Thaksin Happy To Tackle Expats Problems

[sriracha john]

PM happy to tackle foreigners’ complaints

Published on May 08, 2005

Foreign visitors and expatriates have joined locals to air their problems via the grievance box located in front of Baan Phitsanulok, the prime minister’s official residence.

“I am pleased to try and tackle problems for Thais as well as foreigners. Many problems have come to my attention through the grievance box,” Thaksin Shinawatra said yesterday in his weekly radio talk.

Thaksin said he had gained new perspectives from reading a myriad of complaints.

“An eight-year-old girl wrote me from Virginia, the United States, recounting her memorable visit to Thailand. She is wise beyond her age as she helps me to realise that many pristine beaches are deteriorating due to inadequate conservation,” he said.

He said the central govern-ment might have to intervene to restore a number of tourist attractions because local authorities are not ready to stand on their own and run conservation programmes.

In another complaint, an anonymous expatriate said immigration officials appeared to lack courtesy and work enthusiasm when processing visa applications, he said.

This complaint had been forwarded to the Immigration Bureau with a note reminding relevant officials that they had better shape up or else face the consequences, he said.

Many complaints were family-related problems. Authorities had assisted in tracking down missing family members and solving domestic disputes.

The prime minister said he recently intervened to initiate a review on a Bt28,000 tariff imposed on free medication sent by the Canadian authorities to a Canadian expatriate.

“I believe someone might have overlooked that the medication was sent for humanitarian reasons,” he said.

[cdnvic]

He could start by putting unemployed people to work just cleaning the litter off the roadsides, and around parks and lakes.

cv

[RDN]

He could start by putting unemployed people to work just cleaning the litter off the roadsides, and around parks and lakes.

cv

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They can start at Phuket Rajabhat University - I've never seen such a mess after the little darlings have popped out for lunch, bought their plastic cup of coke, their plastic bag of noodles, plastic bag of soup and chuck the lot away off the back of their motocy. And then the same at the end of the day. Still, it's the rainy season now, and the grass verges will grow tall enough to hide all the rubbish again.

[george]

PM happy to tackle foreigners’ complaints

BANGKOK: -- Foreign visitors and expatriates have joined locals to air their problems via the grievance box located in front of Baan Phitsanulok, the prime minister’s official residence.

“I am pleased to try and tackle problems for Thais as well as foreigners. Many problems have come to my attention through the grievance box,” Thaksin Shinawatra said yesterday in his weekly radio talk.

Thaksin said he had gained new perspectives from reading a myriad of complaints.

“An eight-year-old girl wrote me from Virginia, the United States, recounting her memorable visit to Thailand. She is wise beyond her age as she helps me to realise that many pristine beaches are deteriorating due to inadequate conservation,” he said.

He said the central govern-ment might have to intervene to restore a number of tourist attractions because local authorities are not ready to stand on their own and run conservation programmes.

In another complaint, an anonymous expatriate said immigration officials appeared to lack courtesy and work enthusiasm when processing visa applications, he said.

This complaint had been forwarded to the Immigration Bureau with a note reminding relevant officials that they had better shape up or else face the consequences, he said.

Many complaints were family-related problems. Authorities had assisted in tracking down missing family members and solving domestic disputes.

The prime minister said he recently intervened to initiate a review on a Bt28,000 tariff imposed on free medication sent by the Canadian authorities to a Canadian expatriate.

“I believe someone might have overlooked that the medication was sent for humanitarian reasons,” he said.

--The Nation 2005-05-08

[Thaiboxer]

Students tossing rubbish wherever they please is a huge problem here....the Mattayom kids used to leave tons of styrofoam containers all over this grassy area in front of the school. They threw that stuff on the ground faster than the poor custodians could pick it up. If the PM wants to clean up the environment, schools would be a great place to start. Kids need to be educated about environmental awareness.

In regards to the Immigration Dept., they have made the process less painful than in the past. The last time I had my visa extended, they asked my wife just one or two questions then gave me the stamp. The officers are also more polite now when dealing with you. It looks as if that complaint box is working.

Edited May 8, 2005 by Thaiboxer

[DaveYo]

How about somebody post the precise location of this grievance box with some numbers and street location and city of such location. Also how about including such in a jpeg map so we can see it.

The information here is vague to say the least.

What do you say to the Taxi Driver??? Duh, take me out to the Prime Ministers Grievance box at Baan Phitsanulok!!!!

They will look at you like you must have come out of the mental ward.

Daveyo

[Joey Boy]

[Ajarn]

What's the address to whine to?

[Abandon]

hey George - there is an idea for a new forum - Open Letters to PM Taksin. I wonder if he would ever read it

[LaoPo]

PM happy to tackle foreigners’ complaints

BANGKOK: -- Foreign visitors and expatriates have joined locals to air their problems via the grievance box located in front of Baan Phitsanulok, the prime minister’s official residence.

“I am pleased to try and tackle problems for Thais as well as foreigners. Many problems have come to my attention through the grievance box,” Thaksin Shinawatra said yesterday in his weekly radio talk.

Thaksin said he had gained new perspectives from reading a myriad of complaints.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Dear George,

Although the focus of this topic is towards 'complaints', I wonder if it would be possible to try and set-up a Lobby.

A Lobby regarding the possibility for 'easing' the rules regarding the 'buy-and-sell'-possibilities of real estate and land for foreigners.

Maybe, just maybe, we could try to contact and 'win' some important people for 'our' case, both Thai and Foreigners.

It would be interesting to see if we could win the support of the Government (the PM) and convince them of the enormous win-win situation for the Thai people and country if the laws could change in such a way that it would be more easy for foreigners to be able to buy/sell real estate and land.

The economy of the country will, no doubt, see an enormous 'boost' in investments both from foreign companies as well as private investors.

Maybe we could win the support from some high-ranked economists from Universities, MP's of the party of the PM, etc.

What do you think?

LaoPo

[mcfester]

PM happy to tackle foreigners’ complaints

BANGKOK: -- Foreign visitors and expatriates have joined locals to air their problems via the grievance box located in front of Baan Phitsanulok, the prime minister’s official residence.

“I am pleased to try and tackle problems for Thais as well as foreigners. Many problems have come to my attention through the grievance box,” Thaksin Shinawatra said yesterday in his weekly radio talk.

Thaksin said he had gained new perspectives from reading a myriad of complaints.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Dear George,

Although the focus of this topic is towards 'complaints', I wonder if it would be possible to try and set-up a Lobby.

A Lobby regarding the possibility for 'easing' the rules regarding the 'buy-and-sell'-possibilities of real estate and land for foreigners.

Maybe, just maybe, we could try to contact and 'win' some important people for 'our' case, both Thai and Foreigners.

It would be interesting to see if we could win the support of the Government (the PM) and convince them of the enormous win-win situation for the Thai people and country if the laws could change in such a way that it would be more easy for foreigners to be able to buy/sell real estate and land.

The economy of the country will, no doubt, see an enormous 'boost' in investments both from foreign companies as well as private investors.

Maybe we could win the support from some high-ranked economists from Universities, MP's of the party of the PM, etc.

What do you think?

LaoPo

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I thought that was what the good old PM was already doing, aquiring as much land as possible whilst in power and then just before he gets kicked out change the law so he can sell to foreign investers and lose even more of LOS to foreign corps that will eventually lead this place to its demise.

Where have you been? Or are you too much wrapped up in selling LOS you have forgotten the reasons why we love this place?

Hope you do well in 'winning' for 'your' cause.

[Totster]

hey George - there is an idea for a new forum - Open Letters to PM Taksin. I wonder if he would ever read it

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

my god... that would take some looking after...

totster

[george]

hey George - there is an idea for a new forum - Open Letters to PM Taksin. I wonder if he would ever read it

Grievance Box to Receive Complaints from the General Public (16/06/2004)

The Government has put up a grievance box to receive complaints, suggestions, or comments from the general public.

The box is found in front of Phitsanulok Mansion on Phitsanulok Road, Dusit District of Bangkok. Phitsanulok Mansion is on the left side from the foot of the Yommarat overpass before Government House. It is regarded as the Prime Minister’s official residence, but Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra does not stay there; he uses it as a meeting venue. A group of generals are working for him at this official residence.

The Prime Minister revealed that he had came up with the idea of installing the grievance box after he invited taxi drivers to meet him at Government House on May 16 to listen to their complaints and recommendations. The Government is making efforts to ease their problems, such as those concerning the use of NGV to replace expensive fuel oil. The Prime Minister said that there were still many people facing difficulties or harassment, and that they had no idea where they should turn to for help. So he decided to place this box in front of Phitsanulok Mansion for people to drop letters expressing their complaints.

Secretary-General to the Prime Minister Yongyut Tiyapirat has formed a working team to handle grievances and suggestions from the public. The Prime Minister said that the letters would be kept secret and that only him and the working team would know the contents of the letters. The working team would compile, summarize, and analyze the complaints for the Prime Minister. Then the authorities involved would be instructed to help solve the problems faced by those who had submitted the complaints. Some problems might lead to the adjustment of certain government policies. The Prime Minister believes that the grievance box will be a way out for people facing difficulties. He said that the letters could be written with any kinds of pens, pencils, and paper. He cares for the content, and not the form.

Prime Minister Thaksin opened the grievance box by himself for the first time on May 31, 2004. Government Spokesman Jakrapob Penkair said that from May 29 to 31, there were 236 letters in the box at Phitsanulok Mansion. The letters contained a variety of complaints, such as unfair treatment from the authorities. Many of them sought government support for various areas, such as funding sources and poverty eradication. Mr. Jakrapob said that the grievance box provided the people with direct access to the Prime Minister without passing through the bureaucratic system. He said that the Prime Minister has assigned the Secretary-General to the Prime Minister to ensure that the complaints would lead to the solving of people’s problems.

According to the Government Spokesman, Prime Minister Thaksin wanted provincial governors nationwide to represent him in receiving complaints from local residents in their respective provinces. In this connection, the governors were asked to place grievance boxes in front of their residences. Apart from dropping letters of complaints in the grievance box, people may also post their complaints or suggestions in the mail to be sent to this address: Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Phitsanulok Mansion, Bangkok 10300. No stamp is required for these letters.

In the provinces, if there are problems that can be solved by localities, the Government will ask provincial governors to handle them. If they need to be considered by the central administration, they will be forwarded to Bangkok. The Government has described the installation of the grievance box as a way of accelerating the tackling of people’s problems.

[LaoPo]

Where have you been? Or are you too much wrapped up in selling LOS you have forgotten the reasons why we love this place?

Hope you do well in 'winning' for 'your' cause.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Quite a cynical answer, don't you think?

I'm coming on and off to Thailand for more than 30 years and I can tell you that I have seen many places change during those years.

I'm sorry to inform you that for the most part the so called 'tourist' changed Thailand, not just the Thai themselves. The Thai adapted to the tourist and welcomed them because it meant more money in the pocket of the same. Apart from that the Thai Government (Tourist Board) promoted Thailand World-Wide on an immense scale as a tourist destination. And the tourists came!

I probably loved Thailand well before you did. What about you? I am not talking about 'my' cause since I don't own real estate or land in LOS but would like to live on my own land and house, yes. Any problems with that?

I could buy and own a house and land in many countries in the world....the point is, I love Thailand more than any other country.

But since the laws are so strict and in a certain way 'crazy' (also long before the PM came to power!) with the 30-year lease construction, I put up my question.

You are probably one of those on this forum, considering Thailand as 'your' private country.

Sorry, it isn't and never will be.

LaoPo

[billd766]

Which farang will be brave enough to make a complaint to the Prime Minister, giving all his contact details?

Not me!

[mcfester]

hey George - there is an idea for a new forum - Open Letters to PM Taksin. I wonder if he would ever read it

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Apart from dropping letters of complaints in the grievance box, people may also post their complaints or suggestions in the mail to be sent to this address: Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Phitsanulok Mansion, Bangkok 10300. No stamp is required for these letters.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If anyone can get a picture of how many sacks arrive this week would be great, especially when the lobby gets going full scale, maybe we can lobby the students to send mail.

[The_Other_Mac]

Doesn't anyone have a positive comment on this topic, at least to acknowledge that the PM has just made a friendly gesture towards the farang community?

[LaoPo]

Doesn't anyone have a positive comment on this topic, at least to acknowledge that the PM has just made a friendly gesture towards the farang community?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree with you.

I see a lot of people on this forum just posting cynical and negative comments all the time about almost every topic.

I'll bet anything, if they would receive an invitation from the PM to discuss a business deal on which they would benefit enormously, they would run to the next tailor to have a new suit made, and accept the invitation...

Cynical and negative people are just insecure about themselves because if they would be positive thinkers they would react different.

Glass half empty....or half full...

I wonder if it is the heat&humidity, fighting with their missus, missing Mom back home, too much to drink or just boredom in this beautiful country...

Don't pay too much attention to them. They're loosers.

LaoPo

[bangkokian]

In the past, before I was born, "foreigners" were invited to the palace, and they can own a landed home. Some even get land for free. Jim Thompson used to own the Thai house didn't he? Thai nationals who currently own the most valuable lands and influential bussinesses in Thailand are descendants of mainland Chinese settlers who had a knack for bussiness.

I have a phobia for conglomerates, and that does not exclude the local ones--e.g. C....P....

Peace

[bangkokian]

Who co-founded the oldest law firm in Thailand?

Not a Tai,nor an Indian, nor a Chinese, or a Laotian.

Who owns it now?

[penzman]

I thought he'd be busy keeping up with his 2nd promise to eradicate poverty and corruption in Thailand. Maybe he's heard rumours of starving farangs.

[Abandon]

So what is the Thai visa forum message to the PM ?? What are the items on our agenda ??

1) review the ludicrous visa laws that allow people to stay via visa runs, but make it so insufferably difficult for many to get a decent visa. We would want fair work visas of a year for teachers and other service related expat trades, and a 5 year visa for long term stayers who have close ties with Thailand and who can look after themselves financially.

2) review of land laws and ownership for foreigners, allowing modest ownership of small residential property in ones own name.

If a number of TV posters wanted, a group letter would have more imapct than idle rants on this forum, or individual complaints. But are we willing to put our pens where our mouths are ?

[mraloha]

even if you could own land here the only land worth buying is owned by the army and government.

also, land is way over priced now. take chaingmai, my wife and i recently inquired about 10 rai in our neighborhood, chang kein, and the owner wanted 100 million baht for it. then we went to look at some "illegal" land up the mountain on a dirt road and it turned out the chinese owner was selling two rai of the slope of the hill he was living on. he said you could build a house on steps. he wanted 400k baht for the slope on his hill.

the major problem in this country in my mind is not a farang problem, but a problem for all, pollution and improper disposal of garbage. i believe it will come back to bite thailand like a two headed snake.

chaingmai is going through major development now. allot of major tourist venues are being constructed. but who is going to want to come to them when you can't even see the mountains surrounding the city because of carbon from cars and people burning everything up.

[mraloha]

Doesn't anyone have a positive comment on this topic, at least to acknowledge that the PM has just made a friendly gesture towards the farang community?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree with you.

I see a lot of people on this forum just posting cynical and negative comments all the time about almost every topic.

I'll bet anything, if they would receive an invitation from the PM to discuss a business deal on which they would benefit enormously, they would run to the next tailor to have a new suit made, and accept the invitation...

Cynical and negative people are just insecure about themselves because if they would be positive thinkers they would react different.

Glass half empty....or half full...

I wonder if it is the heat&humidity, fighting with their missus, missing Mom back home, too much to drink or just boredom in this beautiful country...

Don't pay too much attention to them. They're loosers.

LaoPo

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[/quote

intolerant people like you are the biggest losers. i can sense some negativity and insecurity in your attitude toward people who you perceive as being negative. tight a#ss people like you bore me...i'll take losers anyday over the anal rententives of the world!

[LaoPo]

intolerant people like you are the biggest losers. i can sense some negativity and insecurity in your attitude toward people who you perceive as being negative. tight a#ss people like you bore me...i'll take losers anyday over the anal rententives of the world!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank you for making me smile your comment above says more about yourself than me

LaoPo

[The_Other_Mac]

even if you could own land here the only land worth buying is owned by the army and government.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, yes, of course it is. And they use it for experiments on captured aliens.

[Som Nam Na]

I appreciate the "gesture". And the reason it is met with so much cynicism is that is it is perveived as just that....a gesture. For those people who have lived long enough here (i don't count myself amongst those since I've only been here 2 years), then they have seen many empty promises and a lot of hot air.

As for immigration. I regulalry have to interface with them (yes visa runs...too young to get a retiremnet visa) and I have definately seen their attitude change over the last 2 years...for the better.

Now, they are very curtious, polite and address me as sir, whereas before I was more of a fly in their soup.

Thailand is changing, but I don't think the results I have seen have been from government directions, more form the everyday worker interacting more with forigners.

Saying that. It still pisses me off that when you take a bird out 10 of her male "friends" still try to get some free drinks!

[kat]

even if you could own land here the only land worth buying is owned by the army and government.

also, land is way over priced now. take chaingmai, my wife and i recently inquired about 10 rai in our neighborhood, chang kein, and the owner wanted 100 million baht for it. then we went to look at some "illegal" land up the mountain on a dirt road and it turned out the chinese owner was selling  two rai of the slope of the hill he was living on. he said you could build a house on steps. he wanted 400k baht for the slope on his hill.

the major problem in this country in my mind is not a farang problem, but a problem for all, pollution and improper disposal of garbage. i believe it will come back to bite thailand like a two headed snake.

chaingmai is going through major development now. allot of major tourist venues are being constructed. but who is going to want to come to them when you can't even see the mountains surrounding the city because of carbon from cars and people burning everything up.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well done. I'd also like to add that non-transparent and ridiculous business offers are not the way to get rich quickly.

[DaveYo]

Hmmmmm, talking about the value of land here and how such is priced. Here in Nakhon Sawan for 1 rai of land, the owner wanted 40 million baht!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just like the law dictates.

Really I do believe that most foreigners here would be happy to own say 200 feet by 200 feet of land and build their house right there smack in the middle.

This amounts to about 1/10th of an acre.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So why Thailand want us to cough up the big bucks and force many of us out of owning just an itty bitty piece of real estate is beyond me.

For me 1 rai of land is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy wayyyyyyyyyyy too much. I have no use for that much real estate.

Daveyo

PS TO GEORGE: Thanks George for giving us a more precise location of where the PM's box is located.

[sriracha john]

Doesn't anyone have a positive comment on this topic, at least to acknowledge that the PM has just made a friendly gesture towards the farang community?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree with you.

I see a lot of people on this forum just posting cynical and negative comments all the time about almost every topic.

I'll bet anything, if they would receive an invitation from the PM to discuss a business deal on which they would benefit enormously, they would run to the next tailor to have a new suit made, and accept the invitation...

Cynical and negative people are just insecure about themselves because if they would be positive thinkers they would react different.

Glass half empty....or half full...

I wonder if it is the heat&humidity, fighting with their missus, missing Mom back home, too much to drink or just boredom in this beautiful country...

Don't pay too much attention to them. They're loosers.

LaoPo

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

we ARE talking about Thaksin in this thread, right???

what has he done for the farang community that is so positive?...

disregarding this particular bit of fluff publicity, of course.