirimart’s absence.
Anutin sent the order dated Monday to his ministry’s permanent secretary, Suttipong Juljaroen. Puttipong has three days to come up with an explanation.
In the order, Anutin said the provincial governor should have been present to command operations as an ex-officio director of the provincial disaster mitigation centre.
“The provincial governor was not present to carry out his duty of easing people’s grievances and all day, he did not contact us to explain why he was not present,” Anutin said in the order.
Anutin and Phumtham visited Chiang Rai’s Thoeng district on Saturday to rush aid to the flood victims.
On Tuesday, Anutin said he was embarrassed that one of his subordinates had failed to carry out his duty when the caretaker premier had personally shown up at the field.
He said he did not expect the governor to go out of his way for his and Phumtham’s convenience, but he should have been there to work with them to help flood victims.
Anutin said he learned that Puttipong had completed his mission at 7pm on Friday and should have taken a flight back to Chiang Rai on Saturday morning. He added that the governor had been informed in advance that the caretaker PM would arrive in Chiang Rai at 9am, so he should have had ample time to return to his province.
He added that if Puttipong was unable to book a flight, then he could have joined him and Phumtham on their private jet to Chiang Rai. “Had he called me, I would have freed a seat for him by getting one of my aides to stay back,” Anutin said.
