Bent as a five baht note - Phetchaburi schools fiddle the books and it leads right to the top

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

After a whistle-blower blew the lid on corruption at schools in Phetchaburi the director of the regional primary education authority has been transferred to inactive duties.

 

An investigation is underway into Thanandorn Bandasak and others involved. A committee of inquiry is now in motion to find out who was involved.

 

The scandal involves the buying of furniture such as tables and chairs for dozens of Phetchaburi kindergartens and primary schools.

 

It involves the obtaining of goods first then the ordering coming later meaning that school budgets went right into the hands of corrupt officials. 

 

Visiting schools in the Cha-Am area yesterday on behalf of the Ministry of Education was Lt General Kosol Prathumchart.

 

His team presented clear evidence of corruption to officials after Somjit Suksamran, the school director at Ban Nong Pao Than school blew the affair wide open.

 

Somjit was praised for bringing the affair to the attention of the ministry.

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-04-10

Well done Somjit Suksamran ! 

Throughout the years, I have met several Thai school directors often at their house. Big ones...

Transfers to inactive duties ?

 

What does that involve exactly ?

 

Sounds like he gets to do nothing all day but still receives his salary and pension.

 

Until the punishment fits the crime this will go on indefinitely since the guilty have little to lose but a lot to gain.

 

A prison sentence and confiscation of ill gotten gains should be the norm.

24 minutes ago, Denim said:

Transfers to inactive duties ?

 

What does that involve exactly ?

 

Sounds like he gets to do nothing all day but still receives his salary and pension.

 

Until the punishment fits the crime this will go on indefinitely since the guilty have little to lose but a lot to gain.

 

A prison sentence and confiscation of ill gotten gains should be the norm.

This is not the punishment, this is temporary so he / she cant interfere with the investigation. After the investigation (hopefully) punishment is meted out. 

More of the privileged, self-elected elite who believe they have a right to a lifestyle well beyond their pay cheque. All departments, all provinces.

what is bent about a 5 baht note

I can remember 1 baht notes

5 baht was green

corruption, embezzlement, whatever you like to call i, grr, stupid Thai lawmakers, it should be the SACK  , they are all thieving bar stewards

Sometimes you wonder if corruption and dishonesty are in their DNA....

Not a day goes by, without some is caught stealing from the poor and/or children.

But mai pen rai...let us celebrate Songkran...Remember to wear traditional costumes...

7 minutes ago, JOC said:

Sometimes you wonder if corruption and dishonesty are in their DNA....

Not a day goes by, without some is caught stealing from the poor and/or children.

But mai pen rai...let us celebrate Songkran...Remember to wear traditional costumes...

I Think it is in their DNA, when a Thai people visit each other they always take a small gift, fruit etc. which is a very thoughtful and kind thing to do, but higher up the social scale the person they're visiting the more expensive the gift is, so it's easy to see where this can lead to in the endemic corruption in LOS, purely my opinion of course, and judging by my wife's actions when visiting people, but it might hold some relevance! 

2 hours ago, Thian said:

Well done Somjit Suksamran ! 

I agree he is a brave man to whistle blow on corruption which appears to be common practice not only in Thailand but even in Government in Australia I hope he suffers no reprocussions from his honesty as I did. The man should be given a senior position he has shown his honesty 

2 hours ago, Denim said:

Transfers to inactive duties ?

 

What does that involve exactly ?

 

Sounds like he gets to do nothing all day but still receives his salary and pension.

 

Until the punishment fits the crime this will go on indefinitely since the guilty have little to lose but a lot to gain.

 

A prison sentence and confiscation of ill gotten gains should be the norm.

I think the problem lies with if a harsher penalty the accused might spill the beans on higher individuals which wouldn't look good, I mean where would it stop or could go all the way to the top if you know what I mean !

42 minutes ago, tracker1 said:

The man should be given a senior position he has shown his honesty 

Wouldn't this preclude him from government?

1 hour ago, JOC said:

Sometimes you wonder if corruption and dishonesty are in their DNA....

Not a day goes by, without some is caught stealing from the poor and/or children.

But mai pen rai...let us celebrate Songkran...Remember to wear traditional costumes...

I have been saying the same thing for the last twenty years. However, I do think its nurture not nature. Its starts from the man paying for the mothers milk mentality.

As bent as a wrist full of watches would been to serious a headline ?

"This is the very tip of a very, very big iceberg."

 

5 hours ago, Thian said:

Well done Somjit Suksamran ! 

yes well done, you're fired and may be prosecuted for defamation.

Once again its not the "System" that detected the corruption but a whistleblower who essentially called out the System for corruption.

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Ministry of Education was Lt General Kosol Prathumchart.

It's great he'll followup with an investigation but what are his proactive measures/policies to independently identify corruption? What other corruption is occurring that he is not aware or unwilling to expose without another whistleblower?

Being reactive and not proactive to corruption is not advancing reform.

Is there a whistle blower law here?  I have been told that for a director to get a job in a bigger city or desirable school it costs 100,000 baht.    Seens like some sting hidden cam operations are needed.  With a % reward system and income, career protection for the person involved.  Plus harsh financial  punishment as well as loss of pension for this found guilty

7 hours ago, mercman24 said:

corruption, embezzlement, whatever you like to call i, grr, stupid Thai lawmakers, it should be the SACK  , they are all thieving bar stewards

Be fair, they have given him some inactive duty time to get his affairs in order, hide the evidence or make an offer to make it go away. 

If the government was serious they would offer a small reward for dobbing in corruption. That would not end it but would be a legal way to make a few extra baht.

4 hours ago, soalbundy said:

yes well done, you're fired and may be prosecuted for defamation.

Hopefully there'll be a businessman reading this who offers him a better job. I would if i needed an honest employee.

 

I

10 hours ago, webfact said:

The scandal involves the buying of furniture such as tables and chairs for dozens of Phetchaburi kindergartens and primary schools.

 

It involves the obtaining of goods first then the ordering coming later meaning that school budgets went right into the hands of corrupt officials. 

 

What am I missing here?  They obtained the goods first, then ordered them later?

 

If the schools needed furniture today, and the formal process was dragging out for months and months, wouldn't it be a good thing for someone to front the money now (when the goods are needed), then get paid back later (when the budget money's available and approved)? 

 

I do that all the time for my employers.  It's called an expense account.  It takes forever to get some expenditures approved, so it's common for some poor slob (who needs the equipment for a job) to buy it out of pocket and submit the receipts for reimbursement.  Sometimes, it's impossible to get reimbursed for a particular line item so it's submitted under another, more acceptable description.  The company gets the equipment and the poor slob gets reimbursed.  It may not follow the required procedure, but nobody's getting screwed and the beat goes on.

 

10 hours ago, Denim said:

Transfers to inactive duties ?

 

What does that involve exactly ?

 

Sounds like he gets to do nothing all day but still receives his salary and pension.

 

Until the punishment fits the crime this will go on indefinitely since the guilty have little to lose but a lot to gain.

 

A prison sentence and confiscation of ill gotten gains should be the norm.

exactly, this happens all the time, dont matter if it police, teachers, toll operators etc.  Must be nice to get a govt job and never worry about getting fired even if you steal!!

4 hours ago, Elkski said:

Is there a whistle blower law here?  I have been told that for a director to get a job in a bigger city or desirable school it costs 100,000 baht.    Seens like some sting hidden cam operations are needed.  With a % reward system and income, career protection for the person involved.  Plus harsh financial  punishment as well as loss of pension for this found guilty

you have to pay more than 100,000 !  My wife's uncle paid over 1 million for his position as a principle at a school.

12 hours ago, webfact said:

Bent as a five baht note - Phetchaburi schools fiddle the books and it leads right to the top

 

Five Baht notes are not bent, they are honest, but no longer legal currency.  I used to have lots of them back in the early 70s. You could almost get 20 cigarettes with one (actually 6 Baht).

10 hours ago, AGareth2 said:

what is bent about a 5 baht note

I can remember 1 baht notes

5 baht was green

My memory is that a 5 Baht note was a purple colour. I am not old enough to have handle 1 Baht notes !  10 Baht notes were a shade of brown, 20 Baht Notes were green and had the same value as 1 dollar which was also greenish (I think).

21 hours ago, robblok said:

This is not the punishment, this is temporary so he / she cant interfere with the investigation. After the investigation (hopefully) punishment is meted out. 

I have read many many articles where someone is transferred to an inactive post but I have never read an article indicating any other punishment after the fact.  

My thought is if it costs 1 mb to get a principal job.  ( Director?).  I'd salary is 50 k.   Maybe an increase of 5-10 k/ month how does one justify spending this much.  That's a 10 year payback.  

On 10/04/2018 at 4:39 AM, AGareth2 said:

what is bent about a 5 baht note

I can remember 1 baht notes

5 baht was green

I like to find older Thai notes and keep them.

Got a few of the original 60 9K series and a few 70 baht notes as well.