The Old Sickness Is Back

[robint]

My little friend tells me that the corruption level has caused all the rural development projects (roads, canals and ponds) to grind to a halt because the administration is weak and powerless just the same as the period when CLP was pm. contractors are being asked to pay up to 50% of the contract price as expediting money.

FYI these types of works have a well documented rate for the job agreed by central admin, so the contractotrs cannot raise their prices. Their profit margin is small <10% so there is no way they can carry out the work without a substantial loss. So nothing is happening with the funds designed to stimulate the economy in rural areas. People are very angry with the obvious corruptiion yet powerless to object to the dark influences who are gaining strength unchecked

You can see why they prefer a certain exiled gangster. At least he did something for the rural people (who make up 60% of the vote)

Its a tragic state of affairs because these development projects are essential for ground roots economic progress and take several years to yield results (and they do). So delays in implimentation have a knock on effect of several years

[engrin]

My father inlaw is 90. He was receiving 500 baht a month from the government but that stopped a couple of months ago. No reason given.

[wintermute]

Heh, the "dark forces" are just the same people who have been riding rough shod over the poor in the country for decades now. This is nothing new and more of the "same same" now that the world economy is cooling down. The people who get hurt the worst are the poor and middle class.

[Ricardo]

Strangely enough our local paluang was moaning, that he's too poor now, because nobody gives him bribes like in the pre-coup days, sad to hear of rising poverty like this. He's forced to depend upon his monthly-pay from the government ... Shame !

[Heng]

My father inlaw is 90. He was receiving 500 baht a month from the government but that stopped a couple of months ago. No reason given.

The oldies in our family are still getting theirs, at least in the accounts that I oversee. Thanks Demos.

[lazygourmet]

My father inlaw is 90. He was receiving 500 baht a month from the government but that stopped a couple of months ago. No reason given.

The oldies in our family are still getting theirs, at least in the accounts that I oversee. Thanks Demos.

Actually, these have added by another THB500 for a total of THB1,000/month

Thanks Khun Korn!

[Heng]

Will have to check into that. Hadn't heard they were passing out more free funny money.