Government exhibits offer the public a look at 20-year national strategy

By WASAMON AUDJARINT 
THE NATION

 

Minister to PM's Office Kobsak Pootrakool (L) touches hand with a 95-year-old woman during an opening ceremony of Future Thailand national strategy exhibition at Central World department store Wednesday.

 

The legally binding national strategy, which plots the path ahead for the country for the next 20 years, was formally launched yesterday.

 

Decorated story boards and simple infographics display the national strategies, at an exhibition held on ground floor of CentralWorld.

 

Despite being located in a widely visited area, PM’s Office Minister Kobsak Pootrakool played down expectations, saying he would not expect the event to develop solid public awareness.

 

“We just wish to make the public aware of the national strategy and reforms,” said Kobsak, who presided over the opening of the exhibition yesterday.

 

“This is only a part of a series of projects we are planning about the strategy,” he said.

 

The event, mostly attended by officers, intern students and press members, also attracted the attention of a 95-year-old woman, who asked to hold Kobsak’s hands.

 

“We don’t have King Naresuan in this era but we have Khun Kobsak and this government to help rescue the country,” she said in a trembling voice.

 

The government of Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has hyped its pursuit of national reform and strategy, citing the country’s past “failures”, of different governments manipulating development plans to pursue their own agendas for political purposes.

 

Numerous people have worked on setting the agenda since the junta seized power in 2014. From the parliament’s National Reform Council and National Reform Steering Assembly to many Prayut-headed committees, they have proposed and drafted a number of related papers on the agenda.

 

The 35-member committee that drafted the national strategy mostly comprised generals, military personnel, chairmen of major Thai companies and people with a record of working for the junta.

 

The junta government has been slammed for making few distinctive changes in the so-called reforms and strategy, despite all their claims over the past four years.

 

Many observers have been critical of the long-term strategy, which obligates future governments to follow the plan or risk being punished or sacked.

 

Kobsak brushed aside criticism, saying the strategy will only lay the necessary framework and, while it has to be adhered to, it could be adaptable depending on future factors.

 

“[The country] has been sick of changing governments so often. Many good projects are either suspended or cancelled,” the minister said.

 

“That’s why we need this type of framework for our country to develop.”

 

The ultimate goal is for Thailand, which has been stuck in the rut as a developing country for over a decade, to achieve developed status in line with the sufficiency economy philosophy of the late King Rama IX.

 

The national strategy covers politics, national administration, laws, justice, economy, national resources and environment, public health, media and information technology, social, energy, anti-corruption, education and police.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30347155

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-06-07

Wow it  "offers"  a look, an "offer" that the public didnt vote for or have any say in......how humble of you oh great wise leaders.

"simple infographics" yeah thall be right, no boings though, "disappointed", no cartoon characters either???

Edited June 6, 20188 yr by kannot

"...The 35-member committee that drafted the national strategy mostly comprised generals, military personnel, chairmen of major Thai companies and people with a record of working for the junta.

The junta government has been slammed for making few distinctive changes in the so-called reforms and strategy, despite all their claims over the past four years.

Many observers have been critical of the long-term strategy, which obligates future governments to follow the plan or risk being punished or sacked..."

 

A committee of 35 generals and Junta supporters create a "legal" document to bind future governments on pain of dismissal? What could go wrong? Could it be used as a justification for another coup if it came to that? Perhaps, but what would happen to Thailand and its reputation if there was a third coup in this century alone? Hint; bad bad things...

 

The funny thing is that Prayut genuinely seemed to be at a loss when the FFP stated that they would do away with the 2017 constitution, all the "criminal" proceedings against demonstrators, and this "strategy".

 

'Politics is the art of the possible', and the first thing that politicians will do (if the Forces of Goodness emerge in power later) is to work around that document. Can it be done? Sure. Just add a few lines to any new law/legislation that says 'this was inspired by the 20 year strategy' and then do what you like.

 

If Prayut and the Junta continue in government, they won't likely follow the document.

 

If the opposition forms a government, they won't likely follow the document.

 

Four years of minimal effort wasted to produce a 'document' that no one will heed.

 

THAT is Junta government...

 

I hope some technical college kiddies vandalize it. More productive than fighting each other.

Yet again, "the public" appear to only live in Bangkok! "Public" consultations seem to only occur in Bangkok! And yet the majority of Thai citizens live outside the revered city.

Sent from my Lenovo A3000-H using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

A 20 year legally binding strategy devised by a Government the may not be voted in power in the future imposing their  restrictions on any elected Government for the next 20 years Hmmm may as well stay in power !

3 hours ago, webfact said:

“We don’t have King Naresuan in this era but we have Khun Kobsak and this government to help rescue the country,” she said in a trembling voice.

Sure if she were a lot younger, her voice would still tremble.  Five year plans can be too much to believe in. 

Frog-kisser only talk for General.

Frog-kisser not talk Thai people.

Waste time!

The junta's bid to tie the hands of the next government for 20 years says more about the arrogant nature of the ruling elite than it does about the needs of the nation.

 

If the generals are so confident that they have public consent, they - or one of their proxy parties now being formed to muddy the electoral waters - should make it the cornerstone of their electoral campaign.

 

If they lose, they should do a swift about-turn, march back to the barracks (dumping their plan in a rubbish bin on the way) and go back to doing what they were trained, at taxpayer expense, to do.

Edited June 7, 20188 yr by Krataiboy

This is outdated, time for a new constitution 

I am sorry but I just can't read this pathetic infantile guff any more.

 

On the other hand..there is a kind of awful fascination to it-a sort of Muppets meets Genghis Khan without the funny bits..

On 6/6/2018 at 11:18 PM, webfact said:

[The country] has been sick of changing governments so often.

He just forgot to mention that it was because of coups! Ah!Ah! Without coups, there would have been a very long lasting government!

I honestly didn't bother to read this...because somehow, the words "20 year strategy"...."future"...and "95 year old lady" don't make much sense to me!

On 6/6/2018 at 9:18 PM, webfact said:

[The country] has been sick of changing governments so often.

 

Unbelieveable, isn't it? It's almost as if governments were changed by some kind of paranormal force, or something.

What's the point rolling-it-out for the public when it's already decided and legally binding? Sounds like they are simply telling everyone what is going to happen and we would like to to be aware of it as you have no choice. Also, it looks like they have got the discipline orientated head of the grumpy compliant women's institute discipline to do the PR in that photo...yeah, right, a real representative figure of the public.

 

In other words "Here children, listen, as this is what will happen and granny thinks it's fine." End of....blimey. 

Interesting that this would be released in time for people to take aim at the information provided and poke holes in it as an election strategy.