Auditor-General Pisit Leelavachiropas told The Nation yesterday that the investigation followed reports that Orapim might have received payments from the Army at much higher a rate that was suggested by the Budget Bureau. “We will see if she really received Bt30,000 per hour from agencies under the Defence Ministry,” Pisit said. As a result, state agencies often paid celebrity speakers in the form of gifts in order to not break the budget regulations. The auditor-general’s move came after Army personnel denied making any payments to the 30-year-old orator. Online criticism of Orapim has grown since last week when a video clip surfaced of her seemingly criticising people in the Northeast.

Source: The Nation Bangkok November 21, 2016 18:05 UTC