Usual story. Find a scapegoat to transfer the blame.

Isn't PM Prayut also the Minister of Defense as well as supervising the National Police?

As such the issue of corrupt border officials might better be investigated by the NAAC, supposedly a quasi-independent investigative organization covering the entirety of the Thai government, including the military.

very simple really, but can not be acted on truthfully

First step: audit expenses and revenues

Second tep: insure revenues have been properly shared upstream

Should close the borders completely until they put someone in charge who can run the borders correctly. If Covid gets out in Thailand now after everything they have done including decimating the Tourist industry, it will all be for nothing. Makes an utter mockery of state and alternative state quarantine because of a few selfish, ignorant and corrupt few.

5 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

and awaiting an update on their class and financial status 

I'd say for sure he has a list. The list contains the names of the people who give him his cut of the bribes in a brown envelope each month.

What he will be investigating is that there is no information that will link him or his cronies in anyway about their knowledge or involvement. 

It was entirely Prayuth's and the army's fault. Take some responsibility like a real man does! Be a man for once. 

 

Are we looking at gross incompetence? Are we looking at total indifference? Corruption? Laziness? Total derelicton of duty, on the part of Prayuth, Anutin, and the entire leadership?   Tens of thousands of soldiers could be patrolling the rivers, in boats, manning many of the border areas, or just doing something. Anything. Just don't do nothing. Earn your keep. Prove to the nation that the motto "to protect the people" actually means something. Good training for the soldiers anyway, since there are no conflicts to deal with, other than the southern insurgency, which will likely never end, unless Thailand makes some reasonable concessions to a people who were colonized over a century ago.

 

Prayuth once again says responsibility needs to be shared. So, I ask. When was the last time he took responsibility for anything? Has he apologized? Has he admitted this happened on his watch, and it very possibly could have been prevented? If not, Prayuth should offer to resign immediately, and the people, and especially the youth, should demand that. It is their right to demand a competent leader, during an emergency, especially.

Is there any part of Thai officials that are not corrupt? Any ?

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Royal Thai Armed Forces spokesman Chaowalit Sangkarit said initial investigations cleared Thai Army troops of involvement with the traffickers

555 ???????????? and the pope is catholic ???????????? who are they kidding

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Prayut is thought to have a list of Thai officials suspected of being involved in the people-trafficking trade and is waiting for more evidence in their cases.

he should be careful.... maybe the "more evidence" will have some very close relatives.....it would be better to swipe under the rug

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Defence deputy hunting corrupt border officials who open door for Covid

 

One may be the Minister of Defence who pulled 5000 Border Patrol police off the Myanmar border repeatedly over the last three months to do a job they are not tasked to do, defending his corrupt government against peaceful protests in the capital. If Chaichan Changmongkol needs any evidence of this, there is a hefty amount of photographic evidence online.

As Mike says above, it's time for Prayut to pony up and accept that more than anyone he is to blame. 

Build a wall. Make Thailand great again! I hear he is looking for a job soon. ????

Poppycock! Who stands to gain most from cheap migrant labour. Same same in every productive market. Follow the money. 

2 hours ago, smedly said:

Check their bank accounts then ask how they accumulated so much money

 

simple

usually they don't use local bank accounts, better check how many properties they or their relatives  own or how many expensive luxury cars/items they display around

6 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

 

Initial investigations cleared Thai Army troops ?

How is it that with usual investigations looking into corrupt officials, it usually takes months, or even years, to come up with anything, and that is usually after the formation of dozens of committees !   

Because the role of investigations in Thailand is either to rush a desirable judgment, or to delay the result and slowly clear the accused. Those are the only two types you  see.  It's not an actual investigation, any more than when the US Congress holds "hearings" they are actually listening.   

 

All about saving face. Face is rife with self doubt, and by subscribing to this weakness, a man or woman, or an official, is made a far lesser person. I consider the practice of face to be the polar opposite of the practice of Buddhism, which teaches the need for introspection, contemplation, owning up to a problem, and taking responsibility for issues, problems and tragedies that you create in life.

 

So my message to the administration is this. Man up. Admit you messed this one up badly. Admit the border could have been controlled if you had devoted the tens of thousands of soldiers required then, instead of now. You dropped the ball. 

Just arrest all of them...not a single onw will be without guilt. Problem is there is nobody to replace them with who wont do the same thing. It will never be fixed its programmed into their dna. Just do the normal a string someone up, say its fixed and then back to business as usual.

That they publicly acknowledge the fact that corrupt officials facilitate illegal immigration is long overdue and at least a step in the right direction.

 

That said, I doubt their hunt will be very successful, unless the outbreak grows that much that they desperately need a bunch of low-ranking scapegoats.

I was at the Three Pagodas Pass border a few months ago. Although the border was officially closed, people were just walking through it via a little path! No guards or immigration officials were to be seen!.

what a surpise !!!!!!!  never heard of this sort of thing here in thailand 

47 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

usually they don't use local bank accounts, better check how many properties they or their relatives  own or how many expensive luxury cars/items they display around

Harder to check on lake front villas in Switzerland, and Northern Italy, and penthouses in new buildings in NYC, through a haze of offshore entities. But no doubt there are countless super expensive properties belonging to these spectacularly corrupt officials. 

6 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Harder to check on lake front villas in Switzerland, and Northern Italy, and penthouses in new buildings in NYC, through a haze of offshore entities. But no doubt there are countless super expensive properties belonging to these spectacularly corrupt officials.

 

When the booze ban was amazingly reversed in 24 hours in June the money was in cash out of LOS by private plane to a bank in Singapore. Don't ask me how I know but the source is reliable. 

Not far to look start in own office.

Why does it even need to be corruption?  With almost 5,000km of land borders, most of it heavily forested, why would anyone pay to come in?  Just walk a km or so from a checkpoint and walk in.  Transport can drop you off outside, another can pick you up inside.

 

I'd say incompetence, but no one can patrol those distances without huge resources.  Look at the USA/Mexico border. or the UK/France ditch, both porous as a sponge, and in countries with vastly larger resources.

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Defence deputy hunting corrupt border officials who open door for Covid

By The Nation

 

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Wednesday tasked Deputy Defence Minister Chaichan Changmongkol with the job of catching corrupt Thai officials who allow illegal immigrants to enter Thailand.

 

Chaichan will lead the crackdown on border corruption thought to be behind Thailand’s latest outbreak of Covid-19, detected last week among Myanmar migrant workers in Samut Sakhon.

 

The country has six immigration offices and 93 checkpoints screening people who cross the border, but poorly guarded natural routes open a loophole for trafficking of migrant workers.

 

The locations of greatest concern are two points in Chiang Rai province, Tak’s Mae Sot district, and three points in Ranong province – all bordering Myanmar.

 

National police chief Suwat Jangyodsuk said that information about a trafficking gang helping immigrants cross the border was being investigated.

 

Royal Thai Armed Forces spokesman Chaowalit Sangkarit said initial investigations cleared Thai Army troops of involvement with the traffickers since the gang mostly operated by boat across the marine border in Ranong province.

 

A Royal Thai Navy spokesman insisted that all immigrants found crossing into Thailand by sea were documented and legal.

 

However, a source said the traffickers use regular border routes but bribe officials at the checkpoints to remain silent.

 

Prayut is thought to have a list of Thai officials suspected of being involved in the people-trafficking trade and is waiting for more evidence in their cases.

 

Chaichan will reportedly reveal the names of the suspects soon.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30400120

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-12-24

 

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Thai people know its all a big BS joke.....  I feel so sorry for the people....

1 hour ago, DefaultName said:

Why does it even need to be corruption?  With almost 5,000km of land borders, most of it heavily forested, why would anyone pay to come in?  Just walk a km or so from a checkpoint and walk in.  Transport can drop you off outside, another can pick you up inside.

 

I'd say incompetence, but no one can patrol those distances without huge resources.  Look at the USA/Mexico border. or the UK/France ditch, both porous as a sponge, and in countries with vastly larger resources.

why need patrol when they just tea money whatever they want?

5 hours ago, chang1 said:

Will there be any left at all if all the corrupt officers are removed? And where will the uncorrupted replacements come from? 

They will just "shuffle the pack" as per normal. 

"Prayut is thought to have a list of Thai officials suspected of being involved in the people-trafficking trade"

Pass it on to Santa.

10 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Does anyone really believe that you can say it is someone's fault other than China's for the spread of this virus.

This is like his statement earlier in the week when he hinted that people that have it and don't seek medical help will be prosecuted. We've probably all had one or more of the symptoms, at times over the year, and not thought too much about it.

I have the list.. 1 Big Oud franchise owner. 2 Prawit Defence minister 3 Prayut team leader and part time comedian.

Prayut is accountable. He should have had all land borders permanently clotsed and guarded by armed soldiers. So handcuff yourself and have the time keeper time it