19 hours ago, petermik said:

Well what a pickle...fancy so many businesses trying to screw their own government...

Goes on everywhere but the xenophobes on this forum always want to make out unique to Thailand.

Things have to be kept in perspective, insignificant compared to the UK covid furlough scheme fraud, or should that be called "corruption".

 

So far, 8,000 calls have been received to HMRC's fraud telephone hotline. HMRC is now looking into 27,000 "high risk" cases where they believe a serious error has been made in the amount an employer has claimed, he added.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-54066815

 

 

20 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

They just can't help themselves (to help themselves). Thailand truly is a basket case. Later this year we'll be reading about the corruption ridden Covid-19 vaccination fiasco ....

Oh yes absolute certainty. There will be corruption and scams related to covid vaccines 

It's a way of life from the police up to cabinet ministers.  Nothing will ever change in Thailand because the powers-that-be will not let it happen.

8 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Goes on everywhere

I would agree......I guess the major differences are the extent to which it goes on, how much effort is made to root out corruption and the punishments people face.........In Thailand corruption is/seems to be endemic at almost every level and little is/seems to be done about it.

18 minutes ago, mikebell said:

It's a way of life from the police

 

I will gladly pay you today for a promotion tomorrow.

 

Elephant Ticket

 

Came up during censure debate.

Thailands biggest problem - by far - is its own people! 

They simply cannot do anything honest as of a certain level ???? 

20 hours ago, petermik said:

Well what a pickle...fancy so many businesses trying to screw their own government...

I find it amusing, governments and businesses are made up of people. People generally get the governments they deserve. I love my wife dearly, but like most Thais I have met, she believes that she should screw the government because she should get them...before they get her. It's all petty larceny really, not criminal intent, just surviving.

Just now, mtls2005 said:

 

I will gladly pay you today for a promotion tomorrow.

 

Elephant Ticket

 

Came up during censure debate.

Police promotions for 'recommendations' from influential people yet Prayuth & cronies escaped censure so the status quo is preserved for the next generation of bent, affluent coppers.

1 minute ago, mikebell said:

Police promotions for 'recommendations' from influential people yet Prayuth & cronies escaped censure so the status quo is preserved for the next generation of bent, affluent coppers.

 

Baby steps.

 

Elephant Ticket (in Thai:#ตั๋วช้าง ) was trending yesterday.

 

At least the scheme was made more widely public - yes most Thais understand this system as it extends far and wide in gov't agencies - and names were published. In the olden days this stuff was swept under the mountainous carpet.

29 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

I would agree......I guess the major differences are the extent to which it goes on, how much effort is made to root out corruption and the punishments people face.........In Thailand corruption is/seems to be endemic at almost every level and little is/seems to be done about it.

Rather than extent, the obvious major difference is visibility. Unlike the major economies, they have yet to master the art of disguise. All around the world people pay to make their lives easier, it is only a question of how you describe the recipient.

4 minutes ago, sandyf said:

All around the world people pay to make their lives easier

I can't repudiate what you say, even for the UK and Germany......but for both of these countries, where I have spent most of my working life, I have never heard of, witnessed or experienced any 'low level' corruption.....but in my short time in Thailand I have witnessed corruption on a number of occasions.

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

Goes on everywhere but the xenophobes on this forum always want to make out unique to Thailand.

Things have to be kept in perspective, insignificant compared to the UK covid furlough scheme fraud, or should that be called "corruption".

 

So far, 8,000 calls have been received to HMRC's fraud telephone hotline. HMRC is now looking into 27,000 "high risk" cases where they believe a serious error has been made in the amount an employer has claimed, he added.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-54066815

 

 

The same within other countries of the EU especially those with a good social security system. Most of that il gained money however, is not spent within the EU. 

21 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

They just can't help themselves (to help themselves). Thailand truly is a basket case. Later this year we'll be reading about the corruption ridden Covid-19 vaccination fiasco ....

 

It sounds reminiscent of a rice scheme folktale, I heard about in far away land long long ago. That story didn't have a happy ending. 

Sounds like someone didn’t get her brown envelope yet...

Sounds rather like the Rice scheme, the more you do to help the Thais, the more they help themselves.

On 2/20/2021 at 12:26 PM, Emdog said:

If they'd put half the effort into doing legit business that they do to cutting corners and cheating, this economy would be going gangbusters

The same can be said for absolutely every aspect of this society. 

"After meeting with Pol Col Anek Taosuphap of the CSD she hurried away without commenting further!"........????????????????????????!!!

If they combine the fines with the hairbrain "Let's go Halves" (Rao Chana) package, will the govt pay half the fine??? ????

 

 

12 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

On 2/20/2021 at 6:45 AM, impulse said:

..officials now estimate could be $4 billion in scammed coronavirus relief funds.

 

And this whataboutism is relevant to the topic how exactly.

 

No one is saying corruption is endemic to Thailand alone.

 

Plenty of other sub-forums and threads to post your gibberish.

 

Except that the post I was replying to specifically blamed the unelected gub'ment of Thailand, as if having elected officials would solve Thailand's corruption problem.

 

If you're unable to understand and make pretty elementary connections between a post and a reply to that specific post, I'd suggest you refrain from calling out gibberish.  

How can there be corruption payute said there is no corruption in Thailand after the mock election 

On 2/20/2021 at 5:28 AM, Phuketshrew said:

They just can't help themselves (to help themselves). Thailand truly is a basket case. Later this year we'll be reading about the corruption ridden Covid-19 vaccination fiasco ....

Meanwhile in the UK you can buy companies online to fraudently claim covid handouts 

costing the treasury hundreds of millions and police raids up and down the nation.

 

Government officials making huge money in the early days by underwriting ppe contracts 

to their mates who had no experience in the industry, as part of emergency legislation at 

the start of the pandemic.

 

All people, everywhere, enter politics to better themselves and their kin, I am absolutely 

aware that it everything is rose tinted in Thailand, but to single them out in this instance 

is ridiculous.

 

Oh and hello to all the folk who are going to tell me I'm an apologist and that this is a forum 

about Thailand, blah blah blah, enjoy your "like" emojis from the old gammony colonials ????

On 2/21/2021 at 9:27 AM, Surelynot said:

I can't repudiate what you say, even for the UK and Germany......but for both of these countries, where I have spent most of my working life, I have never heard of, witnessed or experienced any 'low level' corruption.....but in my short time in Thailand I have witnessed corruption on a number of occasions.

I personally have never experienced any 'low level' corruption in Thailand but do know people that wold agree with you. I have however seen strings being pulled in the UK, a friend works in the office sort of thing.

Some years ago I had stuff brought to Thailand in a container, the day before the ship was due the forwarding agent rung up and asked if I wanted to pay for the rapid delivery service, suited me so I paid the fee no questions asked. The ship docked at 5pm on the Friday evening and the container was on my doorstep at 8am the following morning.

I do not see a lot of difference between that and paying a company to fast track you through an airport, as said previously, a question of perception.