Just a Question.

[NoshowJones]

I wonder if there are any major politicians in any major country in the world who have not benefitted financially from this Cvirus.

If you take Thailand as an example, have the unelected PM and his generals benefitted from part of the money paid for ASQs, etc, etc, etc?

So are all the worlds top politicians happy for this pandemic to just go on and on while they line their pockets? All the pensioners in the world

who have died from the pandemic must have saved their governments a fortune on that alone.

I am not saying one way or the other, this is just a question.

 

[CharlieH]

Of course !

 

Greed and corruption is the Virus of current times, some would say its always been that way, just less obvious.

[Fat is a type of crazy]

I see some posts where people try and put together a theory whereby things are being done to benefit politicians and their ilk.  Politicians, if you are cynical, want popularity and money leading to further power. In Australia the government has been spending much more with less tax. Thailand would be the same. Both governments would be less popular than before covid.

So I think covid is covid and politicians are politicians and I don't buy what people are selling when they say politicians are keeping it going in some way to benefit themselves. 

[internationalism]

allegedly, hotels applying for state quarantine (that ones for repatriating and supplied free by the state) and asq permit were giving 30% kick backs to get into this scheme, as there were no tourism to sustain them. That was reported here on forums.

In thailand it's the army which controls incoming travellers since the very beginning of covid.

First repatriates were put at army seaside resorts on east coast, because they were close to suwarnabumi, they were empty, isolated, inside military bases so secure, guarded. In emergency army was able to organise fast transport as well as on site basic medical facilities.

From there army moved swiftly to this lucrative business claiming their expertise in containing people.

Clearly it transpired at the end of last year, when repatriate at state quarantine posted on social media his experience from his Pattaya hotel. It was the army spokesman who first reacted and threaten with legal action.

Most probably there is a similar story with ALQ, local quarantine.

I would not be surprised if SHA+ on phuket was riddled with similar pattern, but I haven't read about it yet. Here I would suspect more of a local mafia, but there is always close association of "influential people" with the governor. Same will go for pattaya sandbox, and most certainly with Buriram (deeply controlled by bumjaitai party, with health ministry and transport ministry originating from here).

There was also a scandal with domestic tourism "go half" scheme, to combat sluggish covid recovery, where hotels were overcharging state by as much as 50%, with as many as 10 000 hotels under investigation and facing prosecution. It was possible to get same rooms and same price at agoda.

Thai vaccination program fiasco can also be partially explained by corruption of politicians. Thanatorn, leader of opposition, is facing lese majeste charges, for criticising the government negligence (that was around the censure debate in January). That was the only reaction from the government. They did not change their vax policies until much later, after Thonglor Alfa 3rd wave, and it came too late, after songran (allegedly transport and tourism were pressing Prayuth not to cancel holidays)

[Sparktrader]

Politicians care about being elected and $ for themselves. Parasites basically.

[NoshowJones]

On 8/20/2021 at 10:12 AM, Fat is a type of crazy said:

I see some posts where people try and put together a theory whereby things are being done to benefit politicians and their ilk.  Politicians, if you are cynical, want popularity and money leading to further power. In Australia the government has been spending much more with less tax. Thailand would be the same. Both governments would be less popular than before covid.

So I think covid is covid and politicians are politicians and I don't buy what people are selling when they say politicians are keeping it going in some way to benefit themselves. 

Lets just say that they are nowhere in the same hurry for this Cvirus to end as we ordinary people.

[johnnygimbo]

"Please Don't Stop Loving Me",  "  "A Fool Such As I",  "It's A Matter Of Time". all Elvis songs.

[Fat is a type of crazy]

1 hour ago, possum1931 said:

Lets just say that they are nowhere in the same hurry for this Cvirus to end as we ordinary people.

I agree that politicians aren't always the best of us but I really can't see why they would think there's a benefit in keeping it going. There may be odd politician who gets a bit extra from some scam but broadly I can't see it. Just the opposite. They want to look like triumphant heroes sending it back from whence it came. More scams and money changing hands in a good economy if you want to look at the cynical side. 

[NoshowJones]

33 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

I agree that politicians aren't always the best of us but I really can't see why they would think there's a benefit in keeping it going. There may be odd politician who gets a bit extra from some scam but broadly I can't see it. Just the opposite. They want to look like triumphant heroes sending it back from whence it came. More scams and money changing hands in a good economy if you want to look at the cynical side. 

Yes I suppose you have a point there, Maybe I was being a bit subconcious because of the "politicians" in charge of Thailand.