An activist has urged the Election Commission to investigate the donations to the pro-regime Palang Pracharath Party at its fundraising dinner last month.
Although the party posted the list of donors at its head office on Friday, the total shown fell short by 560 million baht of what it claimed to have earned after the Dec 19 event.
Srisuwan Janya, secretary-general of the Thai Constitution Protection Organisation, said party leaders reported all 200 ten-seat tables at the event were sold at 3 million baht each, bringing in 650 million baht in total since some guests paid more than the going rate.
“But the lists made public this week show the total at 90 million baht, raising the question of where the remaining 560 million baht is,” he said on Saturday.
He said it was unlikely that some donors gave less than 100,000 baht per seat — the law exempts declarations for a donation of less than 100,000 baht — since the minimum price of a seat was 300,000 baht.
“And if the party claims the 650 million baht it raised was just a boastful talk, it could face public fraud charges.”
Mr Srisuwan also noted that donations from three companies under the King Power group totalling 24 million baht might violate the political party law, which prohibits anyone from donating more than 10 million baht a year to a party and any juristic person from giving more than 5 million.
On the Palang Pracharth lists of 24 individual donors, Pongkavin Jungrungreangkij, a son of former transport minister Suriya Jungrungreangkij and cousin of Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, led with 5 million baht.
On the juristic person list of 24 companies, King Power Suvarnabhumi Co Ltd and King Power Duty Free Co Ltd led at 9 million baht each, followed by King Power International Co Ltd (6 million).
Other on the list include Mitr Phol Co Ltd (6 million), Saijo Denki International Co Ltd (6 million), Sky ICT Plc (5 million), TPI Polene Plc (3 million), TPI Polene Power Plc (3 million), Loxley Plc (3 million), Khon Kaen Sugar Plc (3 million ) and the Thai Cement Manufacturers Association (3 million).
