Anti-Corruption Complaint Filed Against Khon Kaen Provincial Administration

On September 23, Thongdee Phupharatana, secretary-general of the Association to Promote Civil State Oversight, filed a complaint with the parliamentary anti-corruption committee asking it to investigate procurement practices at Khon Kaen Provincial Administration during the 2021–2024 fiscal years, when Pongsak Tangwanichpong served as governor. The oversight group said it discovered information suggesting potential misuse of the budget.

Thongdee stated that over the four-year period, a partnership company called TVP Civil Construction received 672 construction projects totaling nearly 800 million baht, raising questions about how such work concentration with a single contractor was possible, particularly for projects valued above 2 million baht. He noted that such projects must go through electronic bidding, yet the company won and signed 61 contracts worth over 452 million baht.

Local residents provided information suggesting the company's name abbreviation may align with the governor's surname. During field inspections, the company's registered address appeared to be a residential house with no heavy machinery present, prompting concerns about its capacity to execute projects. The complaint also alleges the company subcontracted work to another firm with alleged family ties to a former provincial governor.

Thongdee said the oversight group submitted a complete list of all 672 projects with the complaint and urged the anti-corruption committee to expedite its investigation, summon relevant officials to explain the procurement process and public fund usage, and determine whether bid-rigging or misconduct occurred as alleged.