Bangkok school director guilty in tea-money case: preliminary finding

By The Nation

 

Viroj Samruan, former director of Bangkok’s Samsen Wittayalai School

 

The disciplinary investigation into the alleged bribery case of Viroj Samruan, former director of Bangkok’s Samsen Wittayalai School, has come to a preliminary finding that Viroj was guilty and would be subjected to a dismissal from the civil service with or without benefits and pension entitlement, said the Education Minister’s advisor, Maj-General Kosol Pathumchart on yesterday.

 

Viroj’s two alleged accomplices – a deputy school director and another individual – were still under the disciplinary investigation committee’s scrutiny and, if they were deemed guilty, their names would be revealed and this case would be concluded next month, Kosol said. 

 

Viroj was accused of demanding and taking Bt400,000 in “tea money” from a parent in exchange for enrolling a son in the school’s Mathayom 1 class for academic year 2017. His accuser posted to social media as evidence a secretly taken video clip of Viroj allegedly taking the bribe.

 

Viroj and the two other accused had also been summoned by the disciplinary committee to hear the bribery accusation. They have 15 days to object to the disciplinary probe result and clear themselves, or the decision would be concluded and submitted to the Bangkok Education Committee to consider appropriate punishment, Kosol said. The punishment for such a serious breach was dismissal from the civil service with or without benefits and pension entitlement, he said.

 

“We have information of a clear disciplinary breach linked to Samsen Wittayalai School amounting to around Bt7 million or Bt8 million in bribes,” said Kosol. “There are several cases, not just this case revealed in the video clip and the money didn't go to the school’s or state’s coffer and the receipts weren’t given right away but later, which was a violation of regulations.”

 

Kosol added that the delay in this case’s disciplinary investigation was due to the busy schedules of the litigation team members, which led to some turnover.

 

Kosol also shared an update on the progress of another case in which a retired teacher, who also served as a school director’s secretary in Lampang, had filed a complaint against the school director via the Dhamrongtham Centre and related authorities. The complainant said the school director had borrowed Bt10 million for his personal use.

 

The school director was transferred to an inactive post pending a disciplinary probe, said Kosol, and the disciplinary committee for that case had already concluded that the school director was guilty and proposed to the Lampang Education Committee that he be fired from the civil service.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30336347

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-01-16

 

Commissioning renovation and building projects in the school are a more popular way that directors skim money in Thai schools. Also from book and equipment purchases. Tea money from snack shop operators, which are big money spinners in schools often with 3000 + students, is another popular way to fatten the directorial bank balance.

There will probably be quite a few school directors, around the country, with twitching backsides, following these findings, thinking "am I next ?"  

27 minutes ago, webfact said:

Viroj was accused of demanding and taking Bt400,000 in “tea money”

 

Amateur, said the generals.

41 minutes ago, Darcula said:

 

Amateur, said the generals.

The generals are hypocrites.. but at least they are cleaning up some corruption at the lower ranks its visible and takes effect. But they are hypocrites for not going after their own corruption. 

1 hour ago, Thaiwrath said:

There will probably be quite a few school directors, around the country, with twitching backsides, following these findings, thinking "am I next ?"  

I was about to say this,........ and if they have the right cash, their secretive scandal activities will be left unnoticed....

4 hours ago, robblok said:

The generals are hypocrites.. but at least they are cleaning up some corruption at the lower ranks its visible and takes effect. But they are hypocrites for not going after their own corruption. 

I suppose if I were an optimist, I'd think "Kill the plankton and the food chain dies"..

Just now, Emster23 said:

I suppose if I were an optimist, I'd think "Kill the plankton and the food chain dies"..

Still not enough action is taken to fight corruption.. but even if they had letting their own be corrupt (or appear to be) kinda shows they are hypocrites.  But still i applaud that some action is taken. However the cleanup of the police (reform) never happened. There is so much to be done here. The junta could have really made a change if they were serious.. but they were not. 

5 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

There will probably be quite a few school directors, around the country, with twitching backsides, following these findings, thinking "am I next ?"  

 

 

dont know??? is your backside twitching?

Haha...he got caught troughing, sleaze bag. Wonder how much of it ended up in the local soapy's bank account, part of the 260 billion. 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The punishment for such a serious breach was dismissal from the civil service with or without benefits and pension entitlement, he said.

Wow, so its possible to get dismissed and still get benefits and pension.

 

Wow. Just wow.

 

How about no benefits, no pension, repayment of estimated skimmed amounts, and prison?

 

It really pays to be corrupt in Thailand if they dismiss you with benefits and pension.

It will take them decades to drain the swamp !

8 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

There will probably be quite a few school directors, around the country, with twitching backsides, following these findings, thinking "am I next ?"  

 

Nah. He's just one. 

 

Mrs. BB is currently school hunting for daughter at the moment for M1. Bear in mind wifey is an very experienced and well qualified former teacher. Each school has their published fees. But then she has to see what they want in the form of "parental support and donations". Could be one off upfront payment or might be regular "support payments". All dressed up as donations, contributions towards IT, sponsorship etc etc etc. Some are quite creative. Like sponsoring a golf tournament or sponsoring a team to enter (which I did - and now wifey has crossed them off the list - grrr!). Also to get into some you have to take your children to the appropriate tutor college "to prepare them for the entrance exams". And of course the school recommends you keep using the tutor college for on-going extra tuition at the weekend and after hours. (I know some children who study for several hours extra during the week and sessions at the weekend - because it's "expected" nothing to do with quality of education!

One very good school near us wants 200k up front donation - to even consider. Another very good one wants less but regular "contributions to school funds". Some schools say these payments will be refunded if the child isn't accepted. Others say it's a donation so no refunds whatever. Its a racket. We might go back to Europe because this system stinks and doesn't exactly deliver great quality.

there was field on the application form for Wattana Wittaya Academy asking what my enrollment contribution would be to have my daughter go to their primary school.

1 hour ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Nah. He's just one. 

 

Mrs. BB is currently school hunting for daughter at the moment for M1. Bear in mind wifey is an very experienced and well qualified former teacher. Each school has their published fees. But then she has to see what they want in the form of "parental support and donations". Could be one off upfront payment or might be regular "support payments". All dressed up as donations, contributions towards IT, sponsorship etc etc etc. Some are quite creative. Like sponsoring a golf tournament or sponsoring a team to enter (which I did - and now wifey has crossed them off the list - grrr!). Also to get into some you have to take your children to the appropriate tutor college "to prepare them for the entrance exams". And of course the school recommends you keep using the tutor college for on-going extra tuition at the weekend and after hours. (I know some children who study for several hours extra during the week and sessions at the weekend - because it's "expected" nothing to do with quality of education!

One very good school near us wants 200k up front donation - to even consider. Another very good one wants less but regular "contributions to school funds". Some schools say these payments will be refunded if the child isn't accepted. Others say it's a donation so no refunds whatever. Its a racket. We might go back to Europe because this system stinks and doesn't exactly deliver great quality.

You should consider putting your phone on record and bringing it in your handbag to the meeting when you hand over the money 

amazing there is not a single mention of jail time for bribery?! only fired and no pension if found guilty?

I hardly think 400,000 is tea money!! More like Merc money. He deserves to be sacked and lose all.his privilges. Not fit to run a school.  

One of the mail problems with Thailand. Everything is 'for me'. If people thought about others Thailand would improve so much. 

22 hours ago, robblok said:

The generals are hypocrites.. but at least they are cleaning up some corruption at the lower ranks its visible and takes effect. But they are hypocrites for not going after their own corruption. 

I dont like the part with or without pension and benefits Should be no consideration at all that he should get  his pension and benefits The only Benefits he should get are being dismissed and put and put on trail and if guilty sent to  jail  He was stealing money or is stealing not a crime here? But your right you are being a hypocrite if you let your own people do it and chase after other people I totally agree with you

15 minutes ago, Happyman58 said:

I dont like the part with or without pension and benefits Should be no consideration at all that he should get  his pension and benefits The only Benefits he should get are being dismissed and put and put on trail and if guilty sent to  jail  He was stealing money or is stealing not a crime here? But your right you are being a hypocrite if you let your own people do it and chase after other people I totally agree with you

I also dont like the part with or without benefits should be without.. but this is a step in the right direction. I am always happy when a corrupt person gets taken down. Even though i know the generals themselves are hypocrites. I still feel good when an other one bites the dust corruption wise.

3 hours ago, robblok said:

I also dont like the part with or without benefits should be without.. but this is a step in the right direction. I am always happy when a corrupt person gets taken down. Even though i know the generals themselves are hypocrites. I still feel good when an other one bites the dust corruption wise.

He is one of many being corrupt  Just unlucky he got caught  How can u stamp it out? Its everwhere

9 minutes ago, Happyman58 said:

He is one of many being corrupt  Just unlucky he got caught  How can u stamp it out? Its everwhere

Its hard to stamp out.. but does that mean they should not try ? ( don't believe in selective justice.. but I do believe they need to try to stop corruption)

On 16-1-2018 at 2:33 PM, Bob12345 said:

Wow, so its possible to get dismissed and still get benefits and pension.

 

Wow. Just wow.

 

How about no benefits, no pension, repayment of estimated skimmed amounts, and prison?

 

It really pays to be corrupt in Thailand if they dismiss you with benefits and pension.

Agreed,, they should always take back that what has been skimmed stolen ect + fine and more punishment. How else are you ever going to stop corruption if you don't even have to pay the theft back.

It i what thais call Saving face Looks shinny from the outside but rotten inside I know this lady who div her husband because he loved every woman They still live in the same house together She told me they appear still married to save face with their friends Anybody struck that before?

On 1/15/2018 at 8:19 PM, Darcula said:

 

Amateur, said the generals.

...and the police. Don't these guys know that your profession must require a gun to really pull in the tea money with impunity?