Senior Thai officials to get taxpayer funded iPhones

[ChrisY1]

9 hours ago, tomacht8 said:

23423 Baht per piece.

Are these originals?

Or China Copies?

 

 

There's no import tax for these people....on anything!

[RafPinto]

6 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Good Governance.  Are they allowed to use them for everything and anything, are they restricted for only business related calls and work.  In my prior life, my issued phone was restricted to use only for business related work calls etc.  Once a week I would be notified by the IT unit they had found suspicious activity on my phone and that I had used the phone to call my own house phone.  I was reminded the phone was not for personal business (PB), but for work related content only.  To say the least I took that phone and tried to return it to the IT unit who had issued it out. They said I had to keep it and upon either separation or moving to a new location they would retain the phone and give it to my replacement since it was on that units inventory.  I had one of my own office techs at the time forward the number for that phone to my personal one, and I removed the battery and stuck it in my top drawer.

 

However, this is Thailand and their personal use of the telephone will never be looked at, just another phone for them to have like the many phones the girls have, one for each boyfriend....lol

One app will be pre-installed.

HornPub. Just to keep an eye on, if there isn't any illegal activities going on.

[RafPinto]

6 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

IMHO they need upgrading for better screen definition ...

(Remember this Thai MP during a budget debate)

He was just checking for a "friend".

[7700]

2.6 bil bht would buy a lot of rice for those that don’t have any.   
 

As I recall Prayut referred to it as Thaism.  Almost as pathetic as the Biden admin.

[Albert Zweistein]

14 hours ago, tomacht8 said:

23423 Baht per piece.

Are these originals?

Or China Copies?

 

 

Refurbished.

[Damrongsak]

9 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Surely that would be better spent on giving school kids access to tech equipment so they can study.

Oh, school kids in Issan will be getting free RaiPhones soon.

 

 

[RafPinto]

7 hours ago, Damrongsak said:

Oh, school kids in Issan will be getting free RaiPhones soon.

 

 

Beautiful picture.

[brianthainess]

On 11/24/2021 at 10:29 AM, lujanit said:

I'm sure they get a lot more than iPhones.  They just don't want to tell us about it.

Tax free cars for one.

[Mr Meeseeks]

Apple in Thailand is a status symbol. A brand name. Doubtful any of these officials are going to get any other benefit from using one other than using it as a fashion accessory.

 

The higher the cost of these items, the more opportunity there is for graft.

 

Think Teslas for Tourist Police, BMWs for Immigration, etc.

 

Totally unnecessary for Thailand, the country with the largest poverty gap in the World. 

[clivebaxter]

Even my SIL got a new iphome 13 to replace her iphone 12 provided by her employer- she's a nanny!

[Pedrogaz]

On 11/24/2021 at 10:20 AM, tomacht8 said:

23423 Baht per piece.

Are these originals?

Or China Copies?

 

 

Good job they were buying in bulk and got a great discount. Think of the money the government and taxpayer could save if they put a negotiator into the buying department.

Anyway, I'm glad that these folk who are doing such a fine job, don't have to fork out for their own iPhoneys.

[SmartyMarty]

will they hack themselves?

 

[aussiexpat]

This whole thread is just bash Thailand. ASEAN should lock it. Headline news a country gives 111 iPhone to their top officials, why wouldn't they?  Ridiculous reply to something so normal in the rest if the world. 

[arithai12]

Personally I wouldn't touch an iPhone if they paid me, let alone be seen with it.

[bkk_bwana]

Why is this even news? Government officials to get iPhones replacing 4 year old units. Big deal. 

[Andre0720]

Well, if a better smart phone can get them to finally start doing some smarter police work...  ????

[Andre0720]

35 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

This whole thread is just bash Thailand. ASEAN should lock it. Headline news a country gives 111 iPhone to their top officials, why wouldn't they?  Ridiculous reply to something so normal in the rest if the world. 

Thailand is not a normal country compared to the rest of the world...

[Andre0720]

23 minutes ago, arithai12 said:

Personally I wouldn't touch an iPhone if they paid me, let alone be seen with it.

Jealousy will get you nowhere...

I just do not want to pay the price...

[Denim]

More than one way for politicians to get iphones.

 

 

[ThailandRyan]

46 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

This whole thread is just bash Thailand. ASEAN should lock it. Headline news a country gives 111 iPhone to their top officials, why wouldn't they?  Ridiculous reply to something so normal in the rest if the world. 

Why not have the replies, we all know that government does what it wants at taxpayers cost.  Why should they not just be paid what a monthly service would cost and use their own phones.  You know that they will not be used for just government business and will not be monitored, or do you think that the job they have been installed into at the behest of their friends in the upper echelon deserve such a perk.

[djayz]

Although the sum in question is a mere drop in the ocean, it is stories like this in times like these, that are going to infuriate the general population and add fuel to the fire. How could they be so arrogant, ignorant and heartless as to do this now? More proof of just how obvious they are of the reality of the average family here.  

[aussiexpat]

Okay, everyone that replies to this thread bashing Thailand is showing there Bogan poor ass ways. 

 

All companies give the latest phone to their employees, to think 111 of Thai government shouldn't get one just shows how low you are on the phone list lol

[alyx]

On 11/24/2021 at 2:06 PM, aussiexpat said:

I don't understand why this is unusual? When I was working I was always updated with the latest phone so why shouldn't the 111 most senior officials in Government be given one?

 

It's $75,000, peanuts for a government

 

But unaccessible to 111 regular Thai Nationals (at least) This is why some are not happy.

This being said , you are correct but I guess that the 111 senior officials can definitely afford more than one whereas the rest of the official might need one as well

[bkk_bwana]

16 hours ago, Andre0720 said:

Thailand is not a normal country compared to the rest of the world...

It is actually. When we compare it to the West as a benchmark, it is oddball. When we compare it to most other developing nations around the world, what goes on here is fairly similar - Immature democracy, corruption, bureaucracy, patronage etc etc.