In the bustling city of Bangkok, where the fusion of culture and modernity paints a vibrant canvas, a situation as intriguing as a thriller novel has unfolded under the morning sun. On the crisp Wednesday morning of March 26, 2025, the city’s police found themselves unraveling a convoluted case steeped in deceit and greed.
The players in this real-life drama? A retired colonel and a cunning doctor, both previously lodged in the respectable halls of the Veterans General Hospital, where healers are expected to mend the wear and tear of valorous souls. This duo, whose lives took a plot twist straight out of a crime saga, were apprehended for their roles in a fraudulent scheme that swept a hefty 80 million baht worth of medicines under the legal radar.
Meet Col Kanyarat Jitprasong, a 59-year-old whose previous service at Phramongkutklao Hospital had surrounded her in an aura of integrity. Her partner in crime, one Dr. Barinda Ujawathee, known not for her healing prowess this time, but rather for her inglorious prescription exploits. Both were whisked away by law enforcement as raids rippled through 17 prominent locations across the enchanting sprawl of Bangkok and the serene expanses of Chon Buri, Lop Buri, and Prachin Buri.
Sources whisper that Col Kanyarat was more than just a simple retiree from the chaotic corridors of healthcare service. It is alleged that her quiet retreat into retirement was but a cloak for masterminding operations that beckoned unaware citizens from Lop Buri to the doorstep of Dr. Barinda at the Veterans General Hospital. Here, the less-than-scrupulous doctor would diagnose illnesses that were as inflated as the prices of Bangkok’s most avant-garde fashion boutiques, prescribing an abundance of medication.
The odor of wrongdoing wafted discreetly to a laundry shop nestled on Rama IV Road – an unconventional warehouse where the surplus medications awaited their journey to pharmacy shelves scattered across the nation’s provinces. Not far from the dappled shade of veterans’ salutes, this twisted tale would meet the immovable force of justice.
It was Gen Detnitit Luangngamkum, the stoic director-general of the War Veterans Organization of Thailand, who tapped the final nail into deceit’s coffin. With corroboration built on the foundation of an investigation that sniffed out medical trickery harking back to 2018, he laid bare accusations that had been organized under the hush of bureaucracy. The veteran’s voice thundered complaints that had echoed within the precincts of authority seeking redress.
The staggering loss, estimated to echo 80 million baht, appeared to funnel its ill-gained riches directly into the coffers of Col Kanyarat, securing her piece of the pie at approximately 40 million baht. And so, while Bangkok’s streets continue to hum with the serenades of daily life, a particular case zips away from the prying lenses of public scrutiny, laying bare a story of extraordinary misdeeds tucked beneath the guise of ordinary hospital orders.
I can’t believe a retired colonel would be involved in such a huge scam! Shouldn’t they have enough pension?
Corruption is blind to age or occupation. It’s all about greed.
True. But it’s disappointing. People in positions of power should set better examples.
Sadly, this is all too common in many sectors. The whole system needs reform.
I wonder if they got comfortable with cut corners during their active service…
This whole thing sounds like a movie plot, but with real victims. 80 million baht gone just like that!
Real victims indeed. Imagine those patients who trusted them.
Movies are usually based on real events, so I guess this is the real deal.
That’s the problem with our modern world: reality is often stranger than fiction!
How could this have gone unnoticed since 2018? This raises questions about oversight in these institutions.
Exactly! It’s shocking that no one noticed the missing funds for so long.
A stronger oversight mechanism could prevent such debacles in future.
Incredible waste of taxpayer money. When will we hold these people accountable?
Accountability is the key, but often hard to enforce without public push.
Probably too late! Real punishment seems rare.
Was the doctor even really diagnosing anyone or just writing prescriptions for cash?
Some doctors forget their original purpose is to heal, not just earn!
The temptation of easy money can warp even the best intentions.
The more I read, the less faith I have in the healthcare system. It’s a mess.
Don’t lose hope, Larry. Like anything, for every bad apple, there are many good ones.
It’s good that law enforcement acted, but what’s next for the patients who didn’t get their meds?
Hopefully, they have current prescriptions that are honest and filled correctly.
I bet there are more rings like this across the country. It’d be interesting to investigate deeper.
Why would someone who served her country stoop to such low levels? She must have known the risks.
I’m not surprised. Corruption runs deep in many places, especially where money flows thick.
If justice system has teeth, punishment needs to be harsh, so others are deterred.