spidermike007

Yes, even if there are conflicts of interest, Thailand is by and large doing a decent job of enforcing the laws.

Or maybe the locations are showing some respect for the laws. I do not know. All I know is that every time

I travel, I am impressed by how many non-smoking places I find. Except for Samui. Here is a response to

a criticism of my last rant:

I suppose I get your point about less "nannying". Most people in Samui seem to appreciate the utter lack of law

enforcement, and competent policing. I suppose I like some aspects of that too. But, for a non-smoker who has

an allergy to tobacco smoke it would sure be nice if at least a small percentage of restaurants and bars here

enforced the law. It is the Thai law after all. I am not bringing my personal preferences to this land, and harping

on people not observing my preferences. I am only saying that it would be nice to see the law occasionally enforced,

especially when it comes to something as fabulously heinous as people blowing smoke in your face while you are

trying to enjoy your meal. I consider smoking to be the embodiment of a lack of personal discipline, and also

an extreme display of a lack of self esteem. Sabotaging the body like that could result from no other deep seated

emotion than wanting to, or being willing to destroy one's body, and a willingness to create so much pollution of

filth around them. Of course it is a habit I have no understanding of. And I am not being critical of people who

choose to smoke. I am only saying that it is not too much to ask that smokers show a very modest sense of

discipline when they are eating in a restaurant. I do not think that is too much to ask.

Yes, I will make the same posts in a few different threads. Anything to get this point across. I would march across

this entire nation if I felt it would do some good, in advancing this thought. As a matter of fact, for your benefit, I will

post my latest response, to a criticism of my thread- hope you like it.

I suppose I get your point about less "nannying". Most people in Samui seem to appreciate the utter lack of law

enforcement, and competent policing. I suppose I like some aspects of that too. But, for a non-smoker who has

an allergy to tobacco smoke it would sure be nice if at least a small percentage of restaurants and bars here

enforced the law. It is the Thai law after all. I am not bringing my personal preferences to this land, and harping

on people not observing my preferences. I am only saying that it would be nice to see the law occasionally enforced,

especially when it comes to something as fabulously heinous as people blowing smoke in your face while you are

trying to enjoy your meal. I consider smoking to be the embodiment of a lack of personal discipline, and also

an extreme display of a lack of self esteem. Sabotaging the body like that could result from no other deep seated

emotion than wanting to, or being willing to destroy one's body, and a willingness to create so much pollution of

filth around them. Of course it is a habit I have no understanding of. And I am not being critical of people who

choose to smoke. I am only saying that it is not too much to ask that smokers show a very modest sense of

discipline when they are eating in a restaurant. I do not think that is too much to ask.

I suppose I get your point about less "nannying". Most people in Samui seem to appreciate the utter lack of law

enforcement, and competent policing. I suppose I like some aspects of that too. But, for a non-smoker who has

an allergy to tobacco smoke it would sure be nice if at least a small percentage of restaurants and bars here

enforced the law. It is the Thai law after all. I am not bringing my personal preferences to this land, and harping

on people not observing my preferences. I am only saying that it would be nice to see the law occasionally enforced,

especially when it comes to something as fabulously heinous as people blowing smoke in your face while you are

trying to enjoy your meal. I consider smoking to be the embodiment of a lack of personal discipline, and also

an extreme display of a lack of self esteem. Sabotaging the body like that could result from no other deep seated

emotion than wanting to, or being willing to destroy one's body, and a willingness to create so much pollution of

filth around them. Of course it is a habit I have no understanding of. And I am not being critical of people who

choose to smoke. I am only saying that it is not too much to ask that smokers show a very modest sense of

discipline when they are eating in a restaurant. I do not think that is too much to ask.

I know the smoking ban is being enforced in many places in Thailand, and I am thankful for that. But by far, Koh Samui is the worst offender. There are only a handful of restaurants on Samui, that even have signs posted. It is the worst location in Thailand for non-smokers. I have walked into restaurants and asked for the non-smoking section, and they look at you like you are from Mars. The normal response is, "no problem, you can smoke anywhere". Talk about missing the point. There is not a single government official that cares, or has made any effort. The mayor is lazy, corrupt, and all talk, and no action. He must be voted out next time, but still nothing will change, unless someone in power in Bangkok embarrasses them into submission. The mayor has been informed of the problem, and he promised to set up an enforcement group to go around and inspect every restaurant and bar on the island. As far as we know, not a single one was ever inspected. Talk about bluster. Talk about lack of initiative. Talk about ineffective. Talk about a lack of leadership. Talk about weak and dishonest. Someone has to do something. It has to come from the top. The police cannot be counted on to contribute to the well being of anybody in Koh Samui. They only respond where there is money involved in Samui. There seems to be little incentive for them to enforce the law there, as there is no political pressure on them. Samui is Thailand's "forgotten country".

I know the smoking ban is being enforced in many places in Thailand, and I am thankful for that. But by far, Koh Samui is the worst offender. There are only a handful of restaurants on Samui, that even have signs posted. It is the worst location in Thailand for non-smokers. I have walked into restaurants and asked for the non-smoking section, and they look at you like you are from Mars. The normal response is, "no problem, you can smoke anywhere". Talk about missing the point. There is not a single government official that cares, or has made any effort. The mayor is lazy, corrupt, and all talk, and no action. He must be voted out next time, but still nothing will change, unless someone in power in Bangkok embarrasses them into submission. The mayor has been informed of the problem, and he promised to set up an enforcement group to go around and inspect every restaurant and bar on the island. As far as we know, not a single one was ever inspected. Talk about bluster. Talk about lack of initiative. Talk about ineffective. Talk about a lack of leadership. Talk about weak and dishonest. Someone has to do something. It has to come from the top. The police cannot be counted on to contribute to the well being of anybody in Koh Samui. They only respond where there is money involved in Samui. There seems to be little incentive for them to enforce the law there, as there is no political pressure on them. Samui is Thailand's "forgotten country".

I know the smoking ban is being enforced in many places in Thailand, and I am thankful for that. But by far, Koh Samui is the worst offender. There are only a handful of restaurants on Samui, that even have signs posted. It is the worst location in Thailand for non-smokers. I have walked into restaurants and asked for the non-smoking section, and they look at you like you are from Mars. The normal response is, "no problem, you can smoke anywhere". Talk about missing the point. There is not a single government official that cares, or has made any effort. The mayor is lazy, corrupt, and all talk, and no action. He must be voted out next time, but still nothing will change, unless someone in power in Bangkok embarrasses them into submission. The mayor has been informed of the problem, and he promised to set up an enforcement group to go around and inspect every restaurant and bar on the island. As far as we know, not a single one was ever inspected. Talk about bluster. Talk about lack of initiative. Talk about ineffective. Talk about a lack of leadership. Talk about weak and dishonest. Someone has to do something. It has to come from the top. The police cannot be counted on to contribute to the well being of anybody in Koh Samui. They only respond where there is money involved in Samui. There seems to be little incentive for them to enforce the law there, as there is no political pressure on them. Samui is Thailand's "forgotten country".

I know the smoking ban is being enforced in many places in Thailand, and I am thankful for that. But by far, Koh Samui is the worst offender. There are only a handful of restaurants on Samui, that even have signs posted. It is the worst location in Thailand for non-smokers. I have walked into restaurants and asked for the non-smoking section, and they look at you like you are from Mars. The normal response is, "no problem, you can smoke anywhere". Talk about missing the point. There is not a single government official that cares, or has made any effort. The mayor is lazy, corrupt, and all talk, and no action. He must be voted out next time, but still nothing will change, unless someone in power in Bangkok embarrasses them into submission. The mayor has been informed of the problem, and he promised to set up an enforcement group to go around and inspect every restaurant and bar on the island. As far as we know, not a single one was ever inspected. Talk about bluster. Talk about lack of initiative. Talk about ineffective. Talk about a lack of leadership. Talk about weak and dishonest. Someone has to do something. It has to come from the top.

What these government clowns do not get is that every time they come up with another one of their harebrained "anti- fareng campaigns" they are

sabotaging the local economy. I know many people who have been here for many years, and they are starting to leave. They are traveling, and

researching alternatives to Thailand. These are people who on average, spend about $30,000 per year here (1,000,000 baht). How does that

compare to what the average Thai spends per year? Is there no regard for this contribution? I believe there are way to regulate foreigners, and

still remain respectful to them, and allow them to maintain their dignity. In Thailand it amazes me how foreigners are made to feel like 2nd class

citizens. We are not able to do anything as well as Thais, we are not as intelligent, creative, ingenious, industrious, honest, or capable as Thais.

We have not interest in building this country, nor contributing to it, and therefore we should be watched, and regulated. The Thai people cannot

seem to avoid shooting themselves in the foot, at every opportunity. Their country needs so much help at this point. Between the collapse of

the tourism industry, the appreciation of the baht, the world economy, their political problems and perceived instability, and a host of other

problems, you would think this might be the time to show more flexibility, and ease visa requirement, and maybe lower the bar for retirement

visas. While most of their neighbors are encouraging foreigners to invest, to buy land, homes, building for businesses, and offering reasonable

and flexible visa policies, what is Thailand doing? Marching vociferously in the other direction. They are digging the grave of their long term

financial well being. And as farengs, it is no fault of ours. I had a great deal of hope in Abhisit, hoping he was going to usher in a new era of

Thai politics, and progressive policy. I was sure naive about that one.

8 Aug 2009

Read Topic

Probably not any girls there, unless you count the local farmer's daughters who want to hook up with a foreigner, so you

can support their families the rest of your life. One thing I did not mention about Samui, was the lack of enforcement of

the no smoking ban. If you are a smoker you will love Samui. If you are a non-smoker it is a nightmare. Only 2 no

smoking signs posted on the whole island. Oh, and did I mention that the mayor was useless?

What these government clowns do not get is that every time they come up with another one of their harebrained "anti- fareng campaigns" they are

sabotaging the local economy. I know many people who have been here for many years, and they are starting to leave. They are traveling, and

researching alternatives to Thailand. These are people who on average, spend about $30,000 per year here (1,000,000 baht). How does that

compare to what the average Thai spends per year? Is there no regard for this contribution? I believe there are way to regulate foreigners, and

still remain respectful to them, and allow them to maintain their dignity. In Thailand it amazes me how foreigners are made to feel like 2nd class

citizens. We are not able to do anything as well as Thais, we are not as intelligent, creative, ingenious, industrious, honest, or capable as Thais.

We have not interest in building this country, nor contributing to it, and therefore we should be watched, and regulated. The Thai people cannot

seem to avoid shooting themselves in the foot, at every opportunity. Their country needs so much help at this point. Between the collapse of

the tourism industry, the appreciation of the baht, the world economy, their political problems and perceived instability, and a host of other

problems, you would think this might be the time to show more flexibility, and ease visa requirement, and maybe lower the bar for retirement

visas. While most of their neighbors are encouraging foreigners to invest, to buy land, homes, building for businesses, and offering reasonable

and flexible visa policies, what is Thailand doing? Marching vociferously in the other direction. They are digging the grave of their long term

financial well being. And as farengs, it is no fault of ours. I had a great deal of hope in Abhisit, hoping he was going to usher in a new era of

Thai politics, and progressive policy. I was sure naive about that one.

I know the smoking ban is being enforced in many places in Thailand, and I am thankful for that. But by far, Koh Samui is the worst offender. There are only a handful of restaurants on Samui, that even have signs posted. It is the worst location in Thailand for non-smokers. I have walked into restaurants and asked for the non-smoking section, and they look at you like you are from Mars. The normal response is, "no problem, you can smoke anywhere". Talk about missing the point. There is not a single government official that cares, or has made any effort. The mayor is lazy, corrupt, and all talk, and no action. He must be voted out next time, but still nothing will change, unless someone in power in Bangkok embarrasses them into submission. The mayor has been informed of the problem, and he promised to set up an enforcement group to go around and inspect every restaurant and bar on the island. As far as we know, not a single one was ever inspected. Talk about bluster. Talk about lack of initiative. Talk about ineffective. Talk about a lack of leadership. Talk about weak and dishonest. Someone has to do something. It has to come from the top.

I am not sure about Pattaya, but by far, Koh Samui is the worst offender. There are only a handful of restaurants on Samui, that even have signs posted. It is the worst location in Thailand for non-smokers. I have walked into restaurants and asked for the non-smoking section, and they look at you like you are from Mars. The normal response is, "no problem, you can smoke anywhere". Talk about missing the point. There is not a single government official that cares, or has made any effort. The mayor is lazy, corrupt, and all talk, and no action. He must be voted out next time, but still nothing will change, unless someone in power in Bangkok

embarrasses them into submission.

I have visited Phuket a number of times, but have spent alot of time in Samui over the years. Definitely prefer Samui. Less developed than Phuket, and less 10Mil plus villas, and the types associated with that. Also, it is quite beautiful, and easy to get away from it all, if you just leave Chaweng or Lamai. Nathon is cool, and funky, and cheaper. I like the fact that it is not linked by a bridge. People are OK. Many are quite friendly. Food is great, and reasonable. The climate is WAY better than Phuket. Rains MUCH less. Always breezy. The advantages with Phuket are the access to world class diving, and it is less expensive to fly in and out of. The disadvantages of Samui are chiefly the monopoly that Bangkok Airways has on the airport, the mafia presense, which is real, and the police. The Police there are ABSOLUTELY USELESS. I have had friends who have had major problems, and if you can buy your way out of it, fine. But, do not ever go to the police here, for help. They are useless and totally corrupt. Also, I believe the central government gives more funds to Phuket, so the infrastructure may be better. But, I still prefer Samui. It has alot of charm. So does Koh Phangan.

The real moral of the story is, that if the police get an intermediary involved, and take you to a hotel room

instead of the slammer, they are admitting guilt. That alone is proof of the scam. They are obviously too

afraid to take these supposed "Thieves" to the police station. So, they get "Tony" involved. Nice scam.

That is all it is. I am not saying there are not real thieves from time to time, but let us not be fooled by

one video of real thieves. King Power is involved, and the guys at the top are purchasing new homes and

yachts with the cash.

I will not re-think that for a nanosecond. On 21 November 1990, a Bangkok Airways de Havilland Canada DHC-8-103 crashed on Koh Samui while attempting to land in heavy rain and high winds. All 38 people on board perished. That has been their only serious accident to date. The two other accidents they had in the past 30 years resulted on one fatality. Not bad. They are an excellent airline, with good equipment, and an excellent safety record. However, they had no business landing in that weather. Apparently, Samui is subject to wind shear, and the wind was really gusting at that time. They should have either stayed in the air, and circled the airport until things calmed down, which it did 30 minutes later, or they should have landed in Surat Thani, and waited out the storm.

The Thai TV news just reported that the pilot was killed, there are 4 people in a coma, and about 20 more were

injured, some quite seriously. Too bad. Bangkok Air had such an excellent safety record, and really excellent

equipment. I will continue to support them, as they do a very good job.

The 9,000 baht package does not include Samui. They lumped that into the international package, at 12,900 baht. And the 4 segments are one way segment. So even with the Siam 20% off sale, that is still about 2,600 each way.

The aspect that is not getting mentioned much, is why Thailand has so little interest in addressing it's staggering level of corruption. Malaysia has set up a corruption commission, and is making DAILY arrests of top officials, ministers, local politicians, and businessmen. Indonesia has set up a corruption commission, and so far their antigraft commission has achieved a 100-percent conviction rate in 86 cases of bribery and graft related to government procurements and budgets. And where is Thailand in all of this. Why aren't men like Newin, and others, who are coming up with expensive schemes to line their pockets being arrested, and tried? Why is the CEO of King Power still employed? Why is the Police Captain in charge of the airport security, who appears to be involved in the King Power scam, still in his position? Does anyone really think there is even a chance that the King Power scheme is not real? That they are arresting only guilty shoplifters? Does all King Power have to do is post one video on the internet, of a guilty party, for all of us to let them off the hook? Is that all it takes? Even India is getting actively involved in tackling corruption, as this article indicates. When was the last time he heard of a government minister, or top official, or corporate CEO being arrested on corruption charges?

In India, New Crusade on Corruption

By HEATHER TIMMONS

Published: July 30, 2009

NEW DELHI —When Ashwani Kumar took over as India’s top anticorruption official last year, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, his new boss, advised him, “Follow the righteous path.”

Sanjit Das for The New York Times

Under Ashwani Kumar, the Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested dozens of bank officials, engineers and contractors suspected of crimes. Yet the job before him had frustrated many others. India ranks 85th in a corruption perception index created by the nonprofit antigraft group Transparency International, worse than China, Mexico or Brazil. Mr. Kumar, 58, a career policeman and director of the Central Bureau of Investigation, has taken his Sisyphean task head on. In just a few months, he has heightened the visibility of India’s fight against complex corporate crimes and enlisted public support for his programs to battle corruption in the government.

Most notably, his agency’s business investigative skills gained acclaim internationally, after the founder and chairman of one of India’s largest information technology companies, Satyam Computer Systems, confessed to falsifying $1 billion in cash on its balance sheet in January, India’s largest and broadest modern fraud. Just 45 days after taking the case, the Central Bureau of Investigation had charged six people and produced a thorough account of how investigators suspected the fraud had occurred, based on hundreds of interviews and backed by thousands of pages of documents. The bureau even described the minutiae of the accounting tricks and dual-invoicing tactics used to commit the fraud.

In contrast, the United States Department of Justice took years to put together a compelling case against top executives of Enron, the now-bankrupt energy company. The comparison may not be completely parallel, because a confession revealed the fraud at Satyam. But the scale of the accounting scheme has led analysts and academics to label Satyam “India’s Enron.” Sudhakar V. Balachandran, an assistant professor of accounting at Columbia Business School, said the United States could learn a lot from India’s rapid response to Satyam. Foreign investors “know that swift decisive actions were taken,” Mr. Balachandran said. “If I’m an investor looking at an emerging market, I’m going to look for signs that it functions well.” That includes undertaking a swift criminal investigation at the first sign of corruption or fraud, he said.

Some rights advocates say that the bureau has been overzealous and has ignored due process. Under the bureau’s guidance, two of Satyam’s outside auditors have been in jail for seven months without trial, held on charges of criminal conspiracy. They have been denied bail, even though they maintain their innocence and have yet to be convicted of any crime. Mr. Kumar’s office, however, contends that their incarceration is justified.

Beyond Satyam, Mr. Kumar has big ambitions for the bureau. With just 5,000 agents, it is less than half the size of its closest American equivalent, the F.B.I., although India’s population is more than four times that of the United States. But India’s bureau is trying new ways to fight graft and bribery that may help make up for what it lacks in numbers. For example, the bureau is embarking on a countrywide campaign to curb corruption that enlists support from the public by asking for people to use their cellphones to text in details of corruption. Economic growth, increasing industrialization and globalization mean that economic crime is rising, Mr. Kumar said. “Traditional crimes are fading into the background” in favor of digital crimes and credit card fraud, he said. Since Mr. Kumar took office, the bureau has arrested dozens of bank managers, bureaucrats, engineers and contractors on suspicion of crimes including accepting bribes, forging documents and stealing petroleum. A recent investigation into top officials at the All India Council for Technical Education, a group created by the government to improve the vocational skills of India’s youth, uncovered 36 bank accounts that were used to hide illicit cash. At a meeting this year with private sector bankers, Mr. Kumar pledged that the bureau would act as a “facilitator in the growth of the financial sector,” by curbing something that United States regulators had failed to stop — mortgage fraud and risky lending.

Mr. Kumar seems at first like an unlikely crusader against complex financial fraud. He spent much of his 35-year career in the forests of the mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh, fighting illegal logging and poaching. But he quickly rose through the ranks of India’s civil service, becoming director general of police in the state. His success there caught the eye of the Singh administration.

The law has played a big role in the Kumar family. His father was a policeman, and he is married to the daughter of a policeman.

Discussing respect for the environment gets him fired up, and he is thrilled to point out that the bureau’s new headquarters will be a “green” building. His office is spotless, he is scrupulously polite and he sticks to a rigorous schedule that involves waking at 4 a.m. for two hours of work, then an hour of exercise. Mr. Kumar says his prominent cases have earned him enemies. And he cautions that the bureau cannot halt corruption on its own. The bureau deals with the investigation, “but the punishment is given by the courts,” he said. And he willingly acknowledges that corruption sometimes occurs within the bureau.

“Human beings are always frail, and such incidents do happen,” he said. “The question is, ‘Do we tolerate this kind of behavior?’ The answer is, ‘Absolutely no.’ ” Corruption specialists say that his fight can be effective, even if he is surrounded by a corrupt system. “One person can make a difference, just as all leaders can make a difference,” said Christiaan Poortman, global programs director for Transparency International. In Mr. Kumar’s case, his anticorruption efforts may bear fruit, Mr. Poortman said. “If he has the ear of the prime minister, who knows? It might work,” Mr. Poortman added.

That is a great point. It is not a matter of how much corruption exists. This goes on in all third world countries. The real question is how much will is there to tackle the problem. That, I believe

is where Thailand is missing the mark.

The aspect that is not getting mentioned much, is why Thailand has so little interest in addressing it's staggering level of corruption. Malaysia has set up a corruption commission, and is making DAILY arrests of top officials, ministers, local politicians, and businessmen. Indonesia has set up a corruption commission, and so far their antigraft commission has achieved a 100-percent conviction rate in 86 cases of bribery and graft related to government procurements and budgets. And where is Thailand in all of this. Why aren't men like Newin, and others, who are coming up with expensive schemes to line their pockets being arrested, and tried? Why is the CEO of King Power still employed? Why is the Police Captain in charge of the airport security, who appears to be involved in the King Power scam, still in his position? Does anyone really think there is even a chance that the King Power scheme is not real? That they are arresting only guilty shoplifters? Does all King Power have to do is post one video on the internet, of a guilty party, for all of us to let them off the hook? Is that all it takes? Even India is getting actively involved in tackling corruption, as this article indicates. When was the last time he heard of a government minister, or top official, or corporate CEO being arrested on corruption charges?

In India, New Crusade on Corruption

By HEATHER TIMMONS

Published: July 30, 2009

NEW DELHI —When Ashwani Kumar took over as India’s top anticorruption official last year, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, his new boss, advised him, “Follow the righteous path.”

Sanjit Das for The New York Times

Under Ashwani Kumar, the Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested dozens of bank officials, engineers and contractors suspected of crimes. Yet the job before him had frustrated many others. India ranks 85th in a corruption perception index created by the nonprofit antigraft group Transparency International, worse than China, Mexico or Brazil. Mr. Kumar, 58, a career policeman and director of the Central Bureau of Investigation, has taken his Sisyphean task head on. In just a few months, he has heightened the visibility of India’s fight against complex corporate crimes and enlisted public support for his programs to battle corruption in the government.

Most notably, his agency’s business investigative skills gained acclaim internationally, after the founder and chairman of one of India’s largest information technology companies, Satyam Computer Systems, confessed to falsifying $1 billion in cash on its balance sheet in January, India’s largest and broadest modern fraud. Just 45 days after taking the case, the Central Bureau of Investigation had charged six people and produced a thorough account of how investigators suspected the fraud had occurred, based on hundreds of interviews and backed by thousands of pages of documents. The bureau even described the minutiae of the accounting tricks and dual-invoicing tactics used to commit the fraud.

In contrast, the United States Department of Justice took years to put together a compelling case against top executives of Enron, the now-bankrupt energy company. The comparison may not be completely parallel, because a confession revealed the fraud at Satyam. But the scale of the accounting scheme has led analysts and academics to label Satyam “India’s Enron.” Sudhakar V. Balachandran, an assistant professor of accounting at Columbia Business School, said the United States could learn a lot from India’s rapid response to Satyam. Foreign investors “know that swift decisive actions were taken,” Mr. Balachandran said. “If I’m an investor looking at an emerging market, I’m going to look for signs that it functions well.” That includes undertaking a swift criminal investigation at the first sign of corruption or fraud, he said.

Some rights advocates say that the bureau has been overzealous and has ignored due process. Under the bureau’s guidance, two of Satyam’s outside auditors have been in jail for seven months without trial, held on charges of criminal conspiracy. They have been denied bail, even though they maintain their innocence and have yet to be convicted of any crime. Mr. Kumar’s office, however, contends that their incarceration is justified.

Beyond Satyam, Mr. Kumar has big ambitions for the bureau. With just 5,000 agents, it is less than half the size of its closest American equivalent, the F.B.I., although India’s population is more than four times that of the United States. But India’s bureau is trying new ways to fight graft and bribery that may help make up for what it lacks in numbers. For example, the bureau is embarking on a countrywide campaign to curb corruption that enlists support from the public by asking for people to use their cellphones to text in details of corruption. Economic growth, increasing industrialization and globalization mean that economic crime is rising, Mr. Kumar said. “Traditional crimes are fading into the background” in favor of digital crimes and credit card fraud, he said. Since Mr. Kumar took office, the bureau has arrested dozens of bank managers, bureaucrats, engineers and contractors on suspicion of crimes including accepting bribes, forging documents and stealing petroleum. A recent investigation into top officials at the All India Council for Technical Education, a group created by the government to improve the vocational skills of India’s youth, uncovered 36 bank accounts that were used to hide illicit cash. At a meeting this year with private sector bankers, Mr. Kumar pledged that the bureau would act as a “facilitator in the growth of the financial sector,” by curbing something that United States regulators had failed to stop — mortgage fraud and risky lending.

Mr. Kumar seems at first like an unlikely crusader against complex financial fraud. He spent much of his 35-year career in the forests of the mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh, fighting illegal logging and poaching. But he quickly rose through the ranks of India’s civil service, becoming director general of police in the state. His success there caught the eye of the Singh administration.

The law has played a big role in the Kumar family. His father was a policeman, and he is married to the daughter of a policeman. Discussing respect for the environment gets him fired up, and he is thrilled to point out that the bureau’s new headquarters will be a “green” building. His office is spotless, he is scrupulously polite and he sticks to a rigorous schedule that involves waking at 4 a.m. for two hours of work, then an hour of exercise. Mr. Kumar says his prominent cases have earned him enemies. And he cautions that the bureau cannot halt corruption on its own. The bureau deals with the investigation, “but the punishment is given by the courts,” he said. And he willingly acknowledges that corruption sometimes occurs within the bureau.

“Human beings are always frail, and such incidents do happen,” he said. “The question is, ‘Do we tolerate this kind of behavior?’ The answer is, ‘Absolutely no.’ ” Corruption specialists say that his fight can be effective, even if he is surrounded by a corrupt system. “One person can make a difference, just as all leaders can make a difference,” said Christiaan Poortman, global programs director for Transparency International. In Mr. Kumar’s case, his anticorruption efforts may bear fruit, Mr. Poortman said. “If he has the ear of the prime minister, who knows? It might work,” Mr. Poortman added.

The aspect that is not getting mentioned much, is why Thailand has so little interest in addressing it's staggering level of corruption. Malaysia has set up a corruption commission, and is making DAILY arrests of top officials, ministers, local politicians, and businessmen. Indonesia has set up a corruption commission, and so far their antigraft commission has achieved a 100-percent conviction rate in 86 cases of bribery and graft related to government procurements and budgets. And where is Thailand in all of this. Why aren't men like Newin, and others, who are coming up with expensive schemes to line their pockets being arrested, and tried? Why is the CEO of King Power still employed? Why is the Police Captain in charge of the airport security, who appears to be involved in the King Power scam, still in his position? Does anyone really think there is even a chance that the King Power scheme is not real? That they are arresting only guilty shoplifters? Does all King Power have to do is post one video on the internet, of a guilty party, for all of us to let them off the hook? Is that all it takes? Even India is getting actively involved in tackling corruption, as this article indicates. When was the last time he heard of a government minister, or top official, or corporate CEO being arrested on corruption charges?

In India, New Crusade on Corruption

By HEATHER TIMMONS

Published: July 30, 2009

NEW DELHI —When Ashwani Kumar took over as India’s top anticorruption official last year, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, his new boss, advised him, “Follow the righteous path.”

Sanjit Das for The New York Times

Under Ashwani Kumar, the Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested dozens of bank officials, engineers and contractors suspected of crimes. Yet the job before him had frustrated many others. India ranks 85th in a corruption perception index created by the nonprofit antigraft group Transparency International, worse than China, Mexico or Brazil. Mr. Kumar, 58, a career policeman and director of the Central Bureau of Investigation, has taken his Sisyphean task head on. In just a few months, he has heightened the visibility of India’s fight against complex corporate crimes and enlisted public support for his programs to battle corruption in the government.

Most notably, his agency’s business investigative skills gained acclaim internationally, after the founder and chairman of one of India’s largest information technology companies, Satyam Computer Systems, confessed to falsifying $1 billion in cash on its balance sheet in January, India’s largest and broadest modern fraud. Just 45 days after taking the case, the Central Bureau of Investigation had charged six people and produced a thorough account of how investigators suspected the fraud had occurred, based on hundreds of interviews and backed by thousands of pages of documents. The bureau even described the minutiae of the accounting tricks and dual-invoicing tactics used to commit the fraud.

In contrast, the United States Department of Justice took years to put together a compelling case against top executives of Enron, the now-bankrupt energy company. The comparison may not be completely parallel, because a confession revealed the fraud at Satyam. But the scale of the accounting scheme has led analysts and academics to label Satyam “India’s Enron.” Sudhakar V. Balachandran, an assistant professor of accounting at Columbia Business School, said the United States could learn a lot from India’s rapid response to Satyam. Foreign investors “know that swift decisive actions were taken,” Mr. Balachandran said. “If I’m an investor looking at an emerging market, I’m going to look for signs that it functions well.” That includes undertaking a swift criminal investigation at the first sign of corruption or fraud, he said.

Some rights advocates say that the bureau has been overzealous and has ignored due process. Under the bureau’s guidance, two of Satyam’s outside auditors have been in jail for seven months without trial, held on charges of criminal conspiracy. They have been denied bail, even though they maintain their innocence and have yet to be convicted of any crime. Mr. Kumar’s office, however, contends that their incarceration is justified.

Beyond Satyam, Mr. Kumar has big ambitions for the bureau. With just 5,000 agents, it is less than half the size of its closest American equivalent, the F.B.I., although India’s population is more than four times that of the United States. But India’s bureau is trying new ways to fight graft and bribery that may help make up for what it lacks in numbers. For example, the bureau is embarking on a countrywide campaign to curb corruption that enlists support from the public by asking for people to use their cellphones to text in details of corruption. Economic growth, increasing industrialization and globalization mean that economic crime is rising, Mr. Kumar said. “Traditional crimes are fading into the background” in favor of digital crimes and credit card fraud, he said. Since Mr. Kumar took office, the bureau has arrested dozens of bank managers, bureaucrats, engineers and contractors on suspicion of crimes including accepting bribes, forging documents and stealing petroleum. A recent investigation into top officials at the All India Council for Technical Education, a group created by the government to improve the vocational skills of India’s youth, uncovered 36 bank accounts that were used to hide illicit cash. At a meeting this year with private sector bankers, Mr. Kumar pledged that the bureau would act as a “facilitator in the growth of the financial sector,” by curbing something that United States regulators had failed to stop — mortgage fraud and risky lending.

Mr. Kumar seems at first like an unlikely crusader against complex financial fraud. He spent much of his 35-year career in the forests of the mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh, fighting illegal logging and poaching. But he quickly rose through the ranks of India’s civil service, becoming director general of police in the state. His success there caught the eye of the Singh administration.

The law has played a big role in the Kumar family. His father was a policeman, and he is married to the daughter of a policeman.

Discussing respect for the environment gets him fired up, and he is thrilled to point out that the bureau’s new headquarters will be a “green” building. His office is spotless, he is scrupulously polite and he sticks to a rigorous schedule that involves waking at 4 a.m. for two hours of work, then an hour of exercise. Mr. Kumar says his prominent cases have earned him enemies. And he cautions that the bureau cannot halt corruption on its own. The bureau deals with the investigation, “but the punishment is given by the courts,” he said. And he willingly acknowledges that corruption sometimes occurs within the bureau.

“Human beings are always frail, and such incidents do happen,” he said. “The question is, ‘Do we tolerate this kind of behavior?’ The answer is, ‘Absolutely no.’ ” Corruption specialists say that his fight can be effective, even if he is surrounded by a corrupt system. “One person can make a difference, just as all leaders can make a difference,” said Christiaan Poortman, global programs director for Transparency International. In Mr. Kumar’s case, his anticorruption efforts may bear fruit, Mr. Poortman said. “If he has the ear of the prime minister, who knows? It might work,” Mr. Poortman added.

I think if I was approached by one of those scrawny little guards, and asked to follow them on a trumped up charge, I would just

walk out of the station. I do not think they could force me to go with them. But, the real issue is this:

Why is Thailand so disinterested in addressing it's staggering level of corruption? If this hooligan, who passes himself off as a

"security guard" was fired, heavily fined (100,00 baht and up), arrested, tried, convicted, and sent to the slammer for five years

on charges of extortion, do you think that news would not get around? The way Thais like to gossip. All of the country would hear

within 24 hours. People would start feeling like the days on immunity against corruption charges are over. Before you say that is not

possible here, take into account that Malaysia has set up a corruption commission, and is making DAILY arrests of top officials,

ministers, local politicians, and businessmen. Indonesia has set up a corruption commission, and so far their antigraft commission

has achieved a 100-percent conviction rate in 86 cases of bribery and graft related to government procurements and budgets. And

where is Thailand in all of this? Why aren't men like Newin, and others, who are coming up with expensive schemes to line their

pockets being arrested, and tried? Why is the CEO of King Power still employed? Why is the Police Captain in charge of the airport

still in his position? Does anyone really think there is even a chance that the King Power scheme is not real? That they are arresting

only guilty shoplifters? Does all King Power have to do is post one video on the internet, of a guilty party, for all of us to let them off

the hook? Is that all it takes? If Thailand wants to rid itself of what surely has to be it's single largest impediment to success, than it

has to start taking corruption seriously, and it has to start punishing the perpetrators heavily.

This is fascinating stuff. The aspect that is not getting mentioned much, is why Thailand has so little interest in addressing it's

staggering level of corruption. Malaysia has set up a corruption commission, and is making DAILY arrests of top officials,

ministers, local politicians, and businessmen. Indonesia has set up a corruption commission, and so far their antigraft commission

has achieved a 100-percent conviction rate in 86 cases of bribery and graft related to government procurements and budgets. And

where is Thailand in all of this. Why aren't men like Newin, and others, who are coming up with expensive schemes to line their

pockets being arrested, and tried? Why is the CEO of King Power still employed? Why is the Police Captain in charge of the airport

still in his position? Does anyone really think there is even a chance that the King Power scheme is not real? That they are arresting

only guilty shoplifters? Does all King Power have to do is post one video on the internet, of a guilty party, for all of us to let them off

the hook? Is that all it takes?

This is fascinating stuff. The aspect that is not getting mentioned much, is why Thailand has so little interest in addressing it's

staggering level of corruption. Malaysia has set up a corruption commission, and is making DAILY arrests of top officials,

ministers, local politicians, and businessmen. Indonesia has set up a corruption commission, and so far their antigraft commission

has achieved a 100-percent conviction rate in 86 cases of bribery and graft related to government procurements and budgets. And

where is Thailand in all of this. Why aren't men like Newin, and others, who are coming up with expensive schemes to line their

pockets being arrested, and tried? Why is the CEO of King Power still employed? Why is the Police Captain in charge of the airport

still in his position? Does anyone really think there is even a chance that the King Power scheme is not real? That they are arresting

only guilty shoplifters? Does all King Power have to do is post one video on the internet, of a guilty party, for all of us to let them off

the hook? Is that all it takes?

They were happy to take the 2.5 billion baht, and now they want to close the program. In most civilized countries, the money would be

set aside for just such cases. With all the changes in the policy, why would anyone want to join. The correct thing to do would be to give

back the 2.5 billion baht to the thousand or so believers, who were willing to put up that kind of money. No benefits equals the right to a

refund, right? More than likely, the Thailand Elite CEO pocketed most of the money, and it is nowhere to be found. Just another nail in

the Thailand tourism/ex -pet market. They seem to be incredibly creative in finding ways to convince foreigners not to come to Thailand.

The estimates of how much a percentage tourism contributes to the economy varies wildly. I have seen estimates from 6% to as high

as 13%. I suspect if you take into account all of the related industries, such as airlines, the airports, the hotels, restaurants, tour companies,

etc., etc., etc., than it is closer to 13%. The nationalists would rather believe the 6% figure. It is easier for them to promote a closed

society, and for them to foster their unique brand of hatred, bigotry, xenophobia, and ignorance. Many forget that Thaksin was one of

the recent guys, to really begin promoting the evil of foreigners. Now, some of the truly ignorant politicians are picking that up. I also

believe that the 13% figure does not add the contribution of ex-pats to the economy. In the long run, it will be good for all of us, if the

tourism industry does collapse, as this will bring an extraordinary day of reckoning to this land, and in the end many heads will roll. We

will see depreciation, and the currency will drop to the level that it deserves. Most ordinary Thais are not xenophobic. But, their lack of

history, world consciousness, and savvy, make them very susceptible to the vitriol of the idiots preaching how evil we are.