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Published on December 3, 2007

The leaflets said Easy Network Marketing, which recruits members and sells a variety of products, was reliable and would not cheat.

In response to the recent arrest of the company's chairman, Pathom Ansakul, the leaflets said: "You know our chairman. He is kind and sincere to us. He will fight to the end against the allegations against him".

The leaflets said the company's members should not contact police stations or other government authorities because such action constituted an action to demand compensation from the company.

Pathom, 28, is also the leader of Thai Rum Ruay Party, which has fielded several MP candidates in Trang.

One of the candidates, Urai Chuayruang, yesterday said the company's Trang branch had between 3,000 and 4,000 members with cash flow of around Bt10 million a month.

Urai heads the Trang branch. "We have generated income from products sold to our members, including houses, cars and motorcycles. We also sell a variety of products, but not liquor, beer and cigarettes, which are considered vices," she said.

Urai said the news about Pathom and his company had had both a positive and negative effect on her ongoing election campaign.

"On the bright side, people suddenly know our party. On the negative side, some people feel sceptical, and many members have asked for their investment back," she said.

According to the company's scheme, a person can become a member by buying one or more shares at Bt1,200 each. Seven days later, the member will get back Bt600 per share. He or she will be paid back the rest of their investment within six months and still hold the shares, entitling them to dividends from the company.

A member of the company's Trang branch yesterday said several members planned to lodge a complaint at the Trang provincial government's complaint centre soon.

Centre chief Suchin Suthasheeva said only one person in Trang had come forward so far with a complaint about Easy Network Marketing. "But I believe many more will lodge complaints," he said.

Suchin said his centre was now closely monitoring the operations of the company's Trang branch.

Trang police chief Maj-General Prasert Jansawang said a special investigation team had already been set up to look into the company's operations.

"If we find evidence against any person involved in the operations, we will take action immediately," Prasert said.

He said the police had yet not received any complaints about the company's Trang branch.

The Nation

Trang