Chalerm denies being inebriated during Malaysia trip

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung yesterday denied he was in an inebriated condition during his three-day visit to Malaysia, after pictures of him were posted on Facebook.

However, he admitted that he and his friends had polished off eight bottles of wine.

Chalerm said he has five friends in Malaysia and Singapore and he calls this group "the five musketeers".

He said this group had even helped him when he was a political refugee, in Denmark. He said he always met his friends at least once a year. However, in the last two years he did not have the opportunity to meet them so when he went to Malaysia his friends picked him up at the airport. After that his friends invited him over, and they drank wine.

"There were no Thai or Malaysian government officers present at the get-together. It was only close friends hanging out together and we all shared the bill," Chalerm said.

He admitted that he did look inebriated in the pictures but he wasn't.