PEOPLE'S AGENDA

Academics cool on impact

By The Nation

The "People's Agenda" of the government was unlikely to resolve real problems for people in the long-term but would help people reduce their financial burden in the short term, academics said yesterday.

"The government just wants to achieve its political goal," Pitch Pongsawat, a political lecturer at Thammasat University, said after Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva announced the People's Agenda for 2011 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre yesterday.

Pitch said he could see good things from the policy that would help people working in the informal sector to enter social-welfare schemes. But he thought this was not different from the healthcare scheme under the National Health Security Fund.

People would benefit in the short term as the People's Agenda mainly focused on economic sectors.

Although the government would continue the subsidy for cooking gas used by consumers, and allow low-income people who use less than 90 units of power per month to be exempt from paying bills on a permanent basis, Pitch said people would not increase their incomes. Moreover, the policy would not boost investment opportunities.

Asked if the policy would help the Democrat Party win the next election, Pitch doubted it would boost them enough to win the poll. "Most of the targeted groups are not Democrat Party voters," he explained.

Abhisit Vejjajiva announced that self-employed people could join the Social Security scheme in July, and start paying Bt100 a month to the scheme to enjoy benefits like company employees.

Narong Petprasert of Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Economics said the policy was not based on the real lives of people, especially self-employed workers. But there was no explanation about the policy to get self-employed workers to join the Social Security Fund.

A motorbike driver, Pong, who has had a motorbike taxi in Bangkok's Nang Lerng for more than 13 years, said all motorcycle taxi queues in Bangkok were controlled by influential people or mafia, who teamed up with police to take advantage of motorcycle taxi riders. They had to pay money to these mafia or they would not be able to join and provide a motorcycle taxi service in that area.

The queue's headman had to give a bribe to police every month so they could operate without problems.

"My friend who rides a motorcycle taxi at Klong Mahanak told me that he has to pay Bt25 a day to the queue's headman. After that, the headman will take his money to give to the police. I think the policy that urges police to not collect money from motorcycle taxi riders would be impossible to impose although the government may consider the issue serious," he said.

They had tried to implement the policy under former Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej but it never succeeded. The government should conduct a study to find out the causes of why it failed.

-- The Nation 2011-01-10

It is funny how the paper turns the opinion of two university lecturers into a broad based opinion. "Academics think this. etc" lol

I'm a Thailand academic, and I disagree. So there.

Asked if the policy would help the Democrat Party win the next election, Pitch doubted it would boost them enough to win the poll. "Most of the targeted groups are not Democrat Party voters," he explained.

What makes him think that they won't vote differently this time?

It's some strange logic coming from an "academic". Oh wait, it's a Thai academic.

It is funny how the paper turns the opinion of two university lecturers into a broad based opinion. "Academics think this. etc" lol

I'm a Thailand academic, and I disagree. So there.

I get your point completely. Unfortunately, when ajarns from Thammasat and Chula speak up, it is paid a disproportionate amount of attention and is considered opinion often beyond criticism.

I'm a tad tired of the attention that these academic's utterings receives. These are people who went to school and then progressed to university - and then stayed there. Their knowledge of the real world, particularly of industry, is sadly lacking.

If they want to contribute to the well being of Thailand I suggest that they turn their attention to cleaning up the education system, and in particular the awarding of degrees and diplomas.

It is funny how the paper turns the opinion of two university lecturers into a broad based opinion. "Academics think this. etc" lol

I'm a Thailand academic, and I disagree. So there.

Sorry Tiger I respect your opinions (even if some of them are wrong) I did not know you are a academic and what I say does not include you.

When I saw academics are cool on the agenda my first thought even though I hadn't read the article was It must be a red hot Agenda.

Edited January 10, 201115 yr by jayjay0

I love the report about the payoffs to police to allow the taxi riders to operate. I mean they have to pay to get a job? They take a risk, get credit to buy a bike and then have to pay off the BiB ongoing and continuously? Is there no end to the filth of this system? I hope the PM instigates the licensing of the taxi riders and cuts out the middle men and the BiB. Give these guys a chance not to be looked upon as lazy or low end of Thai society because no matter what, they are still prepared to work for a living and they also provide essential services to people where public transport is inadequate. Let the academics be cool about that!

Sorry Tiger I respect your opinions (even if some of them are wrong)

I am frequently wrong - just ask my wife. Although, with it comes to Thailand politics on TV, I am always right.

I am frequently wrong - just ask my wife. Although, with it comes to Thailand politics on TV, I am always right.

That reminds me of what a drill instructor told me when I was in basic training after I joined the U.S. Army.

He said, "Gentlemen, I want you to understand that although what I tell you may be temporarily INCORRECT, I am NEVER wrong".

Sorry Tiger I respect your opinions (even if some of them are wrong)

I am frequently wrong - just ask my wife. Although, with it comes to Thailand politics on TV, I am always right.

Understood