Rajabhakti Park
Chronology

Rajabhakti Park

Section Title: Chronology
Table Section Text: None

When	What

Nov 2014	Park construction begins

19 Aug 2015	Buddhist consecration of the park statues with Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha and other dignitaries in attendance.

12 Sep	Princess Bajrakitiyabha hosts the "Rajabhakdi Bike and Concert", a fundraising event at the park. Army chief Teerachai Nakwanich announces that the army will conduct a review of alleged graft in the park project.

26 Sep	Official park opening ceremony.

31 Oct	Col. Kachachat Boondee, charged with embezzlement of park funds, flees to Myanmar.

6 Nov	Amulet trader flees Thailand for Hong Kong.

7 Nov	Col Winthai Suwaree, a spokesman for the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), says that reports of Rajabhakti Park corruption are entirely false.

10 Nov	Gen Udomdej Sitabutr confirms that an amulet trader cited "people in authority" to demand commission fees from owners of foundries contracted to cast statues of historical kings for Rajabhakti Park.

12 Nov	The army announces that it will undertake a review of the park project amid rising criticism.

16 Nov	Defense Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan denies that public funds were used in the park project. He explained that the project was initiated by the army and paid for by donations.

19 Nov	Police spokesman Piyapan Pingmuang said police cannot do anything about the alleged graft unless the military request them to do so.

20 Nov	Army review of alleged graft in park project released. Conclusion: no irregularities found.

24 Nov	Defence permanent secretary General Preecha Chan-o-cha is ordered by the defence minister to set up a fact-finding committee to probe alleged park irregularities.

28 Nov	Three governmental agencies—The Office of the Auditor-General, the NACC, and the Office of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission—confirm that 63.57 million baht of taxpayer money was spent on the park project.

30 Nov	Red-shirt leaders Jatuporn Prompan and Nattawut Saikuar are arrested and detained by the army while on their way to visit the park.

1 Dec	The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) holds off on setting up a committee to investigate irregularities in the army's Rajabhakti Park project because there is no clear evidence of corruption.

2 Dec	The defense ministry team investigating alleged Rajabhakti Park project irregularities will complete its work before year-end, according to its head.

3 Dec	Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha says that the Rajabhakti Park project might indeed be mired in irregularities.

7 Dec	The Democracy Studies Group, a group of students, is intent to travel to Rajabhakti Park in a campaign to look into alleged corruption during park construction.

9 Dec	Deputy junta chairman Prawit Wongsuwan cautioned reporters, "Don't ask too much about Rajabhakti. Ask something else.

30 Dec	A defense ministry panel reported on its investigation of park finances "under limited power" and were unable to find any wrongdoing.

31 Dec	The Bangkok Post gave more detail about park funding as reported by the defence ministry fact-finding committee: the construction budget consisted of two components totalling 866 million baht.

23 Mar 2016	The Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, appointed by the military regime to investigate allegations of corruption in the park's construction, concluded, following a three-month investigation, that no trace of corruption or malfeasance relating to the park was found.

16 Jun	The Executive Committee of Rajabhakti Park, mostly high-ranking army officers, asked Hua Hin Municipality to pay 120,000 baht per month for maintenance of the park.

8 Sep	The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) declared the construction of Rajabhakti Park corruption-free. The agency's nine commissioners ruled unanimously that the construction process adhered strictly to official regulations.

Sentence(s)

63.57 million baht was spent on Rajabhakti Park.

final_sentence: 63.57 million baht was spent on Rajabhakti Park.