A Thai MP, who at one point was involved in Thaksin’s Pheu Thai party, was jailed on Friday for corruption in a housing project. MP Watana Muangsook, who left Pheu Thai to join Thai Sang Thai last year, is charged with 11 counts of corruption, including abuse of power and demanding bribes.
In 2003, Watana was involved in the Ua Athorn low-cost housing project started by former PM Thaksin. Thaksin’s cabinet approved one billion baht in state subsidies for the 2.5 billion baht project. It included one million low-cost apartments and houses across Thaialnd. Each unit could be sold for 400,000 to 700,000 baht.
After the 2006 military coup overthrew Thaksin’s government, Thailand’s Assets Examinations Committee investigated allegations against the government of irregularities. The committee found that 82.6 million baht from the project’s contractor was paid to Watana through…
