Corruption scandal hits the brakes: Thailand’s bus industry whistleblows dirty dealings

[kevozman1]

I really hope they can start to regulate the road transit industry, and road regulations more tightly in general. The fuel on buses/coaches needs to be regulated more tightly, those colourful double deckers, as grand as they look, they are often budget cut and shut jobs done in Thailand, many of the minibuses are deathtraps: just pray you are not in a collision, people being transported on the back on pick up trucks on motorways, kids being moved around around on motorbikes with no crash helmets.

 

When I was younger I liked at most of the stuff I mentioned as part of Thailand, freedom, sanuk, but I guess I grew up and I don't see it as a positive anymore. Hopefully for Thai people the road carnage gets sorted out this decade. They deserve it.

[actonion]

15 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Shocking! Who would have thought there could be corruption anywhere in Thailand?

 

In this case it should be easy to follow the paper trail. Who signed the inspections? Arrest those people and put them on murder charges. And then maybe give them the chance to expose others who are also involved in those scams.

Arrest them and put them in jail. And make sure everybody knows what will happen if they do the same again.

And what qualifications to any vehicle  inspectors in Thailand have, None is my guess

[Davedub]

I find the use of the word 'shocking' hilarious - is anyone in Thailand even vaguely shocked to hear that a government agency is corrupt here? 

It is well known that people here do not get promoted to decision making positions because of their skill set. People get promoted by either buying the position or through nepotism. This is why the rules created are so unworkable - they are created by people who are simply not qualified for the job.

Then the rest of us (lower ranking govt officals included) are left to work with an unworkable system. The only way anything gets done is by sidestepping unworkable rules. So either the country grinds to a halt due to impossible bureacracy, or govt officials bend / break rules. If they are going to bend / break rules to help someone get a license / permit / whatever then they are taking a risk, so naturally they will want paying for helping out.

The culture of corruption flourishes in an environment perfectly suited to it's creation. Hiring decison makers based on their qualifications for the job would make a great start towards fixing the situation. Until the the systematic, deeply entrenched culture of buying positions and nepotism is address properly, I guess we will continue to be regularly 'shocked' by revelations of corruption, each time believing the fairytale of an isolated incident.

[Mywayboy]

Corruption & Prostitution in Thailand NEVER I DONT BELIVE IT.

[actonion]

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

You expect inspectors to work a whole year?

Who are these  so called Inspectors what training  do they have, if any ?.....Ex  Motorbike Taxi drivers at best 

[CecilM]

Old news. Nothing new about this. This is public knowledge and has been going on for years. 

[brianthainess]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Channel 3 conducted interviews with multiple coach bus companies regarding the vehicle inspection process. Some stated that the inspection was carried out thoroughly as part of vehicle registration renewal and tax payment, which is required every six months. The inspection period usually runs from January to June each year.

For a start inspections are NOT carried out "Thoroughly ". Having just one person inspecting, never using jacks and levers, tapping every visible nut with a small ball peen hammer, depleting air tanks, until the audio alarm goes off, timing how long it takes to recharge the air, check the gauges ......

   Then the the other problem is they inspect all buses in the same months, how daft can you get, the correct way would be to have an appointed Date and Time as in the UK (was/is) not just turn up Ad Hoc. and spread the inspections across the whole year. 

 If the bus companies are paying up to 8K a year in Bribes, then charge MORE for the inspections and employ more TRAINED Staff, it 'aint rocket science.

   If the so called Transport Minister stopped his concentration on Airports to appease the Tourist industry, and spent more time addressing the Driving tests, road carnage, and sorting this mess out then things could improve. He needs a consultant from the real world HERE in Thailand from IMO the UK. But Thais know best, init. 

[Surasak]

15 hours ago, MikeandDow said:

there is NO safety in Thailand just the almighty Baht

Even the Baht is up and down like a yo yo.

[brianthainess]

36 minutes ago, actonion said:

And what qualifications to any vehicle  inspectors in Thailand have, None is my guess

I agree, whoever 'trains' them has no idea what a real inspection involves.

[smew]

Corrupted society from very top to the lowest.

Nothing will change talk more talk and even more new rules introduced with every new rule an opportunity for corruption. These people are born corrupted. 

[HuaHinNew]

[ChipButty]

The owner of the bus company will have to sell his Benz soon

[Dr B]

36 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

For a start inspections are NOT carried out "Thoroughly ". Having just one person inspecting, never using jacks and levers, tapping every visible nut with a small ball peen hammer, depleting air tanks, until the audio alarm goes off, timing how long it takes to recharge the air, check the gauges ......

   Then the the other problem is they inspect all buses in the same months, how daft can you get, the correct way would be to have an appointed Date and Time as in the UK (was/is) not just turn up Ad Hoc. and spread the inspections across the whole year. 

 If the bus companies are paying up to 8K a year in Bribes, then charge MORE for the inspections and employ more TRAINED Staff, it 'aint rocket science.

   If the so called Transport Minister stopped his concentration on Airports to appease the Tourist industry, and spent more time addressing the Driving tests, road carnage, and sorting this mess out then things could improve. He needs a consultant from the real world HERE in Thailand from IMO the UK. But Thais know best, init. 

The problem is that the whole system is rotten to the core. We are focussing here on bus inspections at the DLT for obvious reasons, but how many other "certifications" do they carry out? Driver licensing is one, and it seems to be known that many people buy their licenses. Car and pickup certifications are others, and the tea money for each may be small but the numbers are vast, so the multiplication results in a very big number. That money goes all the way to the top of the DLT. But how to clean them out? They come under the Ministry of Transport, which is itself corrupt to the top.  Hence the interest in airports and land bridges, not because they aid tourism, but because they are major capital projects from which they can cream off their percentage. The Ministry has been in the control of the Chidchob family for decades, directly or indirectly, and the amount of money they have taken over that time is hard to imagine. So they will not sort out the DLT.

That seems to leave the PM, but she has never seen anything other than corruption. Her father ran several profitable businesses through corrupt contracts with various government officials, and then decided he wanted even more so chose to become the one who got paid rather than the one who did the paying. He has now put her in the hot seat, but there is no way she is going to sort it out.

Also at the moment we seem to be talking about the driver, the bus company, and the vehicle inspectors, but then there are the people who modified the fuel system, and the coach builders who fitted flammable furniture, with inadequate fire exits. Rememeber that at least 36 of the passengers on the bus were aged between 3 and 9. Could they be expected to break a window, even with a special hammer? If the bus was on its side, breaking the windows may be helpful, but standing upright the children would still have been about 2 m above the ground, and unable to get down, When the accident first occuured, presumably by hitting a pothole and breaking the front axle, it came to a standstill, on a busy three lane road. At what point did the teachers realise that they needed to evacuate? Who was keeping the road clear?

There have been some signs that the FFP/MFP/PP may be willing to address this endemic corruption from top to bottom but, as noted here many times, the establishment will do all in their power, and much which is not in their power, to prevent them from having the opportunity. Still hoping for change.

[brianthainess]

4 minutes ago, Dr B said:

The problem is that the whole system is rotten to the core. We are focussing here on bus inspections at the DLT for obvious reasons, but how many other "certifications" do they carry out? Driver licensing is one, and it seems to be known that many people buy their licenses. Car and pickup certifications are others, and the tea money for each may be small but the numbers are vast, so the multiplication results in a very big number. That money goes all the way to the top of the DLT. But how to clean them out? They come under the Ministry of Transport, which is itself corrupt to the top.  Hence the interest in airports and land bridges, not because they aid tourism, but because they are major capital projects from which they can cream off their percentage. The Ministry has been in the control of the Chidchob family for decades, directly or indirectly, and the amount of money they have taken over that time is hard to imagine. So they will not sort out the DLT.

That seems to leave the PM, but she has never seen anything other than corruption. Her father ran several profitable businesses through corrupt contracts with various government officials, and then decided he wanted even more so chose to become the one who got paid rather than the one who did the paying. He has now put her in the hot seat, but there is no way she is going to sort it out.

Also at the moment we seem to be talking about the driver, the bus company, and the vehicle inspectors, but then there are the people who modified the fuel system, and the coach builders who fitted flammable furniture, with inadequate fire exits. Rememeber that at least 36 of the passengers on the bus were aged between 3 and 9. Could they be expected to break a window, even with a special hammer? If the bus was on its side, breaking the windows may be helpful, but standing upright the children would still have been about 2 m above the ground, and unable to get down, When the accident first occuured, presumably by hitting a pothole and breaking the front axle, it came to a standstill, on a busy three lane road. At what point did the teachers realise that they needed to evacuate? Who was keeping the road clear?

There have been some signs that the FFP/MFP/PP may be willing to address this endemic corruption from top to bottom but, as noted here many times, the establishment will do all in their power, and much which is not in their power, to prevent them from having the opportunity. Still hoping for change.

I agree, also it was an Antique bus at 54yrs old, so the 'furniture' would probably be the original maybe with new coverings. 

[BKKBike09]

The problem is not paying to fast track an inspection. The problem arises if said payment means no inspection, or ignoring defects, illegal modifications etc.

 

I have no idea what a bus inspection here involves. I suspect on paper there is a lengthy check list a DLT inspector is supposed to follow, but probably also one that is poorly worded and open to interpretation like so many regulations in Thailand e.g. "check that tyres are in acceptable condition" with no definition as to what 'acceptable condition' means.

 

That said, I suspect the officially mandated inspection is likely far short of what would be acceptable in a developed country that takes safety seriously. It always makes me laugh, when I take my motorbike for its annual 'MOT' here, that the checks don't include whether the tyres are roadworthy or the brakes and horn all work. They do however care whether the indicators are the wrong colour ...

 

[Stargeezr]

It is too bad that the most rich and powerful family(s) did not take notice of this corruption, and

  make life difficult for the people who were involved with this incident, and the corruption involved as well. IMO, Just my opinion of course.

[Jonathan Swift]

5 hours ago, Bohemianfish said:

Why is this a scandal if this is de facto business in Thailand?

 

My expat Thai wife and I have talked about this and part of the reason neither of us want to live in Thailand. America can suck, but it aint bad at all.

It depends where you are in America, and whether you're in a place where the national sewer isn't overflowing your shoes and assaulting your body and mind at any given moment. I still prefer Thailand. Each to his own, good luck to both of you. Chok Dee.

[couchpotato]

2 minutes ago, Stargeezr said:

It is too bad that the most rich and powerful family(s) did not take notice of this corruption, and

  make life difficult for the people who were involved with this incident, and the corruption involved as well. IMO, Just my opinion of course.

You seem to forget that the rich and powerful are the one's behind most of the corruption in TH, but in this case a few modified buses wouldn't even hit their radar.

[Peterphuket]

In the Netherlands there are certified private companies that are allowed to inspect a car, or truck with a permit from the government.

After the inspection of the vehicle instantly they have to deregister each vehicle to the LTD, after which there is a 50/50 percent chance that the same LTD will come to check the inspection, until then the vehicle may not be released.

This largely eliminates the chance of commiting fraude or corruption.

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, actonion said:

And what qualifications to any vehicle  inspectors in Thailand have, None is my guess

Actually, it is not so difficult to have a look at brakes and other vital components.

I am sure many of the problems are not so hidden that they were difficult to find.

 

 

[gerrybpattaya]

17 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Shocking! Who would have thought there could be corruption anywhere in Thailand?

 

In this case it should be easy to follow the paper trail. Who signed the inspections? Arrest those people and put them on murder charges. And then maybe give them the chance to expose others who are also involved in those scams.

Arrest them and put them in jail. And make sure everybody knows what will happen if they do the same again.

No chance

[ChipButty]

9 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Actually, it is not so difficult to have a look at brakes and other vital components.

I am sure many of the problems are not so hidden that they were difficult to find.

 

 

It's only a school bus, good enough

[Mickboy]

Corruption in Thailand runs from A-Z look at 'Big joke'.

[kiwikeith]

17 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Shocking! Who would have thought there could be corruption anywhere in Thailand?

 

In this case it should be easy to follow the paper trail. Who signed the inspections? Arrest those people and put them on murder charges. And then maybe give them the chance to expose others who are also involved in those scams.

Arrest them and put them in jail. And make sure everybody knows what will happen if they do the same again.

Wouldn't that be nice, they sure deserve to be put up on Murder charges

[koele2]

When a police chief has to pay 15 million baht to be promoted, you know the whole system is corrupt.  The police and generals are some of the richest people and landowners in this country.  And they really don’t do anything.

[newnative]

    How could anybody possibly be surprised?   Shocking, my eye.  You need look no further than the rolling fire bomb bus that killed all those children and teachers.   It passed inspections twice a year, year after year, as did all the other illegal buses the company ran.  Inspectors who signed off on those bus inspections should be jailed, along with their supervisors.  Ditto for any other buses reinspected and found to have been passed when the buses should have failed inspection.  

[LudwigK]

Doesn’t the same apply to private cars and motorbikes? :-))))

[thailand49]

2 hours ago, actonion said:

 

Inspection, Inspectors,  who are these people,?  un- qualified  ex Motorbike Taxi drivers is my guess,  no where is there   any sort of  Apprentiship system  to allow these people to legally  call themselves Inspectors, just like those inspecting you vehicle  every year, or those who  work at the Vehicle licencing office who tell you you have failed or passed your driving test..

Correct, this is why I noted I said " change the system "  and we know that isnt going to happen in your or my lifetime.

 

The real change sadly is drastic basically a coup must happen from a person or group that care more about the people of course that is for another subject.

The leaders on down due to nepotism have people in charge and staff all around given jobs with zero credentials work contracted out also goes out to family. As you noted 

Inspectors in name only what is that you and I can do a better job!

Everyone goes along with what was given to them how can you go against those who you are do grateful. Example police have not a clue as to all the violations around them as they sit waiting for the lightbto turn Green. 

What moved this country is money exchanged to make people move and turn a blind eye.

 

[AustinRacing]

Fast tracking inspection via payment is not a problem. Many services offer speedy delivery everywhere in the world. The issue is turning a blind eye meaning issuing permits without inspection. So the bus companies claiming extra payments telling only half the story and partially throwing the officials under the bus. Therefore they and the inspectors are both culpable for doing the illegal mods and getting them passed, respectively. 

[Fab5BKK]

Do you know there's a museum in Bangkok called Anti Corruption Museum?

 

May I propose that the Thaksin's family get the burned bus set up at the front of the building?

Edited October 5 by Fab5BKK