Col Kitipong Kwanmuang, who heads the Royal Thai Army’s 41st Military Circle Phuket office, told The Phuket News today (Mar 15) that he and two other Army personnel arrived at Aspasia on March 4 to “discuss” the tenant’s dispute with the apartment complex’s management.
“We went because we received complaints from the tenants. We get a lot of complaints like this, and Aspasia is just one of them,” Col Kitipong said.
“I have orders to do what we can to resolve any such disputes in our area, which is only two provinces: Nakhon Sri Thammarat and Phuket. We tried to resolve this conflict, but the talks failed.”
Col Kitipong denied that he warned anyone at the meeting on March 4 that the Army could detain any persons and take them to an Army camp in Nakhon Sri Thammarat for “attitude adjustment”.
“I did not say or threaten anyone like that,” he said.
However, Col Kitipong did not clarify whether any of the other Army personnel in the room made the threat, as attested in the signed witness report given to The Phuket News. (See story here.)
Col Kitipong said that he has been ordered to pass on details of all cases that fail to be resolved to his commander, Maj Gen Teenachat Jinda-Ngern.
“I have already personally reported this particular case to Gen Teenachat in Nakhon Sri Thammarat, and I have not received any orders for any further action,” he said.
“The General has told me to conduct any investigations informally. We did not have any warrants or documents for the cases we review,” Col Kitipong added.
“Everything we do is for keeping the peace in Phuket province,” he said.
This is not the first time that soldiers from the 41st Military Circle have had to publicly defend their actions in Phuket. In late 2014, five soldiers were released without charges after allegations they had “abducted” a Russian couple. (See story here.)
At last report, Vice Governor Prajiad Aksornthammakul urged the tenants and the management at the Aspasia complex to do their utmost to resolve the dispute through mediation, with the Phuket office of the Consumer Protection Board to assist the tenants through the legalities of their dispute. (See story here.)