Botched ID date 'no laughing matter'

An assistant village headman has run into a litany of problems because of an error in his registered date of birth. His official national ID card shows he was born on the non-existent date of February 30. And - as if that weren't enough - he has now been reprimanded by Interior Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan.

Yesterday, Charupong said Sangwian Kuncharoen, assistant village headman in Klongtabchan subdistrict of Sa Kaew province, might have been seeking fame by telling the media about the mistake and making fun of it.

Charupong said that's something Sangwian shouldn't have done as it attracted negative press to the Interior Ministry.

What Sangwian should have done, said the minister, was to correct the mistake by requesting that a new ID card be issued, and not by making a noise about it. He has ordered the district chief to inquire with the assistant village headman as to why he didn't solve the problem by doing just that.

Charupong even went on to suggest that Sangwian "deserved death" and is considering setting up a disciplinary committee to investigate him.

The minister added that perhaps Sangwian wanted to gain more popularity for the next local village headman election.

"Making complaints through the media is like burning one's house down. This is not right," Charupong told the media.

He added that a disciplinary investigation

was needed to find out why the assistant village

headman jokingly said on TV that he had no

chance to celebrate his birthday because the date

didn't exist.

Charupong continued: "Others should not dare do such a thing. Let me speak like a hoodlum by saying: such action deserves death. Otherwise, I can control my subordinates… I won't keep him… I don't see why he should make a fuss about a little issue."