According to the National Counter Corruption Commission's (NCCC) public release of officially declared assets of ministers who were considered new faces in the Thaksin administration, Kantathi, as of March 14, 2005, was worth Bt4.46 billion, mostly in 22 bank accounts and other financial institutions. He also owned 193 plots of land worth about Bt2.8 billion.

He has in his name a Bt24-million house and 15 other buildings worth about Bt375 million, according to the NCCC. His wife, Sopawan, has assets worth about Bt35.3 million, mostly in banks and financial institutions.

According to Thai law, Cabinet members are required to declare their assets, along with those of their spouses and children under the age of 20, to the NCCC when they start and finish their terms in office.

Former deputy education minister Rung Kaewdaeng is the poorest ex-Cabinet member, having only Bt922,733 in assets, while his wife Phongsai has Bt4,600,535.

Pongsak Ruktapongpisal, when a deputy commerce minister before October 6, 2004, had Bt427,351,637 while his minor children were worth Bt436,633,067. But when appointed Transport Minister on August 3, 2005, he only had Bt101,500,664 left while his children had Bt848,728,354.

Sudarat Keyuraphan is poorer. She had Bt874,826,095 when taking office at the Agriculture Ministry on February 18, 2001 in the Thaksin I Cabinet, compared to Bt867,759,446 when retaining the title on March 14, 2005.

Suriya Lapvisutisin is another poor minister, having Bt669,332,989 in assets and Bt92,173,213 in debts when former deputy commerce minister in 2001. He had Bt487,034,711 in assets and Bt63,504,000 in debts when leaving office on August 2, 2004.

Somsak Thepsuthin has had his assets reduced hugely from Bt236,664,883 to Bt13,228,463 from the first to the second time he took office, on February 18, 2001 then on March 14, 2005.

Budsarakham Sinlapalavan

The Nation