Chuvit gets 5 years in beer bar case

Chuvit Kamolvisit, the leader of Rak Thailand Party, was sentenced to five years in jail without suspension by the Appeals Court on Tuesday, overriding the lower court's decision acquitting him in the 2003 Sukhumvit Square beer bar demolition case.

In this case, Mr Chuvit and his associates were accused of intruding into and damaging other people's property at night, and also forcefully detaining another person on Jan 26, 2003.

The owners of 135 retail shops in the six-rai Sukhumvit Square beer bar compound on the corner of Sukhumvit Soi 10 which was demolished that night, filed a complaint against Mr Chuvit and his associates. The prosecution filed suit on March 13, 2003. All pleaded not guilty.

In addition to Mr Chuvit, the defendants included Lt-Col Himalai Phiewphan and Major Thanyathep Thammathorn, then staff officers attached to the Supreme Command.

On Oct 13, 2006, the South Bangkok Criminal Court acquitted Mr Chuvit and all but one of his 130 associates in the case.

Only Chanvet Malaibucha, the 49th defendant, was sentenced to eight months in jail.

The prosecution appealed.

The Appeals Court today changed the lower court's decision, sentencing 64 defendants to jail terms ranging from five years to three years and 10 months without suspension.

Sixty-seven other defendants remain acquitted.

The jail term handed down on Mr Chuvit, Mr Chanvet, Lt-Col Himalai and Maj Thanyathep is five years each. 

Following the verdict Mr Chuvit remains temporarily free without bail since he is an MP and the House is in session.  Mr Chuvit, who was accompanied to the court by his wife, said he would fight his case all the way to the Supreme Court.

Share your thoughts

Discussion 1 : 12/09/2012 at 05:55 PM
The way Chuvit cleaned up this area is questionable however he owns the land and didn’t get paid; if he would have wait for a court decision he would be still waiting; and for Bangkok it was good to get rid of such a place there are too many already. If I compare this to other offenses by politicians and Government official I would call this a minor offence but of course he is now on the wrong side.
Discussion 2 : 12/09/2012 at 11:15 AM
As I recall, there were some problems over the leasing of businesses on the land. Whoever was collecting the rent allegedly was not passing it on to the owner, Chuwit. The renters did not know this and were quite shocked by the midnight raid. Apparently, something similar happened across the street at Clinton Plaza. The restaurant and bar owners had signed contracts - but with people who did not actually own the land. The Clinton Plaza businesses were evicted to make way for a high rise building, but at least they were given advance notice.
Discussion 3 : 12/09/2012 at 11:14 AM
We all know that he will never spend a day in jail, no matter what. He is rich, and rich people in Thailand do not go to jail. Period.
Discussion 4 : 12/09/2012 at 11:06 AM
The park has been there for years. It looks rather nice, but everyone figured Chuwit had put it there as sort of "temporary". If he ever got a good offer for the land, he'd sell it for construction.
Discussion 5 : 12/09/2012 at 06:56 AM
jacksprat - if there is a park there, I stand corrected. When was the park built? I didn't often get to this particular area of Sukhumvit.
Discussion 6 : 12/09/2012 at 06:38 AM
This was indeed at today's Chuwit Park. It was almost opposite the then Clinton Plaza nightlife area, which was also later evicted (though not violently). I saw it just hours after it happened, looking like a tornado had struck. Chuwit certainly needs to pay for this, but not with 5 years of his life. How will that benefit anyone. except those who want to shut him up?
Discussion 7 : 12/09/2012 at 06:27 AM
Thailand probably has more criminal or indicted politicians than any other country in the world (if you include immune MPs and those on the run). Chuwit deserves to be in jail, I don't think it's the sole result of a personal vendetta to silence him, but it will certainly look like it, he's peeved a lot of people off, but fair game to him, it's not going to silence him is it. Serves the govt right for tolerating MP immunity.
Discussion 8 : 12/09/2012 at 05:10 AM
Chuvit is certainly no hero for doing this. Were the beer bars eyesores and needed to be removed? Yes. Did the tenants deserve due process? Yes. Were people hurt? Yes. Everyone who had put money into their "bar" under the belief that Chuvit was leasing space to them. I don't think this is the park, OldThaiHand, I believe it is the area of nicer souvenir shops on the corner.
Discussion 9 : 12/09/2012 at 03:46 AM
Now you know why politicians and influential criminals don't care much about court cases : 9.5 years for Criminal Court and Appeals Court to decide. Until the Supreme Court gives its final verdict, it may take another 5-10 years = Total 20 years .
Discussion 10 : 11/09/2012 at 10:40 PM
I like Chuwit exposing corruption even if its selective .The Sukhumvit beer bar as they call it was a night market that never took off .He tried strong arm the few vendors out with a late night demolition crew .Of course no police showed up .His property deal to a potential hotel went south so he changed it into a park and became an MP.
Discussion 11 : 11/09/2012 at 10:12 PM
Well tis was to be expected! He was painting a bigger target on his back every time he exposed a casino. He was upsetting the wrong people.
Discussion 12 : 11/09/2012 at 09:33 PM
Sometimes it just not liked when you shut down brothels or casinos owned by the elite. Chuvit probably has a lot of enemies and with a 5 year conviction he will be stripped of his MP status by the EC, for those that think he's got immunity.
Discussion 13 : 11/09/2012 at 09:21 PM
The area was a disgrace and deserved to be knocked down. Perhaps his methods were slightly gangster-ish and harsh. But, nobody was hurt and the action was justified. In the end, by building the park on the site, he beautified a city sorely in need of green space. The guy's a hero not a felon.
Discussion 14 : 11/09/2012 at 09:02 PM
It would seem that Whistle Blowers arn`t to be tolerated by this RED`iculous Government ?
Discussion 15 : 11/09/2012 at 08:43 PM
I think Chuvit deserves to be punished for the raid on Sukhumvit Square. Lots of people lost their property, business and work because some bulldozers flattened that place over night. Many owners paid regularly their rent and no one suspected anything like that would happen. I was there the next morning and I could not believe what I saw considering that the place was busy the night before. But to be fair to Chuvit no one was hurt or died in that night raid. It was a clean and professional operation, as strange as this may sound. Sure he should compensate all people involved. But should he go to jail for that raid? For 5 years? We all know what kind of sentence other people get who burned down a much bigger part of Bangkok – and without consideration if people get hurt or die. But then again, Chuvit is obviously in the wrong party and he even dares to criticize some influential people...
Discussion 16 : 11/09/2012 at 08:09 PM
This is an interesting case... Chuwit almost certainly is guilty of running off hundreds of people from his land with the help of dozens of men in black (them again) and avoided justice by some machinations. His conviction now is almost certainly politically motivated by his enemies... but that doesn't mean he is innocent. In fact, it's the same situation as Thaksin - sure, his conviction was politically motivated... But he was still guilty.
Discussion 17 : 11/09/2012 at 08:06 PM
Kill 9 people and go home to dad Pull down a dirty old building and go to jail for 5 years Only in the land of smiles this can happen Or may be there is some other reason why Let's not see how many years the red bull gets or let off and go home
Discussion 18 : 11/09/2012 at 07:47 PM
Very good tactic by Chuwit. First building his wealth in illegal businesses and human eploitation ( brothels, massageparlours ), and then making a 180° turn and becoming a white knight crusader in shining armor against moral decline. In the mean while, he has political immunity and a lot of admirers. The old cases are coming back to him but now he can cry "foul", that they want to silence him, to mull him. Yeah right. He reminds me of Assange, who is also wanted by justice for alledged crimes, and trying to make believe people he's harrased. Very good tactics but oh so foreseeable.
Discussion 19 : 11/09/2012 at 07:11 PM
It looks like the cases against the Opposition are being speeded up while those against the Red Shirt leaders have disappeared into dusty corners of locked and boarded up store rooms deep in the basements of power. But they will reappear one day when Thaksin is no longer in power.
Discussion 20 : 11/09/2012 at 06:42 PM
This great man is needed in parliament to liven things up. No jail time please for someone who cleaned up a part of Bangkok.
Discussion 21 : 11/09/2012 at 06:39 PM
Excellent, he got what he deserved. Don't bother to appeal, what you did is all true. Serve your sentence now like the man you pretend to be.
Discussion 22 : 11/09/2012 at 06:13 PM
You voted them in not me so you must accept the consequence,More proof as if were needed about the self centred government no matter what party just looking after themselves.Even the TV is biased and I suspect under there control studying the storeys they do not report.It appears that some artifax dug up and a few logs moved or some mule caught with drugs are more important news than illegal building on park land or the corruption by the selected few.
Discussion 23 : 11/09/2012 at 06:00 PM
Khun Chuwit, please fight all the way. Why your sentence is not being suspended and those terrorists and corrupted politicians and civil servants were being suspended? Keep on fighting. The whole of Bangkok is behind you!
Discussion 24 : 11/09/2012 at 05:45 PM
The bottom line remains the same and that is, Thai MPs do not go to the jail.

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