The victim of Thailand’s biggest political downfall in 2022 was the Democrat Party’s former deputy party leader Prinn Panitchpakdi – once a rising star of Thai politics.
His prospering career was cut short when he was forced to quit his post and other positions in the coalition party in April after allegations of sexual harassment and assault that shocked not just Democrat supporters but also Thai society in general.
The “Prinn effect” also left Thailand’s oldest political party at one of the lowest ebbs in its 76-year history and landed its eighth leader, Jurin Laksanawisit, in political hot water.
The scandal began with a police complaint filed by an 18-year-old woman who accused Prinn of groping and kissing her at a Bangkok restaurant against her will.
After reports of the allegation went public, more women came forward to file complaints against the politician. One woman accused Prinn of sexually assaulting her in March 2021 at his apartment in Bangkok’s Sukhumvit area.
Altogether, 16 cases of sexual misconduct were filed against Prinn, although the statute of limitations had expired in three and some of the alleged offenses took place outside the country, according to police.
Prinn quit the Democrats just days after the first complaint was filed.
Abrupt end to promising career
Prinn, 45, had been on a fast track toward the top of the Democrat Party hierarchy.
The son of Supachai Panitchpakdi, who served as commerce minister in a Democrat-led administration, Prinn joined the party less than three years ago and quickly shot to prominence.
In May 2019, he was appointed deputy party leader and head of its “Avengers” economic team shortly after Jurin took over at the Democrat helm. Jurin also chose Prinn as his adviser after the Democrats joined the government coalition following the March 2019 general election.
At that time, Prinn lauded Jurin for being “brave enough” to break tradition by appointing him as deputy party leader so soon after leaving the private sector.
His meteoric rise saw Prinn viewed as one of a trio of promising new-generation politicians with the potential of becoming a future party leader.
The two others were Parit Wacharasindhu, nephew of former Democrat leader and ex-premier Abhisit Vejjajiva, and Fuadi Pitsuwan, son of late former foreign minister and ASEAN secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan. Both Parit and Fuadi have since left the Democrat Party.
Prinn had a strong background in economic affairs before entering politics. But critics attributed his rapid progress in the Democrat Party to the reputation and power of his 75-year-old father, who is a big name in Thai politics.
Supachai served as deputy prime minister and commerce minister in the Democrat-led government headed by Chuan Leekpai from November 1997 to November 2000.
Two years later, he was voted in as director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), serving between September 2002 and September 2005. Shortly afterward, Supachai was appointed secretary-general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), serving for two terms from September 2005 to August 2013.
Deepening dispute among Democrats
The multiple sex-abuse allegations against Prinn not only tainted the Democrat Party’s hard-earned reputation and credibility but also opened rifts between factions and even the executive board.
The scandal also added to the many headaches faced by Jurin, who had handpicked Prinn for the job of deputy party leader.
Calls mounted – both from within and outside the party – for Jurin and other party executives to take responsibility for recruiting Prinn and resign. Some Democrat politicians claimed Jurin knew about Prinn’s alleged sexual assaults before nominating him as his deputy.
The party leader offered his “deepest apologies” but refused to step down, arguing that resigning would be tantamount to abandoning responsibility for the crisis.
The controversy saw a string of Democrat veterans leave the party. The Prinn effect also soured ties between Democrat executives.
After a female party executive implied that the entire executive board should face an ethics investigation for backing Prinn’s appointment, a fellow board member and Jurin supporter sarcastically called for a party-wide investigation to find out if any top Democrats were conducting extramarital affairs.
By Thai PBS World’s Political Desk
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