Disabled people's caretaker scandal moves to NACC

[snoop1130]

Disabled people's caretaker scandal moves to NACC

By The Nation

 

File photo

 

Embezzlement allegations involving monthly payments to caretakers hired to take care of people with disabilities in Kalasin and Nakhon Phanom are to be put before the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).

 

The Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) on Friday concluded its investigation into the scandal and said there were sufficient grounds for the findings to be sent to the NACC. 

 

PACC secretary-general Wannop Somchintanakun said the probe found problems in documents that included regulation breaches and employment officials certifying documents that carried false information. The issues involved a Chon Buri-based company that hired caretakers for disabled persons in Kalasin and Nakhon Phanom. 

 

The probe confirmed that the people actually got paid Bt2,000-Bt7,000 per month instead of the entitled Bt9,125, he said. 

 

He said the PACC would forward the probe results regarding officials' corruption to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) for further investigation and legal action. 

 

The PACC would also recommend an amendment to existing criteria for the employment of disable persons at private companies and disabled persons' caretakers to prevent future corruption, he added.

 

Under the Empowerment Of Persons With Disabilities Act 2007's Article 35, individuals who take care of people registered with disabilities were entitled to a monthly pay of Bt9,125. 

 

Last year, a scandal revealed that several foundations in Kalasin and Nakhon Phanom allegedly pocketed an illegal commission fee involving thousands of baht. 

 

When news of disability assistance money corruption broke, it was reported that the caretakers were told to open bank accounts and place ATM cards and bank books under the names of company staff, in exchange for a Bt500-Bt3,000 pay per month. They did not know that each month they actually were entitled to almost Bt10,000 per head.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30368421

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-04-26

[Ulic]

Skimming money from those who look after the disabled. How low can you go? 

[Eric Loh]

If this case implicate any generals, please don’t let the NACC investigate. 

[Cadbury]

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) on Friday concluded its investigation into the scandal and said there were sufficient grounds for the findings to be sent to the NACC

Having already done the rounds of the PACC it now moves to the NACC for further inaction.

The NACC is the merry go round organisation created to protect senior junta government officials and senior ranking officers. 

One senior official has already topped himself over this scandal. Had he known the enquiry was going to end up under the protective umbrella of the NACC he might not have been so hasty. He and two other senior officials were found to have had nearly 109 million baht in assets. 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30352300

[RJRS1301]

Must be highly paid to have assets of that amount.

Meanwhile what about the quality of care for those with disabilities, on such poor salaries

[Cadbury]

4 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

Must be highly paid to have assets of that amount.

Meanwhile what about the quality of care for those with disabilities, on such poor salaries

I realise your thoughts are well meaning but the poor are of no concern to the NACC; it is only the rich they care about. 

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, Ulic said:

Skimming money from those who look after the disabled. How low can you go? 

Much much lower considering where we are geographically.. corruption is evident in almost every company.

[Guest]

Not directly related to this, but say, if you are an under 50 years old disabled foreigner (wheelchair and obvious double amputation), you're married to a Thai woman, can your lady actually claim the entitled 9,251 bahts as she's basically acting as your caregiver or is that a no-go?

 

If that's remotely do-able, where would we register or where could we enquire our queries on that matter? (If that matters, I live in the Pattaya area, but we run a small shop in the Sattahip area and my Thai lady has a blue Tabian Baan and is registered in Nakhon Panom, so we have "ties" to 3 different places in Thailand).

 

[colinneil]

As far as i am aware disabled foreigners get nothing, my wife did enquire a while back, and was told foreigner get nothing.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, colinneil said:

As far as i am aware disabled foreigners get nothing, my wife did enquire a while back, and was told foreigner get nothing.

Thanks for your input, however in the presented scenario, it is the Thai wife that gets the "monetary compensation" for being the caregiver, not the foreigner being the disablee, therefore if there's nothing in the law that explicitely states the caregiver must have a family link to a Thai national, then one could assume the Thai caregiver is eligible.

 

Following your logic, the other way to look at it is also in the case the foreigner disablee gets access to the Thai citizenship, he/she would then get fully eligible given those criterias.

 

It's not that I'm specifically after the 9,125 bahts per month itself per month per se, but I can see it adding up real fast making it worth it in the end. 

 

9.125X12=109.500 baht a year, after 10 years of life altogether, we're looking at 109.500x10=1.095.000 baht.

 

What seemed to be "pocket change" at the start ends up being roughly 1mil baht.

 

Who wouldn't want a "free" million baht anyways? That's a free car right there, that's a 1/3rd of a Pattaya property right there, that's a free Thai Elite visa right there, you get the idea.

 

[Maestro]

5 hours ago, tcp7 said:

Not directly related to this, but say, if you are an under 50 years old disabled foreigner (wheelchair and obvious double amputation), you're married to a Thai woman, can your lady actually claim the entitled 9,251 bahts as she's basically acting as your caregiver or is that a no-go?

 

If that's remotely do-able, where would we register or where could we enquire our queries on that matter? (If that matters, I live in the Pattaya area, but we run a small shop in the Sattahip area and my Thai lady has a blue Tabian Baan and is registered in Nakhon Panom, so we have "ties" to 3 different places in Thailand).

 

The Empowerment Of Persons With Disabilities Act mentioned in the OP should have the answer to your question. Here is the original Thai text of the law for your caretaker:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HY58G5FfYgxaOvQmFQZVrlGlQOuoSEPV/view?usp=sharing

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Maestro said:

The Empowerment Of Persons With Disabilities Act mentioned in the OP should have the answer to your question. Here is the original Thai text of the law for your caretaker:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HY58G5FfYgxaOvQmFQZVrlGlQOuoSEPV/view?usp=sharing

Thanks a lot for that, will have to let my lady look into it tonight.

 

Looks like there is a full english translation available here: http://thailaws.com/law/t_laws/tlaw0385.pdf

[stanleycoin]

On 4/27/2019 at 10:32 AM, Ulic said:

Skimming money from those who look after the disabled. How low can you go? 

Greed and dishonesty, is a bottomless pit in Thailand.

So yes,  they can go lower , with ease.