alumni gives details of 'tea money paid'

Two alumni of Bangkok's Yothin Burana School yesterday gave more details to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) about alleged 'tea money' paid to get children admitted to the school, said a DSI investigator in charge of the case yesterday.

Colonel Pongin Inthongkhao said some parents quoted tea money payments of at least Bt100,000 to the school to get their children considered for admission.

Two advisers of the school's alumni association, Phonphat Rangsiyo and Phichit Sawangwibulpong, gave the DSI additional information about the alleged tea money process, as well as documents related to people in the school administration.

School board chairman Wichai Roopkhamdee also told investigators about the school's work procedure and regulations as well as the Office of the Basic Education Commission(OBEC)'s policy, he said.

The DSI is gathering information and evidence, together with complaints filed by parents, to consider this as a special case in which to take further action, Pongin said.

Under OBEC approval, schools hold projects to gather resources for education development which enables them to take in more students. Those who pass the school admission exams pay the normal Bt35,000 tuition fees per semester, while those failing the tests reportedly get in via the English programme which costs Bt30,000 to Bt50,000, he said.

Five parents - who filed complaints to the DSI after it opened its probe into school corruption - said they had to write down a money donation quote and, if the figure was more than Bt100,000, the school would consider their children for the program, he said.

No receipt was given unless parents filed complaints, when the school then issued a receipt in retrospect. The payment would be divided in two: half for the parent association and the other for the school administration, he said.

Pongin said the DSI now had a list of people reportedly involved in the case, and witnesses claiming to have paid tea money who were willing to testify.  Those involved would be summoned. If it was found tea money had been paid to the school administrator's account, Education Ministry regulations had been broken, he added.

DSI deputy chief Suchat Wonganantachai said that after the agency's interest in tea money became public, it received more calls from parents. DSI officials had been told to act on this information and experts were following the money route to see if they could use moneylaundering laws to seize assets.

School director Witthaya Boriboonsab said on Friday the school was ready to give information to the DSI upon request. He said the school followed Education Ministry policies and regulations. If parents wished to give money donations to the school, it was voluntary and could be done after the student admission period, he said.