US Couple Arrested In Bangkok Film Festival Graft Probe

[lomatopo]

AMLO, NCCC, DSI, TAT and the National Police Office are all investigating this matter, hoping to "unravel the case".

[mitrapaap]

Can we start doing something about this degrading way of life ....!!

Doing that would require changing their entire culture, which bribery, corruption and a certain amount of dishonesty are a part of.

There is also an acceptance and even admiration for that certain level of dishonesty. Thai society recognises and admires someone that has bent the rules and done as little work as possible to attain great wealth.

When you try to apply your Western mentality of hard work and ethics to Thai society it just breaks down.

They operate on an entire different level of rules, morals, obligations and ethics. And it is their prerogative to do so.

Changing them to suit your vision of how they should operate or conduct themselves certainly would be difficult, but probably completely impossible.

There is a saying in Thailand that you can easily spot a person who is not corrupt - they are poor.

While I agree with your last paragraph, I woul like to mention that I have never worked as much as in Thailand. We work much less in Europe than many Asian countries do. Talking about the working people, not the law bending co-so (corrupt society). And I for once am sure Thai's dont admire them, they just can't to much against them.

[mitrapaap]

Anyone who ever dealt with TAT under Juthamas' rein knew that you didn't get anywhere with them without lining their pockets. Ironic, considering they were supposed to be PAYING people to advertise about Thailand, not the other way around.

Really just out of curiosity: was it during her time when foreigners suddenly got charged 10x the entry fee of Thai people to visit a natural park or waterfall?

[sriracha john]

Film festival hit by corruption

Thai law enforcers must act on FBI evidence in their investigation into alleged bribery by top TAT official

Some of the biggest corruption scandals involving Thai politicians and government officials in recent years have been exposed first by United States law enforcement officials investigating violations of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

The latest bombshell revelation, in which former Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Juthamas Siriwan was implicated for allegedly accepting bribes in exchange for the awarding of contracts to manage the Bangkok International Film Festivals, is one such case.

The alleged corruption case is typical of influence peddling in which a person in high office abuses his or her power by accepting bribes in exchange for preferential treatment to a certain individual or company. It remains to be seen how Thai law enforcement officials will react to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) findings. We have already seen and heard typical responses by Thai law enforcers who claim to have no knowledge of the US investigation and the charges levelled against Gerald Green and his wife, Patricia, who were arrested earlier this week in Los Angeles for FCPA violations. Companies owned by the couple had been awarded lucrative deals to run the Bangkok International Film Festival between 2003 and 2005, which was organised by the TAT, then under Juthamas' leadership.

Thai law enforcers and the National Counter Corruption Commission must launch an investigation based on the FBI findings without delay.

In 2004, Investigations by the US Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission into FCPA violations by a US firm, InVision Technologies, which sold airport bomb-detectors to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, led to public anger and serious damage to the credibility of the then-Thaksin administration. The bribes were allegedly paid to senior Thai politicians and officials by InVision Technologies before it was taken over by General Electric Company. After the takeover, the new company, GE InVision Technologies, voluntarily disclosed to the US authorities findings from an internal investigation that InVision employees were aware of improper payments to foreign officials by its agents or distributors in Thailand and other countries. In exchange for a non-prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice, InVision agreed to pay US$800,000 in civil penalties and $1.1 million in fines to the Securities and Exchange Commission for FCPA violations.

The US anti-corruption commitment deserves praise, because in pursuing corrupt practices by its own citizens, it helps expose corruption involving foreign officials outside the US. Without US disclosures, these scandals in Thailand and other developing countries could easily remain unexposed and corrupt politicians and officials would escape justice. The US is doing its part. But developing countries like Thailand, in which huge amounts of money change hands in corrupt deals, continue to do precious little to stamp it out.

Three full years after the InVision bribery case became public in Thailand, thanks to the revelations in the US, the Assets Examination Committee has just reported that politicians, government officials and the distributor of the CTX explosive detection machines colluded to inflate the prices - costing taxpayers more than Bt1.5 billion. But the names of the alleged offenders have not been released and no one has been punished.

The problem of corruption in Thailand is based on the traditional patronage system of relationships and is therefore very difficult to stamp out. Unlike in other more open societies, where egalitarianism is the norm, corrupt practices, although frowned upon by many Thais, are not actively pursued and exposed. The least that Thailand can do to reduce corruption is to make sure that useful information provided by US law enforcement officials regarding corrupt practices by our officials is actively investigated here.

Most of the time, the US authorities provide good groundwork, including findings of thorough investigations and even court sentences complete with witness statements. What is most disappointing is that Thai law enforcement officials, instead of building their case on the already solid evidence provided by the US, tend to water down the charges against local politicians and officials implicated in corruption scandals by insisting on starting their own investigations from scratch. What Thais really want and need are some results, otherwise corruption will continue unabated.

- The Nation Editorial

[linglop]

[jumnien]

I think this case reflects far more about corruption in the US business system, especially the entertainment and media industry, than it reflects on Thailand. Completley commonplace behaviour for US corporations abroad. When they are caught, they point the finger elsewhere.

[sriracha john]

Pushed by FBI, NCCC must act

With the allegations of accepting bribes levied against former TAT Governor Juthamas Siriwan, yet again it seems foreign investigators are better at digging up corruption among Thai politicians than our own homegrown sleuths. If it wasn't for the FBI in the US, Juthamas would probably have never been investigated at all. Indeed, the investigation was spawned by whistleblowers, as many of these corruption cases are, but once the FBI had reason to suspect wrongdoing, it quickly set to work to dig deep into the case and bring charges against the accused. An American couple was arrested this week on federal charges of conspiracy to bribe the then TAT governor to obtain a contract to run the Bangkok International Film Festival worth more than US$10 million. Juthamas was appointed to the TAT post by former PM Thaksin Shinawatra in 2002.

Bangkok Post Editorial continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/211207_News/21Dec2007_news23.php

[lomatopo]

Film festival hit by corruption

Thai law enforcers must act on FBI evidence in their investigation into alleged bribery by top TAT official

Three full years after the InVision bribery case became public in Thailand, thanks to the revelations in the US, the Assets Examination Committee has just reported that politicians, government officials and the distributor of the CTX explosive detection machines colluded to inflate the prices - costing taxpayers more than Bt1.5 billion. But the names of the alleged offenders have not been released and no one has been punished.

- The Nation Editorial

Like I mentioned in an earlier post on this thread, this BIFF scandal is a bit like the CTX scandal. Expect the same results. The only silver lining, such as it is, is that hopefully the Governor and her daughter are not allowed entry, aka given a visa, into the U.S.A. in the future. Other than that minor inconvenience, the Governor has plenty of cash and should be fine. And hopefully she will have to pay more people, more money going forward, as those in power realize how much cash she has on hand.

[sriracha john]

Supreme Court disqualify two candidates

The Supreme Court has upheld the Election Commission's decisions to disqualify a Puea Pandin Party and a People Power Party candidate.

Puea Pandin Party's Juthamas Siriwan was a party-list candidate for Zone 6, covering Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Nonthaburi, and People Power Party candidate Prasaeng Mongkolsiri was contesting the direct election in Uthai Thani.

Both resigned their party memberships last week.

Juthamas resigned after facing bribery allegations in connection with the Bangkok International Film Festival in 2003, when she was Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor.

Prasaeng quit following an investigation into campaign violations associated with the distribution of video discs featuring former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is banned from the electoral process for five years.

Electoral rules stipulate that ballot numbers assigned to disqualified candidates will be cancelled, and votes cast for those candidates will be invalid. The commission will advertise the disqualifications at polling stations in the candidates' respective electorates.

Votes cast for Puea Pandin Party in Zone 6 will be allocated to the party's nine other candidates for election by proportional representation.

- The Nation

[apetley]

I think this case reflects far more about corruption in the US business system, especially the entertainment and media industry, than it reflects on Thailand. Completley commonplace behaviour for US corporations abroad. When they are caught, they point the finger elsewhere.

So are you saying that if the US businesses didn't offer them any money they would still get the contracts in Thailand?

[ChiangMaiAmerican]

TAT Bribery case makes number 7 on FBI top 10 cases of the week.

http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel07/topten_122107.htm

As to Sunrise's comment on corruption in the US, there is corruption in every country on earth. It how you deal with corruption and the extent to which it florishes that makes a difference. Take a look at the FBI top 10 list. Several of the cases involved corrpution of officials at several levels of government including a politician and deputy sherriff. These people will actually go to prision and while they can work after release, they will never again hold positions of trust. Compare that to what happens here. Most never get to court if they are arrested at all. It takes months or years for the cases to get to court if charges are ever filed. Rather than start an investigation immediately when corruption is detected as is the case in most countries the investigation waits even when what is know is compelling. In the US the FBI doesn't need permission to investigate corruption. They don't wait for someone to tell them to start. In Thailand a meeting must be called weeks or months later to decide how to proceed and which group has jurisdiction. Meanwhile the corrupt behavior continues and the witnesses' memories changes.

Edited December 23, 2007 by ChiangMaiAmerican

[brahmburgers]

Film festival hit by corruption

Thai law enforcers must act on FBI evidence in their investigation into alleged bribery by top TAT official

Some of the biggest corruption scandals involving Thai politicians and government officials in recent years have been exposed first by United States law enforcement officials investigating violations of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

- first part of a Nation newspaper Editorial

Without U.S. law enforcement, nothing would have been exposed and no feathers ruffled. Indeed, even if Thai law enforcement had first heard of this happening, they would have given it a yawning 'mai pen rai' or one or two would have stuch their hands out to get their cut.

Similarly, if an international terrorist and/or criminal is apprehended in Thailand - it only happens because Interpol or a western law enforcement agency makes the call to Thai law enforcement. Have you even heard of the Chinese alerting the Thais of an internatinal terrorist or criminal in Thailand? (other than their bleatings about the Dalai Lama) .....no, neither have I.

Personally, I don't see it as a big deal. One women gets very rich very quickly, and perhaps a few others line their pockets, but who's getting hurt? I guess if there were competitors for managing the festival - but were there any competitors for that postition? It looks to me more like a hefty gift from American couple to a Thai bureaucrat.

[sriracha john]

Film festival hit by corruption

Thai law enforcers must act on FBI evidence in their investigation into alleged bribery by top TAT official

Some of the biggest corruption scandals involving Thai politicians and government officials in recent years have been exposed first by United States law enforcement officials investigating violations of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

- first part of a Nation newspaper Editorial

Personally, I don't see it as a big deal. One women gets very rich very quickly, and perhaps a few others line their pockets, but who's getting hurt? I guess if there were competitors for managing the festival - but were there any competitors for that position? It looks to me more like a hefty gift from American couple to a Thai bureaucrat.

The country was hurt as the festival was shoddily-run and by the exorbitant amount of Thai taxpayers money was squandered away. (This years festival was put on for a fraction of the cost). The company that was rewarded for the bribery with the contract had no prior experience. There were other competitors for the contract, including companies that actually had prior experience for this work. Don't forget that the heftier the contract that Juthamas could secure for the Greens meant a heftier deposit in her daughter's bank account. No wonder that the contract awarded was bigger and bigger each and every year.

It was a huge reward (from Thai taxpayers' wallets) to the pockets of the corrupt American couple who in turn gave a huge illegal rebate to the corrupt Thai official, who was appointed by the corrupt ex-PM.

The cycle of crap.

Edited December 23, 2007 by sriracha john

[plachon]

Film festival hit by corruption

Thai law enforcers must act on FBI evidence in their investigation into alleged bribery by top TAT official

Some of the biggest corruption scandals involving Thai politicians and government officials in recent years have been exposed first by United States law enforcement officials investigating violations of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

- first part of a Nation newspaper Editorial

Personally, I don't see it as a big deal. One women gets very rich very quickly, and perhaps a few others line their pockets, but who's getting hurt? I guess if there were competitors for managing the festival - but were there any competitors for that position? It looks to me more like a hefty gift from American couple to a Thai bureaucrat.

The country was hurt as the festival was shoddily-run and by the exorbitant amount of Thai taxpayers money was squandered away. (This years festival was put on for a fraction of the cost). The company that was rewarded for the bribery with the contract had no prior experience. There were other competitors for the contract, including companies that actually had prior experience for this work. Don't forget that the heftier the contract that Juthamas could secure for the Greens meant a heftier deposit in her daughter's bank account. No wonder that the contract awarded was bigger and bigger each and every year.

It was a huge reward (from Thai taxpayers' wallets) to the pockets of the corrupt American couple who in turn gave a huge illegal rebate to the corrupt Thai official, who was appointed by the corrupt ex-PM.

The cycle of crap.

Well said. To answer Brahmburgers question more directly - every Thai citizen was being hurt and any past and future visitors to the Film Festival were losing, and thus being hurt. If you cannot see this, then you do not understand the insiduous nature of this type of corruption which spreads the cost a little across many wallets. Maybe it is not as heinous as the Suvannaphum type corruption where public safety is directly jeopardized, but even with the BFF I imagine that the Greens and TAT would quite easily cut costs on public safety measures, perhaps like fire protection measures, in order to maximise personal returns. There you have potential for physical hurt as a result of corruption, which as I'm sure even B'burgers appreciates, is not an uncommon scenario in LOS.

[selftaopath]

TAT Bribery case makes number 7 on FBI top 10 cases of the week.

http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel07/topten_122107.htm

As to Sunrise's comment on corruption in the US, there is corruption in every country on earth. It how you deal with corruption and the extent to which it florishes that makes a difference. Take a look at the FBI top 10 list. Several of the cases involved corrpution of officials at several levels of government including a politician and deputy sherriff. These people will actually go to prision and while they can work after release, they will never again hold positions of trust. Compare that to what happens here. Most never get to court if they are arrested at all. It takes months or years for the cases to get to court if charges are ever filed. Rather than start an investigation immediately when corruption is detected as is the case in most countries the investigation waits even when what is know is compelling. In the US the FBI doesn't need permission to investigate corruption. They don't wait for someone to tell them to start. In Thailand a meeting must be called weeks or months later to decide how to proceed and which group has jurisdiction. Meanwhile the corrupt behavior continues and the witnesses' memories changes.

Amazing Thailand.

[jackspratt]

Amazing Thailand.

Personally, I don't see it as a big deal. One women gets very rich very quickly, and perhaps a few others line their pockets, but who's getting hurt? I guess if there were competitors for managing the festival - but were there any competitors for that postition? It looks to me more like a hefty gift from American couple to a Thai bureaucrat.

Amazing farang.

[Journalist]

"The cycle of crap"

Isn't that a song from 'The Lion King'?

Actually the BIFF parties in the first two years were jolly good - money well spent ! In the third year it became rubbishy when it moved to Paragon from the Shangri-La. The only thing that was crap were the movies being shown, which were nearly all unwatchable kak.

[sriracha john]

Film-festival probe may turn into box-office bomb

Industry observers say investigation by the Thai side could be derailed

As and when a government is formed, one of the first orders of business of the new tourism minister will be to manage the investigation into bribery allegations involving former TAT Governor Juthamas Siriwan. Informed sources in the Thai tourism industry said that two committees have been set up: one within the TAT to dig up the internal documents related to the Bangkok International Film Festival, and another under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports to manage its external aspects and liaison with the FBI. The information gathered by both committees will then be compiled to see whether it warrants any further legal action on the Thai side, in addition to the arrests of the Americans alleged to be involved in the US. However, there are growing fears that every effort will be made to thwart the investigation in Thailand. Said one senior official, without elaborating: ''Those who are involved will try and prevent the matter from being pursued any further in Thailand. ''Juthamas has denied everything and threatened to sue the FBI. However, the issue is causing some sleepless nights for several officials, especially those who were known to have been in Juthamas' camp.'' The allegations have embarrassed the TAT which has never experienced anything like this in its 48-year history. Industry officials noted that the TAT's reputation was saved largely by the fact that one of the first actions taken by the present Governor, Phornsiri Manoharn was to slash the film festival's budget and hand the whole thing over to local companies. Many in the private sector recalled that they had opposed Juthamas' appointment as Governor in the first place, but now say that many things now begin to make sense. ''During the tenure of the Thaksin administration, the TAT enjoyed record budgets,'' one senior sector executive said. ''Thaksin himself had set a target of 20 million tourist arrivals by 2008, even though many in the private sector knew it was totally unrealistic." "But, by citing the growing competitive nature of the global tourism industry and the marketing budgets of competing countries in Asean, the administration could always find a way to justify the massive budgets. ''And this does not include the huge extra budgets that were sought to justify bounceback campaigns after the various crises.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/Business/07Jan2008_biz27.php

=============================================================

Just as a side note in regards to the 20 million visitors comment noted above, I noticed that the People Power Party is campaigning on a policy of seeking 45 million tourists. Thaksin's "vision" lives on.

Edited January 7, 2008 by sriracha john

[plachon]

Film-festival probe may turn into box-office bomb

Industry observers say investigation by the Thai side could be derailed

As and when a government is formed, one of the first orders of business of the new tourism minister will be to manage the investigation into bribery allegations involving former TAT Governor Juthamas Siriwan. Informed sources in the Thai tourism industry said that two committees have been set up: one within the TAT to dig up the internal documents related to the Bangkok International Film Festival, and another under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports to manage its external aspects and liaison with the FBI. The information gathered by both committees will then be compiled to see whether it warrants any further legal action on the Thai side, in addition to the arrests of the Americans alleged to be involved in the US. However, there are growing fears that every effort will be made to thwart the investigation in Thailand. Said one senior official, without elaborating: ''Those who are involved will try and prevent the matter from being pursued any further in Thailand. ''Juthamas has denied everything and threatened to sue the FBI. However, the issue is causing some sleepless nights for several officials, especially those who were known to have been in Juthamas' camp.'' The allegations have embarrassed the TAT which has never experienced anything like this in its 48-year history. Industry officials noted that the TAT's reputation was saved largely by the fact that one of the first actions taken by the present Governor, Phornsiri Manoharn was to slash the film festival's budget and hand the whole thing over to local companies. Many in the private sector recalled that they had opposed Juthamas' appointment as Governor in the first place, but now say that many things now begin to make sense. ''During the tenure of the Thaksin administration, the TAT enjoyed record budgets,'' one senior sector executive said. ''Thaksin himself had set a target of 20 million tourist arrivals by 2008, even though many in the private sector knew it was totally unrealistic." "But, by citing the growing competitive nature of the global tourism industry and the marketing budgets of competing countries in Asean, the administration could always find a way to justify the massive budgets. ''And this does not include the huge extra budgets that were sought to justify bounceback campaigns after the various crises.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/Business/07Jan2008_biz27.php

=============================================================

Just as a side note in regards to the 20 million visitors comment noted above, I noticed that the People Power Party is campaigning on a policy of seeking 45 million tourists. Thaksin's "vision" lives on.

Yeah, and in the eyes of that intrepid croc hunter and bon viveur with a taste for lion and giraffe steaks, Plodprasop Suraswadi. He sees the Gulf of Thailand being turned into one big Costa del Sol as not only desirable, but possible. He certainly managed to make Koh Chang an island paradise, huh?

[Tony Clifton]

Just as a side note in regards to the 20 million visitors comment noted above, I noticed that the People Power Party is campaigning on a policy of seeking 45 million tourists. Thaksin's "vision" lives on.

And Noppadon has come up with yet another impossible "Elite Card" style goal of every tourist spending a minimum of 70 000 baht per day. Anyone wanna buy some jewels? Tuk-tuk! Where you go?

Circus clowns.

Edited January 7, 2008 by Tony Clifton

[Arkady]

TAT was last heard of setting up a committee of senior officials to investigate the allegations. One of them said that all at TAT were very demoralised by the case. This is in the Thai tradition where police corruption and brutality is investigated by a panel of policeman. With PPP in power it is a foregone conclusion that the case will be dropped like the CTX scanners case. The only difference, however, is that the Greens will have an open trial in the US, so the Thai government will not be able to suppress the US evidence, as they did in the CTX case. Interestingly the Sarayudh "ginger" government also chose not to disclose the CTX evidence provided privately by the US Dept of Justice. Suriya was said to have had a very close connection in the CNS and may have awarded several "scholarships" for overseas study to deserving army brats.

[Tony Clifton]

TAT was last heard of setting up a committee of senior officials to investigate the allegations. One of them said that all at TAT were very demoralised by the case. This is in the Thai tradition where police corruption and brutality is investigated by a panel of policeman. With PPP in power it is a foregone conclusion that the case will be dropped like the CTX scanners case. The only difference, however, is that the Greens will have an open trial in the US, so the Thai government will not be able to suppress the US evidence, as they did in the CTX case. Interestingly the Sarayudh "ginger" government also chose not to disclose the CTX evidence provided privately by the US Dept of Justice. Suriya was said to have had a very close connection in the CNS and may have awarded several "scholarships" for overseas study to deserving army brats.

The assh*le has been delaying his case with a bleeding rectum for an excuse.

There is no deal.

[Jai Dee]

DSI reports progress in TAT’s corruption case

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) reports that the case concerning alleged corruption in the Bangkok Film Festivals has much progressed and investigators are speeding up in gathering evidences.

DSI Director-General Sunai Manomai-udom (สุนัย มโนมัยอุดม) reveals that DSI has been investigating the alleged corruption involving executives of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) as the case affects the reputation of the country.

The director-general adds that DSI and an investigating panel set up by the Office of the Prime Minister which oversees TAT, play a different role in the case.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 07 January 2008

[thaigene2]

Whatever happened to those Saudi gems anyway? Or the rich kid that drove into the bustop? Or the Chalerm kids? Or the muslim lawyer who disappeared? Or the Tak Bae massacre? Or the cop convicted of killing the two tourists (who went to jail - is he still there?), or the Tourist Police cop accused of raping and killing the tourist in Chiang Mai? or, or, or, or....it just seems endless. How depressing.

[Journalist]

Whatever happened to those Saudi gems anyway? Or the rich kid that drove into the bustop? Or the Chalerm kids? Or the muslim lawyer who disappeared? Or the Tak Bae massacre? Or the cop convicted of killing the two tourists (who went to jail - is he still there?), or the Tourist Police cop accused of raping and killing the tourist in Chiang Mai? or, or, or, or....it just seems endless. How depressing.

Don't let the buggers get you down.

Simon Napier Bell, the ex-manager of George Michael recently settled in Pattaya. He said something like (and i'm paraphrasing)

"Thailand has its faults, but one of the benefits of being a migrant is that I needn't feel too stressed about them, because its the Thais own country, and its for them to shape and change."

And I think he's philosophically right. Foreign residents who elect to come to Thailand ought not to feel depressed or all knotted up internally about Thailand's structural shortcomings.

[Arkady]

Whatever happened to those Saudi gems anyway? Or the rich kid that drove into the bustop? Or the Chalerm kids? Or the muslim lawyer who disappeared? Or the Tak Bae massacre? Or the cop convicted of killing the two tourists (who went to jail - is he still there?), or the Tourist Police cop accused of raping and killing the tourist in Chiang Mai? or, or, or, or....it just seems endless. How depressing.

Don't let the buggers get you down.

Simon Napier Bell, the ex-manager of George Michael recently settled in Pattaya. He said something like (and i'm paraphrasing)

"Thailand has its faults, but one of the benefits of being a migrant is that I needn't feel too stressed about them, because its the Thais own country, and its for them to shape and change."

And I think he's philosophically right. Foreign residents who elect to come to Thailand ought not to feel depressed or all knotted up internally about Thailand's structural shortcomings.

He is right but the longer you stay here the more depressing this stuff gets. It starts off being a laugh reading about all the shennanigans in the papers but in time you see how it can also affects expats. The mess they have made of the economy, whilst the rest of Asia is roaring ahead, means that farang businessmen or employees also can't do so well. The crack downs on foreign owned businesses and property, which we shouldn't expect to finish with the Surayudh govt, can also strike close to home as can the visa restrictions. You can be harrassed by police and other government officials without recourse as there is no rule of law. You and your wife can even murdered for fun by law enforcement officers out on a drunken spree and their bosses will help them make up ludricous stories to prove that you and your wife were actually fault and this will not be questioned by the Thai media. Maybe time to move on.

[Journalist]

But these events....tourist murder in Pai (probably the first ever there),...... Juthamas being dodgy (probably not the first)......touches or affects so few Thaivisa readers directly.

What seems to depress people/readers is the reading about it.

Without wishing you to throw down your magazines (heaven forbid, I need to make a living). Perhaps we're over-exposed to news and opinion, and hence over sensitised to incidents that statistically are unlikely to ever affect us personally. Cajoled to take and express a strong view about every issue.

(Uk had the same phenomena last yr with papers going on-and-on about Madeleine McCann's kidnap. You'd think kids were being kidnapped left right and centre).

24/7 Thai news-flow is something of a poisoned chalice to ones aura of serenity.

Edited January 8, 2008 by Journalist

[sriracha john]

Let's see if we can change that....

Former TAT Governor Denies Ever Being TAT Governor

Former Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Juthamas Siriwan threatens to sue anyone who claims she was the Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor

BANGKOK – Following a US Justice Department report alleging bribery payments made to “a senior TAT official” in the investigation of Gerald and Patricia Green, Former Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Juthamas Siriwan has threatened to sue anyone who refers to her tenure as Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor at all.

The Greens were arrested earlier this week by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation under suspicions of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act which prohibits US citizens from making bribes as part of their business dealings abroad. They are suspected of having paid US$1.7 million dollars (Bt52 million) in bribes to a Thai government official in return for the $10 million contract to manage the 2004 Bangkok International Film Festival. Although not named by the Justice Department report, Juthamas Siriwan has come under suspicion because she was the TAT governor at the time, a charge which she denies.

“I was never employed by the TAT, not in 2004 or at any other time” she said at a press conference. “Anyone who says I was TAT governor is a liar and will be sued for libel and slander.” She referred to the approximately 350 articles written about her or referring to her as TAT governor between 2001-2006 as “a concerted press smear campaign.”

She furthermore insisted that the over 1000 photographs and video clips of her presiding over TAT events, cutting ribbons at the opening ceremonies of TAT-sponsored galas, and conducting official meetings with other TAT officials are “fakes” and likely the work of “politically motivated influential people.”

When asked what she was doing from 2001 to 2006, Juthamas replied she was at home with her family.

A spokesperson for the Puea Pandin Party, with which Juthamas was a candidate for a Bangkok seat prior to her withdrawal, confirmed her story. “She was never part of the TAT,” said Suwin Khunkitti. “Never mind what it says on our party website, or our posters, or on our election campaign flyers referring to her as former TAT governor. Those are typos.”

An attorney for Ms. Siriwan has threatened to sue any person or company which displays, disseminates, references, or acknowledges the existence of any of the slanderous material suggesting that she was TAT governor, including the TAT itself, which has a large painting of Juthamas in its lobby bearing an engraved brass plaque with her name.

Phone calls to the TAT requesting comment were not answered. However, the TAT released a statement earlier today denying it had ever been involved in, or had ever heard of, the “so-called, Bangkok International Film Festival.”

- Not The Nation

==========================================

*Disclaimer: Hopefully, everyone can sort out this satirical parody and is not to be considered as the truth.*

It was produced by:

http://www.notthenation.com/

which provides a welcomed respite from the, admittedly, sometimes accurate

"24/7 Thai news-flow is something of a poisoned chalice to ones aura of serenity."

Edited January 8, 2008 by sriracha john

[jumnien]

Fantastic website, thanks for the humor!

[slapout]

Journalist: Please review the front page of The Nation, for 8/1/08. None of the articles dealing with police actions in Thailand directly affected me but as I am exposed to these suckers every day in traffic, etc. I want to know what is going on. Without this info I may laugh if I were asked to pay a fine to Policeman and not get a reciept, I could be in serious trouble if in laughing the lose of face was percieved. Honestly, I would not laugh but a tourest may. so I am all in favor of the bad as well as the good news being put to the public. Bad sells newspaper and if its repeated enough,maybe something can be done to stop or lessen the bad.