THAI staff urge PM to tackle ‘corrupt’ practices at airline
A group of Thai Airways International (THAI) employees have called on Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha to exercise his special powers under Article 44 of the interim charter to tackle “corrupt and dubious” practices at the national flag carrier.
Nares Peung-yam, a THAI employee representative, said the airline’s board of directors and management had recently reduced the lifespan of aircraft in the airline’s fleet from 25 to 20 years, which would result in the disposal of old planes at low prices.
The change would affect about 50 |aircraft.
Secondly, the airline’s management had acquired as much as Bt60 billion in fresh funding under a 2009-2011 business rehabilitation plan for the acquisition of new aircraft, which would lead to long-term debts for the airline, according to the allegation.
Another complaint lodged by the employee group alleged irregularities in the airline’s accounting for old aircraft, resulting in a failure to accurately reflect the airline’s business and financial performance.
THAI has been embroiled in a Rolls-Royce bribery scandal in which more than Bt1.25 |billion was allegedly paid to officials |between 1991 and 2005 to enable the UK |firm to supply aircraft engines to THAI.
