Army defends 15-million-baht toilets and stores at Rajabhakti Park

[webfact]

Army defends 15-million-baht toilets and stores at Rajabhakti Park

By Thai PBS

 

 

The army chief has defended the 15-million baht plus spending for the construction of toilets and stores at the Rajabhakti Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Hua Hin district as justified, appropriate and transparent.

 

“What is wrong with construction of toilets?” asked Gen Chalermchai Sitthisad, army commander-in-chief and chairman of Rajabhakti Park Foundation in response to a reporter’s question about criticisms in the social media against the 15-million baht plus spending.

 

Meanwhile, army spokesman Col Winthai Suvaree said that, in the past, there was not a toilet at the park which is frequently visited by both Thai and foreign tourists.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/army-defends-15-million-baht-toilets-stores-rajabhakti-park/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2017-10-20

 

 

[dinsdale]

Bt15 mil to friend to build. Friend builds for Bt3 mil although the 'bill' will be for Bt15 mil. Profits are shared.

Call me a synic .

[LannaGuy]

They paid an "amulet seller"  20 million "commission" and the 'anti-corruption' commission said it was 'ok' as it was a "business payment"

 

defend THAT  Junta lovers

[peperobi]

Is really good to build a toilet, very rare in Thailand, but 15 million???

[rkidlad]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

“What is wrong with construction of toilets?”

Ah, the old answering a question with question. But I believe he asked the wrong question - it should have been, "What's wrong with spending 15 million on toilets and stores?".

 

But I guess he knows what he's doing. You'd think this place might steer clear of anymore negative attention after what happened before and what it represents. Zero shame. 

[AhFarangJa]

[yellowboat]

A standard toilet install should take between one and two hours to complete and cost an average of $348 or less. Basic installs will run around $115. Unexpected costs could raise the cost up to as much as $800.  https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/plumbing/install-a-toilet/  

 

$500,000 / $800 = 625 installed toilets. 

 

Sure they are including plumbing and buildings, but even at that, the price tag is way too high.  Somebody must be getting a BMW for Christmas.

[webfact]

Toilets the latest scandal to plague royal Rajabhakti Park

By The Nation

 

Army spokesperson Colonel Winthai Suvaree

 

The Army on Thursday defended construction of a Bt15-billion restrooms and shops in the royal Rajabhakti Park, claiming that it is worth the investment and the process was sufficiently transparent to stand up to close scrutiny.

“They won’t be typical toilets you can see everywhere,” said Army spokesperson Colonel Winthai Suvaree. “We believe that our donators wish everything in the park to be magnificently built, to be worthy of royalty.”

 

The facility will also be essential for welcoming thousands of visitors coming to the Prachuap Khiri Khan-based park each day, Winthai said.

 

The procurement process also followed a high standard and is transparent, he assured.

 

The Army Chief General Chalrmchai Sittisart asked: “How can it be wrong to build toilets and shops?”

 

Last December, the Army hired a private company to construct a building consisting of 52 restrooms, and five rooms for shops.

 

Now 80 per cent completed, the project is expected to be open next February.

 

The construction is subsidized by the Rajabhakti Park Foundation under Royal Patronage of HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, according to the name registered in January last year.

 

When opened in 2015, the park itself faced controversy for alleged irregularities in construction budgets. Seven statutes of historical Thai Kings are the park’s key feature, and the budget for each king’s statue was set at Bt50 million, while the foundry said that a statue was actually worth Bt1 million.

 

Decorative palm trees were also set budgeted at Bt100,00 each. The palm breeder later revealed that the trees were actually donated.

 

The National Anti-Corruption Commission concluded that the royal project correctly followed all regulations in its September 2016 decision.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30329699

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-10-20

[Lupatria]

1 hour ago, rkidlad said:

Ah, the old answering a question with question. But I believe he asked the wrong question - it should have been, "What's wrong with spending 15 million on toilets and stores?".

 

But I guess he knows what he's doing. You'd think this place might steer clear of anymore negative attention after what happened before and what it represents. Zero shame. 

You are right! And we all know quality comes with a price tag. It will turn out to be the No.1 attraction on zero dollar tours.

[NCC1701A]

do they have the motorized toilet seats with heaters that automatically wash your as* like in Terminal 21 Bangkok?

 

if so then I say job well done.

 

 

[LannaGuy]

What a load of  S***

[sawadeeken]

2 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Bt15 mil to friend to build. Friend builds for Bt3 mil although the 'bill' will be for Bt15 mil. Profits are shared.

Call me a synic .

You got it 'Right'..............  Sounds like you (as most of us) 'Know' this country well..... and the 'Press' dare not expose them, either........       

And I might add...... The past 'flood/drainage' jobs fit the same scenario........... LOL........

[sawadeeken]

40 minutes ago, webfact said:

Last December, the Army hired a private company to construct a building consisting of 52 restrooms, and five rooms for shops.

I just wonder if the owner of the company was 'transparent as well and what his relationship (as in relative/family) to the leaders of the project.........

Sounds like the cost of the statues and donated palm trees already prove something......                                                                                                                                     

Edited to add more below........

 When opened in 2015, the park itself faced controversy for alleged irregularities in construction budgets. Seven statutes of historical Thai Kings are the park’s key feature, and the budget for each king’s statue was set at Bt50 million, while the foundry said that a statue was actually worth Bt1 million.

 

Decorative palm trees were also set budgeted at Bt100,00 each. The palm breeder later revealed that the trees were actually donated.

 

And to add.............  

The National Anti-Corruption Commission concluded that the royal project correctly followed all regulations in its September 2016 decision.  

(That decision was obviously made for a split of the 'Profits')                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

[Srikcir]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

five rooms for shops

And who benefits from shop revenues?

The donors - not a completely charitable donation

The military - a conflict of interest to oversee procurement

The Thai taxpayer - lost in translation

[peperobi]

And that during the anti-corruption campaign of the Military Government, WOW..,.

[RichardColeman]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

“They won’t be typical toilets you can see everywhere,

 

[natway09]

Some of you are going on like it was your money. (some is mine , as I have been paying tax here 

for 26 years

[attrayant]

Last December, the Army hired a private company to construct a building consisting of 52 restrooms, and five rooms for shops.

Fifty-two restrooms! And I assume each restroom has more than one toilet. How big is this park?
 

Decorative palm trees were also set budgeted at Bt100,00 each.

Is that 100,000 baht or 10,000 with a misplaced comma?

[Srikcir]

2 minutes ago, attrayant said:

Is that 100,000 baht or 10,000 with a misplaced comma?

Thought they were donated but charged fuel costs for the transportation of the trees from Pattaya to the park in Hua Hin and wages for workers for the landscaping totaling about four million baht.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/over-1000-trees-donated-to-rajabhakti-park-by-suan-nongnuj-in-pattaya/

 

[StayinThailand2much]

8 hours ago, peperobi said:

Is really good to build a toilet, very rare in Thailand, but 15 million???

The article didn't mention that the toilets were built using gold plating, as well as marble from Italy.

[StayinThailand2much]

2 hours ago, natway09 said:

Some of you are going on like it was your money. (some is mine , as I have been paying tax here 

for 26 years

Same here; paid direct and indirect taxes here for many years, so I demand a free pee if I ever travel there! 

[Reigntax]

Understadable. The military do produce a lot of shit.

[Baerboxer]

10 hours ago, LannaGuy said:

They paid an "amulet seller"  20 million "commission" and the 'anti-corruption' commission said it was 'ok' as it was a "business payment"

 

defend THAT  Junta lovers

 

Did the amulets work ? 

[Baerboxer]

I'm sure the procurement process in selecting the supplier, purchasing direct materials and contract placement strictly followed the prescribed public sector procurement rules. And that the on-going contract management, including vetting and authorizing of all payments, for materials, labor etc followed the same prescribed rules 

[realenglish1]

Thailand is a paradox No toilets in public areas but if you pee in the bushes you get fined

 

AMAZING THAILAND

[Oziex1]

The answer should have been, what's wrong with us grabbing some of this money, it's how the country runs.

[geriatrickid]

This is one of the most environmentally inappropriate and wasteful uses of the land possible. Basically all that is there is one massive paved parking lot and lots and lots of  grass devoid of any appropriate vegetation and no trees of any sort. The native vegetation was removed. In the afternoon, large amounts of scarce water is used to  water the grass. They don't want people  sitting on the grass or using it. Basically, you are to go before the large idols/statues and show deference much as North Koreans do before there similar structures. This place is wrong in just so many ways.

 

They could have accomplished  their goal of creating monuments had they applied responsible land management principles and respected the local environment. Other countries are able to build monuments and integrate them  into a natural setting. Even the Chinese are  trying.

 

 

 

[Srikcir]

2 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

This place is wrong in just so many ways.

A wring compounded by five shops (food & souvenirs?) - reminds me of the commercialization of the "Silver" Temple in Chiang Mai except that was built on private property I believe.

 

According to the Thai environmental laws, shouldn't development of public property (assuming military lands are public property which is not necessarily true) be first reviewed by an environmental impact review? As you point out there's potential negative environmental impact of this project and even on the surrounding area (new traffic patterns, more traffic congestion, garbage and sewage, rainfall flooding & soil erosion, security, etc.). I don't recall any such review or even an invitation for public comment.

[attrayant]

The article didn't mention that the toilets were built using gold plating, as well as marble from Italy.

And how fast can they go?

[observer90210]

 At this rate, I wonder how much the cleaners of the these toilets are paid ???!!