Khon Kaen: The Ministry of Culture is scrutinizing disciplinary measures against civil servants implicated in the alleged deduction of compensation funds intended for folk singers, known as Lam singers, during the Kaen Land Kan 2022 project. A disciplinary committee has been established to investigate the former provincial cultural officer of Khon Kaen alongside five other civil servants following a fact-finding mission that revealed potential misconduct in the handling of compensation payments.
According to Thai News Agency, the Khon Kaen Provincial Cultural Office had organized the Kaen Land Kaen project to support 24 Morlam troupes affected by the COVID-19 pandemic from April 6-17, 2022. Each troupe was slated to receive 10,000 baht from the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture. However, a complaint to the Khon Kaen Provincial Ombudsman highlighted that only 5,000 baht was disbursed, with over 100,000 baht of the total 240,000 baht allegedly misappropriated.
One affected band, Mae
Wan Dee or Mor Lam Udomsin, discovered her signature was forged on a contract, indicating she received the full 10,000 baht. In reality, she only received 4,500 baht after deductions, including 500 baht for water. Following media coverage, she reported being pressured by Khon Kaen Provincial Cultural Office officials not to disclose the truth, with offers to establish a learning center as compensation. Despite some individuals altering their statements out of fear, Mae Wan Dee maintained her account when providing statements to authorities.
The Khon Kaen Provincial Cultural Council corroborated this with information that the five Morlam troupes it sent to perform received only 5,000 baht each. An administrative officer from the Khon Kaen Provincial Cultural Office reported that a disciplinary committee comprising five individuals, including the retired former provincial cultural officer, is now in place to conduct further investigations.
The current provincial culture officer acknowledged the impact on the
organization’s image and expressed a commitment to restoring its integrity. Concurrently, the Office of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) in Khon Kaen is also investigating, having requested documents related to project and compensation approvals for review.