Bangkok Post
16 February 1998
(Pattnapong Chantranontwong and Suphaphan Plengmaneepun. Contributions from Charoen Kittikanya and Surasak Tumcharoen)
Newin Chidchob inspires strong reactions in people. A hero in his home province of Buri Ram, the outspoken MP is viewed as a "devil" by many in Bangkok. Interestingly, civil servants who tend to disdain career politicians say he is one of the most effective cabinet ministers they have ever seen.
At only 39, Mr Newin is a veteran MP, having won five consecutive elections in Buri Ram. He has been a minister twice, first as deputy finance minister under Banharn Silpa-archa in 1994, and now as deputy agriculture minister under Chuan Leekpai.
Although the quota system has helped him to gain cabinet portfolios, it has to be acknowledged that Mr Newin has earned his prominence. He gained fame in 1994 as an aggressive and sharp-tongued debater, notably in his attacks on Suthep Thueksuban, who is now a cabinet colleague.
At the time, Mr Suthep was a deputy agriculture minister and a key target of allegations about land documents. The scandal forced then prime minister Chuan to dissolve the House, and the Chart Thai Party won the subsequent election. Mr Newin was rewarded with a post at Finance.
Mr Newin entered politics in 1985, winning a seat on the Buri Ram provincial council. He resigned before completing his four-year term in order to seek a parliamentary seat in 1988. Running for the now-defunct Saha Pracha Thai party, he topped the polls and went on to win four more elections under three different parties.
Today he sits as a Solidarity MP, having been declared unwanted by Chart Thai in 1996 because of his connection with the so-called Group of 16. Established by young rising-star politicians, the group became likened to a gang, with links to the Bangkok Bank of Commerce scandal and other unsavoury deals.
The Group of 16 is no more, but Mr Newin argues he did nothing wrong.
"To prove myself, I asked my wife [Mrs Karuna] to run as one of my running mates under the Solidarity Party [in 1996]. All of us were overwhelmingly elected. I won in all constituencies, even in municipal areas where I had never won before."
Family ties haven't hurt. Mr Newin's father, business tycoon Chai Chidchob, represented Buri Ram for years as an MP. Growing up with a politician father allowed him to learn a lot about the problems of the poor and motivated him to enter politics.
Most of the poor people in Buri Ram are Khmer-Thai, and Mr Newin speaks Khmer fluently. On weekend visits to the province he dresses in traditional ma hom style, often with a pha khao ma (traditional scarf) around his neck. "I want to help these poor people have a better living, and the only career in which I can achieve my goal is as a politician."
After visiting Buri Ram, he usually flies to Chiang Mai where his three children stay with his wife's parents. "I decided to let my children stay in Chiang Mai because the climate and environment there are much better than in Bangkok."
He loves to play with his children, sometimes harder than he might have wished. Recently was playing with wooden swords with his five-year-old son, when his younger daughter decided to join in. She used a broom and went for her father's face. The result: Mr Newin had to go to hospital for an operation on his right eye.
"But someone spread rumours that I had had plastic surgery to become better looking. I just want to ask them who is crazy enough to have plastic surgery on only a single eye?"
Mr Newin says he has no special political ambitions for his children. "I will not force them. I will let them decide for themselves when they grow up."
When it comes to representing Buri Ram, Mr Newin bargains hard. The province comes near the top of the list in budget allocations, and it is no surprise that Mr Newin is idolised by many rural constituents.
His popularity also makes him a target, though. When a couple were arrested in Buri Ram with 11m baht in 100-baht and 20-baht notes clipped to the numbers of three candidates - one was Mr Newin - it was widely believed that he had hired them to buy votes. The couple were recently sentenced by the Supreme Court to one year in jail.
But the police found no evidence linking Mr Newin to vote-buying, and he has pleaded with the public to treat him fairly.
Even politicians in the opposition camp believe Mr Newin did not mastermind the scheme, since his popularity in Buri Ram is such that he would not need to buy votes.
Getting used to criticism was hard, but today he takes problems in stride. "Unlike two years ago, I felt very bad and did not understand why I was not accepted although I believed I had done a lot for the country."
At the time he was so upset that he decided he had to do something to calm himself. A friend had given him a copy of Nam Thiew Pra Tri Pidok - a guide to Tipitaka (the three divisions of the Buddhist canon) - and he started reading it.
"It surprised me that Buddhist teaching was so modern and that you can apply it to improve your life."
Impressed by the small book, Mr Newin bought a full 90-volume set of the Tipitaka and began to read them.
"Normally I am a bookworm. I read all kinds of books almost anytime I am free, so it does not bother me to read the Tipitaka, which is too boring for many people to read."
After reading all 90 volumes, he said he had discovered a better way of thinking, learning and living.
"Buddhist teaching has made me more mature. I am confident that if I do nothing wrong, then one day the people will know and understand me."
Although Mr Newin's image with the voters is murky, career civil servants at the Agriculture and Finance ministries hold him in high regard.
Officials at Finance said they were impressed by Mr Newin's hard work. He was a fast learner, made decisions quickly and always had new initiatives, they said.
At Agriculture, one official said Mr Newin was "the best minister this ministry has ever had".
The praise represents a turnaround from last November, when ministry officials were unhappy at the prospect of Mr Newin working there. But after spending two months with him, the same officials say Mr Newin has achieved more than some of his predecessors did in two years.
Mr Newin asked to oversee the departments of Agriculture and Cooperative Promotion, two "unwanted" departments compared with Forestry, Irrigation, Agricultural Extension and Land Reform.
He said the Agriculture Department in particular deserved more attention, since it produced a lot of quality research that previous ministers had ignored.
"I discovered that much of the department's research could be greatly beneficial to the country, so I started devising projects to make better use of the research."
He gave the example of Mali (Jasmine) fragrant rice, which is normally very sensitive to light and cannot be planted in the second crop season. However, the department has successfully developed a new strain that can grow well in the second season.
Mr Newin has spearheaded a project to distribute the new seeds to farmers. A test plot is expected to yield 300 tons of paddy in March, and it is hoped that output could reach 30,000 tons by the end of the year. "Then the department will sell the new seeds to farmers."
To get the project started, Mr Newin borrowed 182m baht from the Farmers' Assistance Measures and Policy Committee. "After getting money from the sales, we will return the money to the committee."
The marketing of the new seeds will be handled by the Cooperatives Promotion Department, also supervised by Mr Newin.
He also has persuaded Pongpol Adireksarn, the minister, to scrap the policy of giving away seeds to farmers. "We will sell the seeds because I am confident that if farmers have to buy seeds, then they will have to think about improving productivity to cover the higher costs."
Mr Newin has initiated so many other projects that his pitches for funding have been hard to resist. When the Farmers' Assistance Measures and Policy Committee met recently to allocate 1.1bn baht in loans to various ministry agencies, all the money when to the two departments under Mr Newin's care.
"I have asked the Agriculture Department to develop new seeds that can grow even in a drought. Imagine, if El Nino causes the world to suffer a drought and Thailand becomes the only country that can plant foods, then what will happen? We will rule the world!" he said excitedly.
Even opposition politicians accept that Mr Newin is highly effective. Udom Kraiwatnusorn, a Samut Sakhon MP for the New Aspiration Party, said Mr Newin's future in politics should be very bright.
But under the new constitution, Mr Newin may be unqualified as a minister. He does not hold a bachelor's degree, but has a diploma in community development from Buri Ram Teacher Training School.
Mr Newin counters that he obtained a degree by correspondence in public affairs administration from Western Pacific University of the United States. He said the school was recognised by the Civil Service Commission. A commission official confirmed this, but said degrees obtained by correspondence did not count.
Nevertheless, Mr Newin should have no problem as he is now pursuing a bachelor's degree in agriculture from Sukhothai Thammathirat University.
Despite all his success, Mr Newin still lives simply. He does not play golf as other politicians do, preferring the more traditional takraw. Most of his free time is spent reading.
Although politics seems to be the main career for him and his father, Mr Newin said his family's main business is running several rock grinding mills in Buri Ram.
His declaration to the Counter Corruption Commission showed assets of 298m baht, mostly in land with only one million in cash. His wife, from a construction family in Chiang Mai, reported 846m baht.
NEWIN - POOR IMAGE A CASE OF 'BAD LUCK' NOT ABILITY-BASED
Bangkok Post
22 July 1996
Bangkok Post
NEWIN Chidchob has been in politics for only eight years but already he has secured a power base in his constituency of Buri Ram that can be equaled only in strength by Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-archa's grip on his native Suphan Buri.
But Mr Newin cannot boast such support elsewhere around the country. While a cabinet minister until his recent replacement, opinion polls in Bangkok showed he was among the most disliked ministers in the Government.
The 38-year-old politician, a leading member of the Chart Thai Party's Group 16 faction, became the target of criticism as soon as he was appointed deputy finance minister.
But his lack of popularity does not seem to faze the politician. Even now, although reportedly trying to keep a low profile, Mr Newin is said to be working with other members of his group to pressure Prime Minister Banharn into undertaking another cabinet reshuffle which would see him given another portfolio.
The former deputy finance minister attributes his poor image him to "bad luck".
"No matter which member of our group says something, it is me who is blamed," he said, adding that his group does not impose any restrictions on its members from expressing their views.
"It could be because we grew up in politics too fast and are too aggressive," he said.
During a no-confidence debate against the Chuan Leekpai government, Mr Newin, while then in opposition, launched a heavy attack on then interior minister Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh.
Immediately after the debate someone lobbed a hand grenade into the compound of his Bangkok home, but police dismissed the incident as "staged".
Soon after, he and his fellow group members played a major part in attacking the Sor Por Kor 4-01 land reform scheme after it was found a number of wealthy people were among recipients of the reform land. The scandal eventually to the fall of the Chuan government.
The ferocity of his debating style plus allegations of vote-buying in Buri Ram and the use of political influence in the takeover of companies on the Stock Exchange of Thailand has brought Mr Newin's reputation to a low point.
But this has not stopped him expressing his "arrogant" views. Shortly before he tendered his resignation to Prime Minister Banharn, Mr Newin was heard telling his Buri Ram supporters that Mr Banharn could not maintain the premiership if he was forced to leave the Cabinet.
His image was so negative that even when he decided to resign together with four other members of the Therd Thai faction to which his group belongs, nobody hailed the action as an expression of political spirit. Instead, he was accused of political machinations within the Chart Thai Party.
He was also linked to the Bangkok Bank of Commerce scandal as one of the suspects is his former adviser, although he claims the problems at the bank became apparent before the man became his adviser.
"Why weren't other politicians involved with the swindle at BBC talked about," he complained.
Because he believes his misfortunes are simply the result of bad luck, he has never sued representatives of the media during his eight years in politics.
He intends to continue serving his constituency and so the four-time MP realises he must turn a new leaf so he is better accepted by the middle and upper class.
"Five years from now I want to perform in a way more acceptable to the general public."
He launched his public relations campaign by calling for talks with editors and senior reporters from each of the media to answer any questions. He also applied to study for public administration degrees at Sukhothai, Sri Pathum and Chiang Mai universities.
Mr Newin is scorned by city people, but both he and his father Chai, who is also a Buri Ram MP, are adored in their native province.
They have made major contributions to local causes and have never refused appeals from their constituents for assistance.
Asphalt roads are seen almost everywhere in Buri Ram and groups of housewives in each of the province's localities are said to receive tens of thousands of baht each year from the two MPs.
Two years later, he was asked by veteran MP Anuwat Wattanapongsiri to enter national politics and has since retained his seat in Parliament.
But as his stature grew in Buri Ram, he eventually threatened and came into conflict with Mr Anuwat.
The conflict peaked during the general election last year when Mr Anuwat, running under the Chart Pattana Party, lost his seat to Mr Newin.
As his victory became more imminent, Mr Newin and his teammates were charged with vote-buying after police raided a house in Buri Ram and found 100-and 20-baht banknotes totalling 11m baht with a bundle of slips showing their election numbers.
Though observers say it is possible Mr Newin might not contest the next general election under the Chart Thai banner, the politician himself has declined comment other than to say he will continue in his efforts to bring prosperity to Buri Ram.
Mr Newin's poor image has penetrated beyond his political career to also affect his personal life, including his attempts to build a good family relationship with Karuna Supha, now his wife.
"It took me some time to win over my parents-in-law. They had tried to block me out, knowing me only from what newspapers say," he said.
"But now they all love me. Everyone who really knows me does."
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