Bangkok Bus Spat Is A Smokescreen For The Sharing Of Spoils

[webfact]

SIDELINE

Bus spat is a smokescreen for the sharing of spoils

By Sopon Onkgara

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Democrats have locked horns with their key coalition partner, Bhum Jai Thai, once again. And again, it's the same old bone of contention - the Bt63 billion lease of a fleet of 4,000 NGV-fuelled city buses.

There is nothing serious about this posturing; it's just a periodic blame game played mutually by both sides before they strike another cosy deal.

Of course, the rumours of a possible breakup of the coalition have always been part of the game. A lot of people regard this as a love-hate relationship. But make no mistake about it: Loud arguments usually precede big kickbacks. The tactic this time is for both parties to have a heated war of words before they settle down to another successful benefit-sharing scheme.

The other day, a deputy communications minister under Bhum Jai Thai stated matter-of-factly that it's not a remote possibility for his party to reconcile with Pheu Thai under the unofficial leadership of Thaksin Shinawatra. He cited the well-known truism that "in politics, there is no permanent friend, no permanent foe", but did not say further that there is "only permanent interest". He could have presumed that everybody knows this latter fact of life all too well.

Yet, the "threat" was powerful enough for the Democrats to react quickly to pacify hotshot figures in Bhum Jai Thai, relaying the message that they should not be too worried about the delay in Cabinet's approval of the controversial bus deal. But they didn't feel the need to say outright that it is just a matter of time before the Democrats switch on the green light for the bus fleet.

Those who know about gutter politics - rotten and blatant in the corrupt Thai style - also know that the project promoters have to share in the spoils as well. It is unthinkable that they would not get a sizeable if not equal share as the political partners. Behind all decisions for project approval, there are political costs that must be returned to form campaign war chests.

The open huffs and puffs displayed by Bhum Jai Thai confirm again that the Democrats are not ready to break the coalition partnership. Both want to remain in power because many projects with huge funds need to be approved through the expenditure budget, due for another House vote. It will all be for mutual gain.

Parting ways before a closed deal is counter-productive and will lead to deprivation of funds, not to mention missed opportunities in personal wealth creation schemes. Nevertheless, the Democrats still had to display due concern over their partner's negative posturing, not out of real care, but just to convince the public that they do care for the national interest.

Bhum Jai Thai is aware that it has already benefited from many plum projects; these in addition to strengthening its political power base through control of the Interior Ministry. Key appointments of top ministry officials have gone smoothly without any interference, despite their fishy nature.

What's more? The party has not proven itself a true friend of the Democrats. During the red-shirt crisis, all the coalition partners distanced themselves from the Democrats, playing it safe, hoping that if the red shirts won, they would be able to resume their political partnership with Thaksin for co-existence and benefit-sharing.

Neither side will lose sleep over this all-too-familiar posturing. Pheu Thai also knows there is only a remote chance of the coalition breaking up due to the current windfalls for the partners. Politics is played for short-term benefit because the likelihood of Thaksin returning to power is also a distant possibility as well.

What now then? The public has to tolerate this feigned power play. The people will have to accept the current political partnership because other alternatives are much less palatable, including the dreadful prospect of the red shirts resuming their rallies and Pheu Thai winning the general election and regaining power.

Due to pressure from rights groups, the Cabinet wants to revoke the emergency decree in areas considered safe from red-shirt threats and terror. The Democrats are playing a juggling game, drawing public attention to topical issues to blur the focus on big-time corruption. The ongoing conflict with Cambodia is a hot issue suitable for this diversionary game.

The draft budget bill will pass. Bhum Jai Thai knows that it is not strong enough to go its own way. The military would be displeased by a sudden security problem. That's why the party has to please others while showing displeasure toward the Democrats. Otherwise, how would they survive nicely without gutter politics and their opportunities for big kickbacks?

-- The Nation 2010-08-17

[philw]

Sad, sad, sad.

How pathetic is Thai politics.

And good old Mark is as complicit as the rest.

Seems pretty hopeless.

[hammered]

Sad, sad, sad.

How pathetic is Thai politics.

And good old Mark is as complicit as the rest.

Seems pretty hopeless.

Not just Thai poltics but the world over.

[animatic]

Sad, sad, sad.

How pathetic is Thai politics.

And good old Mark is as complicit as the rest.

Seems pretty hopeless.

Not just Thai poltics but the world over.

Ditto

[jayboy]

Sad, sad, sad.

How pathetic is Thai politics.

And good old Mark is as complicit as the rest.

Seems pretty hopeless.

Not just Thai poltics but the world over.

Ditto

What utter rubbish, another example of half baked moral relativism.Reality is that Thai politics is along with other third world countries appallingly venal and corrupt.There are some shining examples like Costa Rica,Botswana defying the trend.Countries like New Zealand,Sweden,Norway,Denmark are far superior.Other countries like UK,Germany,Australia all have higher standards.Of course corruption can be found almost any where but to suggest Thailand is other than a particularly disgusting example is to be almost wilfully blind.And by the way I do not believe Abhisit to be as complicit as the rest:he's almost unique among Thai leaders in seeking to minimise political corruption.

[powderpuff]

Kickbacks.

Same game different day.

Corruption.

Fact of life in Thailand. World over probably.

[laocowboy2]

An impressive denunciation. I would not like to write life assurance on the author however! Telling the unvarnished truth (and doing everything except naming names) is rarely healthy in Thailand.

[kcore]

Sad, sad, sad.

How pathetic is Thai politics.

And good old Mark is as complicit as the rest.

Seems pretty hopeless.

Not just Thai poltics but the world over.

Ditto

Ditto - Ditto

[scorecard]

Sad, sad, sad.

How pathetic is Thai politics.

And good old Mark is as complicit as the rest.

Seems pretty hopeless.

Not just Thai poltics but the world over.

Ditto

What utter rubbish, another example of half baked moral relativism.Reality is that Thai politics is along with other third world countries appallingly venal and corrupt.There are some shining examples like Costa Rica,Botswana defying the trend.Countries like New Zealand,Sweden,Norway,Denmark are far superior.Other countries like UK,Germany,Australia all have higher standards.Of course corruption can be found almost any where but to suggest Thailand is other than a particularly disgusting example is to be almost wilfully blind.And by the way I do not believe Abhisit to be as complicit as the rest:he's almost unique among Thai leaders in seeking to minimise political corruption.

Also agree that PM Abhisit is not compliant to the corruption. In fact he's the first Thai PM who has had the guts to stand up and take real action on corruption:

- He instantly dismissed a democrat from a ministerial job (first time ever for a Thai PM)

- He has stood up to a coalition member (the case at hand now - the bus deal) and demanded accountability and insight into why this scheme should go ahead (again, a first time ever for a Thai PM.

What I do find unfortunate for PM Abhisit (along with his sidekick K. Korn) is that they must operate inside of a nightmare of rogues (from all parties) who are mostly incapable, lacking severly in sincerity, and highly corrupt.

I hope Abhisit can hang on and eventually take Thailand into a better picture of politics and politicians. It's going to take time and patience and the question is " will the electorate get impatient and swing away, purely out of impatience?"

Hang in there mark!

[hammered]

Sad, sad, sad.

How pathetic is Thai politics.

And good old Mark is as complicit as the rest.

Seems pretty hopeless.

Not just Thai poltics but the world over.

Ditto

What utter rubbish, another example of half baked moral relativism.Reality is that Thai politics is along with other third world countries appallingly venal and corrupt.There are some shining examples like Costa Rica,Botswana defying the trend.Countries like New Zealand,Sweden,Norway,Denmark are far superior.Other countries like UK,Germany,Australia all have higher standards.Of course corruption can be found almost any where but to suggest Thailand is other than a particularly disgusting example is to be almost wilfully blind.And by the way I do not believe Abhisit to be as complicit as the rest:he's almost unique among Thai leaders in seeking to minimise political corruption.

Bribery and corruption are part and parcel of UK, US and French international business deals and when uncovered not always investigated. Remember the little UK-Saudi affair where it wasnt in the national interest to investigate it? Iraq and Afghanistan are awash with unaccounted for wads of dollars being passed around for something or the other. Then there are arms deals which always need sweeteners. Im sure Lord Ashcrofts untaxed millions targetting 60 UK constituences woudl bnot be regarded as vote buying even though they no doubt affected outcome. And I wonder if the UKs sudden found desire to hunt down social security fraud will be extended to with such vigour to hunting donw the tax dodgers that cost the country far more but who donate to the current ruling party? I guess that is not corruption, to donate to a party and expect them to ignore your excesses. There are many more. It is not half baked moral relativism but reality.

How many massive arms deals has Thailand been involved in that have led to thousands of deaths of poor people in far off foreign lands? How many illegal wars has Thailand started resulting in the routine killing of local civilians that arent even investigated and over which there is no proper jurisdiction. Corruption is not just about brown envelopes, but too often the western powers and their people decide that only they can define what corruption is and that is mainly something that is committed by those that havent achieved the glorious levels of enlightenment that exist in the west and which have led to the rape of the planet to what may be a tipping point whioch the great majority will suffer from without even being involved in the cause

There are far far worse things than Thai corruption and far far worse people than Abhisit (or Thaksin) who have done far far worse things that we turn a supposedly educated blind eye to while calling out the locals here with some neo-colonialist or neo-imperialist attitude. And that is not to excuse what happens in Thailand but to put it into a real rather than artificially created context.

[jayboy]

Bribery and corruption are part and parcel of UK, US and French international business deals and when uncovered not always investigated. Remember the little UK-Saudi affair where it wasnt in the national interest to investigate it? Iraq and Afghanistan are awash with unaccounted for wads of dollars being passed around for something or the other. Then there are arms deals which always need sweeteners. Im sure Lord Ashcrofts untaxed millions targetting 60 UK constituences woudl bnot be regarded as vote buying even though they no doubt affected outcome. And I wonder if the UKs sudden found desire to hunt down social security fraud will be extended to with such vigour to hunting donw the tax dodgers that cost the country far more but who donate to the current ruling party? I guess that is not corruption, to donate to a party and expect them to ignore your excesses. There are many more. It is not half baked moral relativism but reality.

How many massive arms deals has Thailand been involved in that have led to thousands of deaths of poor people in far off foreign lands? How many illegal wars has Thailand started resulting in the routine killing of local civilians that arent even investigated and over which there is no proper jurisdiction. Corruption is not just about brown envelopes, but too often the western powers and their people decide that only they can define what corruption is and that is mainly something that is committed by those that havent achieved the glorious levels of enlightenment that exist in the west and which have led to the rape of the planet to what may be a tipping point whioch the great majority will suffer from without even being involved in the cause

There are far far worse things than Thai corruption and far far worse people than Abhisit (or Thaksin) who have done far far worse things that we turn a supposedly educated blind eye to while calling out the locals here with some neo-colonialist or neo-imperialist attitude. And that is not to excuse what happens in Thailand but to put it into a real rather than artificially created context.

Oh Blimey Dave Spart has escaped from the columns of Private Eye, semi-educated lefty at work.

Yeah yeah everywhere is like corrupt man.On the one hand and on the other.Thailand's no worse than anywhere else.It's all the West's fault for culturally defining what corruption is anyway.Like George Bush's and Tony Blair's crimes, just as bad as what goes on here,man.

God I haven't seen so many tired worn out dishonest cliches in years.

The general sentiment, to be serious for a moment, is an insult to all those Thais trying to create a better and cleaner society

[Credo]

There is right and wrong and then there is corrupt. Corrupt and wrong usually go together. In the case of thailand, there are limited benefits for the average person with the corruption that exists and a huge cost to society that includes a moral cost.

As Thailand embarks on an international mission to send a warship and 171 naval personnel to the coast of Somalia, I wonder if they will follow the moral high ground. Is this a good will gesture or is someone benefiting financially?

[jayboy]

There is right and wrong and then there is corrupt. Corrupt and wrong usually go together. In the case of thailand, there are limited benefits for the average person with the corruption that exists and a huge cost to society that includes a moral cost.

As Thailand embarks on an international mission to send a warship and 171 naval personnel to the coast of Somalia, I wonder if they will follow the moral high ground. Is this a good will gesture or is someone benefiting financially?

I suggest neither.Thailand has a strategic interest in the area given that a number of Thai vessels have been seized by Somali pirates.I would have thought this was exactly the kind of valuable work the Thai navy should be doing.

If you want an example of heart stopping greed,arrogance and incompetence in the Thai navy look no further than the purchase a few years ago of the aircraft carrier from Spain.

[laocowboy2]

There is right and wrong and then there is corrupt. Corrupt and wrong usually go together. In the case of thailand, there are limited benefits for the average person with the corruption that exists and a huge cost to society that includes a moral cost.

As Thailand embarks on an international mission to send a warship and 171 naval personnel to the coast of Somalia, I wonder if they will follow the moral high ground. Is this a good will gesture or is someone benefiting financially?

I suggest neither.Thailand has a strategic interest in the area given that a number of Thai vessels have been seized by Somali pirates.I would have thought this was exactly the kind of valuable work the Thai navy should be doing.

If you want an example of heart stopping greed,arrogance and incompetence in the Thai navy look no further than the purchase a few years ago of the aircraft carrier from Spain.

There are two sorts of corruption. One is simply the kickback from the successful bidder. Morally wrong no doubt but as long as (a) the equipment was actually needed and ( it works, what happens is just that the price goes up. Much more damaging is where corruption means things are bought that are not needed (your carrier) and/or do not work (the explosives scanners etc etc). Not only is much more money wasted, people can get seriously hurt as well. Living as I do in India, I would prefer corrupt Thai road contracts (where there is at least a road left after it rains) to our local variety where anything more than a drizzle produces potholes!

[MAJIC]

There is right and wrong and then there is corrupt. Corrupt and wrong usually go together. In the case of thailand, there are limited benefits for the average person with the corruption that exists and a huge cost to society that includes a moral cost.

As Thailand embarks on an international mission to send a warship and 171 naval personnel to the coast of Somalia, I wonder if they will follow the moral high ground. Is this a good will gesture or is someone benefiting financially?

I suggest neither.Thailand has a strategic interest in the area given that a number of Thai vessels have been seized by Somali pirates.I would have thought this was exactly the kind of valuable work the Thai navy should be doing.

If you want an example of heart stopping greed,arrogance and incompetence in the Thai navy look no further than the purchase a few years ago of the aircraft carrier from Spain.

There are two sorts of corruption. One is simply the kickback from the successful bidder. Morally wrong no doubt but as long as (a) the equipment was actually needed and ( it works, what happens is just that the price goes up. Much more damaging is where corruption means things are bought that are not needed (your carrier) and/or do not work (the explosives scanners etc etc). Not only is much more money wasted, people can get seriously hurt as well. Living as I do in India, I would prefer corrupt Thai road contracts (where there is at least a road left after it rains) to our local variety where anything more than a drizzle produces potholes!

Try getting out to Thai villages if you want to compare potholes.

[laocowboy2]

There is right and wrong and then there is corrupt. Corrupt and wrong usually go together. In the case of thailand, there are limited benefits for the average person with the corruption that exists and a huge cost to society that includes a moral cost.

As Thailand embarks on an international mission to send a warship and 171 naval personnel to the coast of Somalia, I wonder if they will follow the moral high ground. Is this a good will gesture or is someone benefiting financially?

I suggest neither.Thailand has a strategic interest in the area given that a number of Thai vessels have been seized by Somali pirates.I would have thought this was exactly the kind of valuable work the Thai navy should be doing.

If you want an example of heart stopping greed,arrogance and incompetence in the Thai navy look no further than the purchase a few years ago of the aircraft carrier from Spain.

There are two sorts of corruption. One is simply the kickback from the successful bidder. Morally wrong no doubt but as long as (a) the equipment was actually needed and ( it works, what happens is just that the price goes up. Much more damaging is where corruption means things are bought that are not needed (your carrier) and/or do not work (the explosives scanners etc etc). Not only is much more money wasted, people can get seriously hurt as well. Living as I do in India, I would prefer corrupt Thai road contracts (where there is at least a road left after it rains) to our local variety where anything more than a drizzle produces potholes!

Try getting out to Thai villages if you want to compare potholes.

I am talking central Delhi. Indian villages do not usually have formal roads to them unless they are (a) on a highway or (better) ( in the parliamentary constituency of a seriously big hitter.

[chantorn]

Not true. The reason why this bus corruption scheme did not go through is because it is under the watch of Mark. mark simply will not allow corruption of any kind. Even gives more than 3,000 baht has been turn back to old granny.

[rubl]

I am talking central Delhi. Indian villages do not usually have formal roads to them unless they are (a) on a highway or (better) ( in the parliamentary constituency of a seriously big hitter.

As for B, funny you'd say that. Rumour has it Suphan Buri has very nice highways for a small provincial town. No relation with khun B. I guess

[tomyummer]

When will we learn that every government contract is either 30% less in quality or 30% overpaid? Where's the room for the country to grow and prosper as a whole? Spread the wealth around. The idea should be that if there is any corruption and cheating to go around, it shouldn't be within your own country. Don't rip off your own people. Pillage from your neighbors! Burma's ripe for an invasion with all the coastal waters and natural resources (use the excuse for building nuclear power plants next to the Thai border across from Hua Hin), Laos has some fertile land (latte anyone?), Cambodia still has antiquities (and temples). Learn from the US in the example of Iraq, or the British Empire. Invade a country and hire your own national enterprises (in the case of Iraq, defense contractors, arms, rebuilding, etc.). Thailand needs to get it's act together and cheat as one nation, not individuals. At least K. B gave some back to his hometown of Suphanburi. dam_n nice roads!