Samui Bodoh

So.....

 

Hush money was paid to keep quiet about a ten year old extra-marital affair a few weeks before an election.

 

But, it had nothing to do with the election.

 

Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar 

 

Anyone going to dispute my take on this?

 

“I know about this from the media,” Col. Krissana said. “We are contacting Singaporean authorities.”

Asked if Thailand would ask Singapore to arrest the pair, Krissana was non-committal.

“We need to have clear information about their whereabouts first,” the spokesman said.

 

 

No, he is not contacting the Singaporean authorities.

 

If he did that, then he would have to ask for their arrest.

 

If they ask for their arrest, Singapore would refuse.

 

If Singapore refused, it would be a huge loss of face for the Junta/Prayut.

 

Face it Thailand, no country will extradite either of them because the Thai legal system, especially as it relates to "political" crimes, is considered an international laughing stock. 

 

If you force a country to explain why they will not extradite, they will tell you.

 

And you wouldn't like that...

 

 

I think they should get a big pool of mud and 'wrassle' this out the old-fashioned way.

 

Yes, I do believe in traditional dispute-resolution...

 

12 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

The shit will hit the fan when the rubber farmers, fishermen, street vendors, lottery sellers decide to join in. Seem the poor and marginalized segment of the population have been victimized by the junta and coming out while the Bangkok middle class who was responsible putting the junta in government is very much content to sit back. Where is that whistle blowing scum when he is most needed. 

Well said.

 

I remember those whistle-blowers sanctimoniously screaming about how they were against corruption, how they didn't belong to a party but were merely "patriots", how they were the "good" people who only were acting on behalf of the country and people, and how they wanted Thailand to be 'clean'

 

Where are those sanctimonious people now? Is Thailand a better place? Are you still 'good' people? Where are your demands for anti-corruption now? Or, are you too busy in your new, plush government offices?

 

Hypocrites.

 

Funny, but it takes the poor, the disadvantaged, the land-less, the fisherman, the blind lottery seller, etc to teach the "good" people the true meaning of what is right and wrong.

 

And that is why the Junta is sooooooo afraid of them. The demonstrators are righteous, morally good and everyone knows it.

 

Godspeed protesters!

 

Leaving aside all the (very very good) reasons why media freedom is a desired thing...

 

There is a direct correlation between corruption and a free media; countries with a free media are less corrupt.

 

Significantly less corrupt.

 

27 minutes ago, webfact said:

It officially made accusations against 156 officials at 35 centres run by the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS).

Go PACC Go!

 

Let's see those scum-sucking weasels get tossed into the street and/or the slammer. 

 

It would be great if the higher-ups also received the scrutiny and arrests that they undoubtedly deserve; if only the NACC had competence and/or credibility...

 

If the Junta was serious about fighting corruption, this would be an ideal case. No one could argue against measures taken to protect funds meant for the destitute, and handled properly it could be a poster-child on the benefits of halting corrupt practices and the benefits of clean government.

 

If only the Junta was serious about fighting corruption...

 

 

30 minutes ago, AntDee said:

I'm not sure what you mean by "generally good people", but I would argue that while they may be decent people, they deserve that government they get for being indifferent. "Maibenrai" attitude does not afford them successful governance. Somehow, Thais think that they can be unique and skirt the necessity to be responsible. They think they are uniquely capable of not having to grow up culturally but somehow will still gain all the benefits of developed countries. 

 

I can't agree. 

Hi AntDee

 

I am going to have a bit of a 'go' at you, but please note it isn't personal; you have expressed a view that many people share and... well... you're here (sorry). 

 

I take issue with the idea that Thai people are "indifferent" to their political situation.

 

How many Thai people have died since 1973 (I use 1973 as generally the starting point for the current political battles) fighting for their rights? Determining a hard, certain number is a tricky proposition, but I think to say several thousand is fair. 1973. 1976. 1992. 2005-2006. 2009-2010. 2014. Those are the larger demos off the top of my head, but there have been lots and lots of smaller, less publicized battles as well. Further, how many incidents of political activism and/or political repression have occurred outside of Bangkok and outside of the glare of the media? How many incidents have occurred quietly without being mentioned in the newspaper? Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots.

 

Respectfully, how many Thai people need to either be killed or injured until you (and others) think they are fighting for their rights? Another few thousand? Some ten thousands? A hundred thousand?

 

What is the <deleted> number?????????

 

I am a wee bit sympathetic to your views; I also watch the news and wish that Thai people were out in the streets by the hundreds of thousands fighting for their rights, but that is easy to say/think while I sit in my nice, safe little house. In this current situation, would you be willing to risk a jail term of 5 years? 10 years? Would you be willing to risk the potential of getting shot? Would you be willing to risk reprisals to your family? Got a brother or sister trying to get into university? How would you feel if they were refused a place because of you?

 

This is a terrible fight that the Thais are facing. Their opponents, the military or at least parts of it, are extremely well-funded, have had huge amounts of training and experience, material support and (although I hate to admit it) a certain amount of support throughout the country including from some of the wealthy, the institutional leaders, etc. etc. etc.

 

This is not an easy or simple battle.

 

This is one that will persist for many, many, many years.

 

And perhaps we outsiders (who sit and watch events) ought to have a bit more sympathy for those who are fighting, in whatever way they choose.

 

Again, sorry AntDee. It ain't aimed at you...

 

 

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

ACTIVISTS demanding the right to protest appealed to the United Nations for help after land rights campaigners faced intimidation from the military yesterday to prevent them from joining peaceful demonstrations in Bangkok.

While I sympathize with the protesters, the UN can't really do anything to help except provide some publicity and over-watch. Simply put, the UN doesn't have the power to intervene in its member countries' internal affairs, as much as people seem to think they do. The UN can be an honest broker, it can help publicize events, it can remind governments of their commitments, it can do many things. The UN cannot solve the issue of the Junta and the protesters; it does not have either the power or the authority.

 

I have great respect for these brave people who are trying to make their country a better place; good luck and be safe!

 

Well said.

 

My hope is that the Thai people set aside (some of) their differences, even if for a short while, and come together to end the cycle of coups that are a plague on a wonderful country.

 

Thais are generally good people; good people deserve good governance. Wouldn't it be nice if people could speak freely? Gather freely? If people could face the law/legal system and their bank balance wasn't the determining factor? Wouldn't it be nice if a policeman stopped a Thai person and didn't ask for money? Wouldn't it be nice if a woman could walk home alone after dark without fear? Wouldn't it be nice if Monks dealt with the spiritual needs of themselves and the populace? And not acquire material wealth? Wouldn't it be nice if the military would protect the borders, Thai sovereignty and assist where/when needed without trying to steal power on a regular basis? I could go one, but...

 

This is not going to happen overnight or even soon.

 

But, wouldn't it be nice if the process got started?

 

 

 

I have a comment or two on this story, but I think the very first thing everyone should remember is that we are talking about stealing money FROM THE DESTITUTE! Yes, from the neediest people in Thailand; the baht-less elderly, the handicapped, A.I.D.S. patients, etc. 

 

It is only the lowest of the low-life scum that steal from the destitute, and if there is a 'Hell", I hope they burn in it for eternity.

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

These two officials have not been identified by name. But at the time of wrongdoings, one of them headed the Khon Kaen Protection Centre for the Destitute and the other was the centre’s social-welfare chief.

It is good to see high-level people in the centers get nabbed for their crimes, but this scandal should NOT stop at this level; It defies logic that this occurred over many years, but that none of the really higher-ups was involved. The notion that an industrialized embezzlement scheme developed independently at 60+ offices is ludicrous; a far more more logical notion is that the purveyors of the scheme bought promotions to the main/head office and then implemented the scheme across many offices in order to maximize their theft.

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

In the wake of the scandal, the ministry’s permanent secretary Puttipat Lertchaowasit and deputy permanent secretary Narong Kongkham were transferred. As the investigation hinted at possible wrongdoing, the Cabinet last month ordered that they be dismissed from service unless the investigation clears their name in the end.

This is a good start, and it is good to see really senior people getting the attention they deserve. However, it is unlikely that merely 2 high-level people were involved; the far more likelier scenario is that most/all of the senior leadership in the department received envelopes.

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Meanwhile, the director of the Samut Prakan Protection Centre for the Destitute, Tanittha Jantanarirk, handed a petition to Prime Minister and National Council for Peace and Order chief General Prayut Chan-o-cha via a government complaint-receiving centre in Bangkok yesterday. 

“I believe the former permanent secretary [Puttipat] should face both disciplinary and legal punishment,” she said. 

Tanittha complained that officials at places that refused to engage in corrupt practices had received just a meagre budget. 

“Samut Prakan’s population is at about 1.2 million but my centre has received just Bt700,000 in budget.Surprisingly, another centre has received more than Bt60 million in budget despite the fact that the local population in their jurisdiction is just 300,000,” she said.

This complaint seems to have some validity and given what we know about the Ministry, it should be investigated. Further, it is simply logical that a senior person involved would channel extra monies to places where he/she received a kick-back.

 

Finally, it should be noted that this scandal seems to have originated many years ago, and thus can't simply be laid on the doorstep of the Junta. However, the Junta has been in power for 4 years with Article 44 powers and promised to clean up corruption; in fact it was one of their prime "justifications" for their coup.

 

The silence from the senior leadership of Thailand has been DEAFENING! If the Junta government is not really willing to clean up a scandal stealing monies from the destitute, when will they ever clean something up? This scandal has all the elements to create a 'sea change' in Thailand, to create a new way of thinking. However, that can only occur if there is real support and effort by the Junta leader.

 

That support is lacking.

 

Shame!

 

 

27 minutes ago, webfact said:

“Everything depends on the election. If I say something now, those favouring the military won’t choose me. Likewise, if I say I’m with the military, those preferring democracy won’t vote for me. That’s just going to be bad.” He reiterated the election result is the key.

What a loathsome, slimy, lizard-like individual!

 

The up-coming election, whenever it may occur, will clearly be a mini referendum on whether Thailand continues under the military or returns to civilian rule. And if you do not have a position on that question, then one has to ask whether you have any principles at all.

 

If your political philosophy is to wait and see who has the most to offer you, then you are simply a whore waiting for the highest bidder. No wonder the Thai people get disgusted with their politicians.

 

Thailand is facing one of the most important questions of its existence and the answer will determine its course for generations; 'who has the most to give me' is an unacceptable reply.

 

Interesting editorial, and a lesson for anyone newly-arrived in country.

 

The editorial attempts to make a moral case for the good treatment of laborers, especially foreign laborers. It is difficult to argue that Thailand has treated those workers properly or taken adequate steps to ensure that they do get treated properly. In fact, the editorial notes;

 

"...The initial reaction from Bangkok was harsh, with the Prayut Chan-o-cha government lashing out at Thai reporters for highlighting abuses and pointing out the damage an international boycott would do to the domestic fishing industry. In other words, the government placed the finances of a business sector above the humanitarian needs of people working in that sector...."

 

I think few/none of the people living in or who study Thailand would disagree with this characterization of the coup government's response. Did the government act in the end? Yes, however;

 

"...Legislation was passed, but much work remains to be done... Thai leaders tend to show respect for concepts of global and regional unity when they’re onstage at foreign forums. But when it comes to reforming this backbreaking industry, which has been characterized as modern-day slavery, they withdraw into a protective shell and demonstrate disdain for outside criticism and guidance..."

 

In other words, the minimum was done in order to save their business, and the protection of human rights was relegated to almost nothing. Was the minimum done for the right reason(s) and will more be done? No. The editorial, with quite surprising honesty, notes;

 

"...Our eyes are on regional and global glory, not on integrity or compassion..."

 

And that, unfortunately, is one of the lessons in the understanding of Thailand.

 

Happy May Day everyone!

 

39 minutes ago, webfact said:

The court agreed with Chaturon that the termination of his passport was politically motivated, since the former minister had criticised the junta-sponsored draft of constitution.

Hmm...

 

Are the courts going to apply the same rationale to the cases of 'sedition' and other 'crimes' as they are applied here? I.e. because they are politically-motivated?

 

Or will they continue to find people guilty of something if they do not approve of the Junta?

 

Just askin'...

 

22 minutes ago, webfact said:

.“I never wished to delay the election, but the law changes make it unavoidable.”

You see, no believes this or you.

 

That is why there is so much suspicion.

 

BTW, is this reconciliation? Or have you abandoned that idea as well?

 

"...Last week, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva led the criticism by saying that efforts are being made to lure politicians into supporting the regime as assistants to ministers. This was followed by similar allegations made by Pheu Thai members. By Friday, during his weekly televised monologue, Prayuth denied he was enticing politicians and denied that the junta was like a vacuum cleaner..."

 

This is valid criticism, but making a single press release or a single comment somewhere is not an effective response. If you want to make this an issue (and you bloody well should), then you need a sustained campaign; accuse the government of corruption in giving plum government jobs to supporters, scream that the fix is in, shout loudly that they aren't qualified, hint strongly that you and your party might launch a campaign to de-legitimize the electoral process, publicly name and shame the people directly making the offers, etc, etc, etc.

 

If you sit on your butt and say things like "Ooh! That is bad!" then people will just laugh at you and not take you seriously. If you are going to fight, then you need to get started soon. 

 

Political parties; the Junta is talking about elections because they need some legitimacy. That legitimacy comes from, among other places, the political class. If the political class is willing to deny that legitimacy, then you have some power. But, only if you are willing to use it.

 

A tiny, squeaky, meek response will be too little, too late.

 

Kudos to the PACC for this work. I have no idea where the organization has been for the last many, many years, but now that you have woken up, keep at it!

 

However;

 

20 minutes ago, webfact said:

There was insufficient evidence that the wrongdoings were orchestrated by an organised group, he said. It was more like that the allegedly corrupt officials shared information about their wrongdoings, resulting in copycat behaviour by officials at other centres.

 

This does not seem likely or even probable. If criminals developed an effective method of theft on an industrialized scale, the idea that it wasn't organized simply does not hold up. Further, again if criminals had developed a method of industrialized theft, I somehow doubt that their methods and means were a subject of a chat over a beer with friends and/or acquaintances across the country.

 

The far more likely and far more disturbing scenario is that as soon as one of the perpetrators was promoted up out of the centers (likely through bribery with their ill-gotten gains) to the head office, that person embarked on a campaign to implement the industrialized theft across most, if not all, the centers.

 

It is a great thing that the Centers are being investigated, but this smells like a cover-up for the higher-ranking members of the Ministry. If this government is serious about fighting corruption (something very much in doubt), they should be LOUDLY egging on the investigation and offering assistance and encouragement. Their failure in doing so raises eyebrows...

 

The Junta claimed that they launched the coup for, among other reasons, cleaning up corruption. The silence on this matter at the highest level of the current government is suspiciously DEAFENING.

 

I have great respect for these brave students.

 

It is a highly dangerous situation for them, but even a cursory reading of history in Thailand, and indeed across Asia, shows that it is very often that the students are the catalyst for change.

 

Good luck and stay safe!

There are sooooo many things to comment on here that it is difficult to know where to begin!

 

First, if there is an intention to drastically improve the education levels of Thai people, you first have to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and honesty of the Ministry of Education; see the MANY recent stories on how massive amounts of money are stolen, then add 'the tip of the iceberg' theory to the total.

 

Second, while it is a nice idea (in theory) of up-grading people's baseline skills and abilities, that simply doesn't work well when the baseline is so low. If you want to see an improvement in the skills of a 20 year old, your first need to inoculate basic skills at a younger age so that there is something to build on.

 

41 minutes ago, webfact said:

The projects are designed to graduate a “new breed” of nearly 120,000 skilled workers, including 52,899 educational certificate holders, 6,249 “Por Wor Sor” high vocational certificate holders, and 56,478 bachelor degree holders.

Okay.

 

But, what are you going to do with all the other people who currently hold these certificates and degrees? Tell them to go back to the farm? And, if the current bunch do not meet the required standards, what makes anyone think the next batch will be any better?

 

41 minutes ago, webfact said:

The ministry said it would need a total of Bt14.138 billion to cover nine years of project implementation, broken down between Bt12.528 billion to fund actions and Bt1.610 billion to procure equipment and teaching materials.

Okay.

 

Just a question or two...

 

What "actions"? And why/how do you plan to spend 12.528 Billion Baht on them?

 

41 minutes ago, webfact said:

Education Minister Udom Kachintorn said the Cabinet-approved projects were in line with plans for educational reform, the 20-year national strategy, and the “Thailand 4.0” policy, as well as meeting economic goals of curbing the shortage of skilled labour. 

He said the projects would also address industry’s call for graduates with abilities to match the market demand.

“We were told by industry people that past graduates have had to undergo additional training for 1-2 years before they could start working,” Udom said.

Okay.

 

How will this next batch of 'graduates' be any different? This is a rather important detail...

 

41 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thus at least 50 per cent of study programme time would take place in a real work environment under a teacher or expert supervision. 

Okay.

 

Apprenticeships can be a good thing when managed properly. However, if there is currently not a number of well-trained and/or expert people already, who is going to do the training? Just askin...

 

41 minutes ago, webfact said:

Udom said the 119 non-degree programmes will have a study time of from six months to one year and offer a Bt60,000 per head per year subsidy It is expected to produce 51,995 skilled graduates in three years The 116 degree programmes, whose study time is five years and offer a Bt120,000-Bt150,000 per-head per year subsidy, will produce 56,078 graduates.

Udom said the projects has garnered attention from various companies that are signing up for the EEC.

 

Okay.

 

So, a MAJOR new educational program, starting from scratch, is going to up-grade the skills of 200,000-300,000 current workers and generate 100,000 (?) new workers with high-level skills all within 5 years. Er... who is going to be running this program? It is an extremely important and valid question...

 

Further, I can't help but notice that there is a HUGE pot of money here, and based on a cursory reading of Thai history, there is a very high-likelihood that a very large amount will be siphoned off. And, to add further pain and misery, the likelihood of achieving the designated numbers of highly-skilled workers is... wait for it... unlikely or plainly impossible.

 

I applaud the government for trying to create and/or improve the abilities of Thai workers; an investment in education is almost always a good thing. I say "almost" as the implementer of the project, I assume the Ministry of Education, has not demonstrated that it has the capacity to achieve the results hoped for.

 

In other words, a GIANT pot of money is going to the east, coincidentally the home region of many of the coup leaders. And, it seems like a HUGE part of it is just free money/subsidies for businesses. I wonder who owns the businesses...?

 

Hmm...

 

 

 "...Ma has signed several memoranda of understanding (MoU) with government agencies, pledging both close collaboration and cash investments with several government agencies..."

 

One of the great fears is that Ma has signed understandings for cash investments with several government agencies!

 

"...Teerana also argued that Alibaba is part of a Chinese strategy to expand its overseas investment and trade in Asean countries. Alibaba also wants to sell more Chinese goods to Thai consumers, while few Thai products will be qualified to take advantage of Alibaba platform, warned Teerana..."

 

There is validity to this concern. The idea that Alibaba is somehow NOT affiliated directly to the Chinese government flies into the face of all we know about doing business in China. One has to view this deal as allowing the Chinese government to expand its DIRECT control over a huge amount of Thai E-Commerce, with all the implications that surround that.

 

"...Thai bankers are also aware that Alibaba, other e-commerce platforms and financial technology companies (fintech) will eat up their traditional banking businesses..."

 

Again, great validity to this point. I haven't stepped into my bank branch in...ten years? Banking is an industry that will soon be almost all on-line (remember Thailand 4.0?) and Alibaba's sheer size and deep, rich reserves make it a direct threat to all the Thai banks.

 

"...But central bank governor Veerathai Santiprabhob, apparently does not much worry about the negative impact of Alibaba investment.

“It is not a black or white matter,” he said. “Thai banks have to adapt and we can see they are as they waive online transaction fees.” 

If Alibaba affiliate Ant Financial wanted to provide loans in Thailand, it would have to set up an office here and it would be subject to Thai laws, he assured..."

 

 

Yes, Thailand is famous for its rich and powerful living in fear of the government and its laws. C'mon dude; the Alibaba bank (whatever the name it goes by) will have capital reserves larger than most if not all Thai banks, and it will certainly have access to Chinese State funds if/as needed.

 

I can't really blame Jack Ma and/or the Chinese for accepting this deal; I'd take it if I had the dosh. However, Prayut and his cronies are so desperate for a deal that they have allowed for what is almost a certain monopoly over HUGE swathes of the Thai economy by Alibaba and the Chinese government.

 

Sad, sad times for Thailand and it sovereignty. This deal seems to be a giant sell-off of very large swathes of the Thai economy. And a badly executed one at that...

 

6 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

TOURISM experts and online travel platforms are welcoming the collaboration between e-commerce giant Alibaba and Thai tourism authorities to develop smart and digital tourism, although there are concerns over possible negative impacts.

 

Critics voiced concerns over a potential monopoly following a deal between Alibaba Group and Thai state agencies covering a number of areas, including tourism.

 

I can't really blame Jack Ma and/or the Chinese; when a country like Thailand offers up the entire e-commerce industry for sale, I'd buy it too if I had the cash.

 

Thailand, when you sell the digital infrastructure of your economy, you are also selling your actual economy. It'll take a few years before the entire purchase/take over is complete, but it is almost impossible to reverse once it really begins.

 

I hope Prayut and his cronies enjoy their thirty pieces...

 

And I strongly suggest that Thai kids be given crash courses in Mandarin; they'll need to be able to talk with their overlords.

 

It is so sad to see a once fine country go down this path, but I guess the lessons of Cambodia and Burma have to be learned all over again...

 

 

 

 

"...The government, said the prime minister, is not in a position to stop politicians to quarrel with one another, but what it can do is to start political reform step-by-step.

Without mentioning name, he lashed out at a former MP who accused the government of misusing state fund to the tune of tens of billions baht form a political party to support him as the next premier.

Accusing the ex-MP as shepherd’s boy, he said the former did not have evidence to back up his allegation..."

 

"Start political reform step-by-step"?

 

Er... haven't you been claiming that was the reason for the coup four years ago? And you are starting now? 

 

BTW, how is referring to another politician as a "Shepherd's boy" cleaning up politics?

 

Using state funds to go on a recruiting trip with government jobs as the lure doesn't seem like reforming the political system to me, rather it seems like you are hypocritically practicing the opposite of what you preach.

 

God help Thailand; it'll take years if not generations to undo the damage Prayut has caused...

 

 

40 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

The current political party law has damaged the existing parties’ membership bases and the country’s efforts to restore democracy, according to Nikorn Chamnong, director of Chat Thai Pattana Party.

Okay.

 

The question is; what are you going to do about it?

 

THAT is what matters.