After locating him at the municipality office yesterday morning, the five journalists entered a conference room hoping to get comments. Khon KaenReportedly furious over recent reports about a personal matter, Premsak had the reporter's pants pulled down and the incident photographed and filmed in the presence of four other journalists in a Khon Kaen municipality office.The five reporters had been made to hand over their cameras and cell phones to officials before attending the morning session. After the man's pants was pulled down and photos taken in front of everyone, a shocked female journalist burst into tears.Five minutes later, Premsak had the reporter put his pants back on and return to his seat. They were meeting Premsak to interview him about a photograph of him sitting next to a Mathayom 5 schoolgirl in what appeared to be an engagement or wedding ceremony.The image had gone viral on social media including Facebook last week, and reporters have been trying in vain to get a comment from the politician since Monday. They were made to leave all their devices and belongings with seven officials in the room.Premsak - who now serves as Ban Phai district municipality mayor - reportedly verbally attacked the media for publicising his personal information and photographs of him without permission.Claiming that the event was held to help the girl's troubled family, he said he was hurt by news reports and claimed he had not avoided the media.Despite the journalists' explanation that they had not published anything personal and just wanted a comment, Premsak allegedly had the Daily News reporter, who is in his 60s, undergo a "body search for communication devices".

Source: The Nation Bangkok July 26, 2016 17:15 UTC