Thai Govt Accused Of Many Failures

[webfact]

Govt accused of many 'failures

By The Nation

The opposition yesterday filed a censure motion against Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and nine other Cabinet members, accusing them of failure in running the country, inefficiency, corruption, and abuse of power, among others.

In the motion filed with House Speaker Chai Chidchob yesterday, the opposition made seven allegations against the prime minister.

The nine other Cabinet members to be grilled along with the PM are Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij, Commerce Minister Porntiva Nakasai, Information and Communications Technology Minister Chuti Krairiksh, PM's Office Minister Ong-art Klampaiboon, Interior Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul, Deputy Agriculture Minister Supachai Phosu, Transport Minister Sophon Saram and Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya.

The 10 targeted Cabinet members are from the Democrat and Bhum Jai Thai parties, the coalition's two largest groups.

The seven allegations against the prime minister are:

- Failure to run the country according to the policy guidelines declared before Parliament before assuming office; failing to adhere to good governance, and condoning corruption.

- Intentional violation of the Constitution and other laws; failure to respect democratic principles and human rights; ordering the killings of people and distorting facts to conceal his wrongdoing about the incident.

- Interference with personnel transfers of the bureaucracy, and ignoring the principle of merit.

- Failure to adhere to monetary discipline leading to massive public debts. The PM is accused of helping cigarette importer Philip Morris (Thailand) evade the charge of falsely reporting on cigarette imports, which allegedly led to the country losing Bt68.8 billion in customs tax, according to a copy of the motion obtained by The Nation yesterday.

- Inefficiency in containing the rising cost of living and failure to ensure sufficient supply of consumer products.

- Complete failure of foreign policies leading to enmity with a foreign country.

- Failure to solve the insurgency problem in the southern border region.

The nine other Cabinet members are collectively accused of inefficiency, abuse of authority, corruption, and suppression of the people.

Pheu Thai has refused to disclose the details of their accusations against the targeted ministers.

Mingkwan Sangsuwan, a key MP from the Pheu Thai Party who is going to lead the opposition's onslaught, led a team of Pheu Thai politicians including opposition chief whip Witthaya Buranasiri in submitting the censure motion to the House speaker yesterday.

Mingkwan, the opposition's PM candidate in case Abhisit is impeached, said yesterday that 122 opposition MPs had signed in support of the no-confidence motion, including three from the Pracharaj Party and one from the Puea Pandin Party. He said the opposition wanted the debate to last four days.

The prime minister said yesterday that the government wanted the censure debate to take place next week but he did not comment about the opposition's request for the debate to last four days.

Earlier yesterday, the premier asked the targeted ministers during the weekly Cabinet meeting whether they were prepared for a censure debate next week and they all agreed to the timing, according to deputy government spokesman Watchara Kannikar.

Watchara, who is also spokesman for the coalition Chart Thai Pattana Party, rejected speculation about any deal with Pheu Thai as no Cabinet member from the junior coalition party has been targeted in the censure motion. He said the reason is that Chart Thai Pattana's Cabinet members are doing a good job.

House Speaker Chai, who is from the Bhum Jai Thai Party, expressed confidence that the targeted ministers from the party would be able to respond to the opposition's allegations satisfactorily. He said members of the public would decide for themselves whose information is convincing.

Meanwhile, Suthep, one of the targeted ministers who is also the Democrat secretary-general, said yesterday that he was not concerned about the upcoming censure debate. When asked to comment on the opposition's request for four days of debate, Suthep responded: "I would rather give them 10 days. A censure debate is full of fun. I have seen it all - I targeted others and was targeted many times," he said.

-- The Nation 2011-03-02

[timekeeper]

on the other hand i would like the reds to tell the Thai people what (if any) good things they have done for the country

empty vessels make the most noise...........

[Bagwan]

I fell about laughing after the first paragraph of the OP. Doesn't the Opposition know anything about Thai culture?

[thailandbluegrass]

on the other hand i would like the reds to tell the Thai people what (if any) good things they have done for the country

empty vessels make the most noise...........

That is a silly post. The Red's as you say are made up of mostly the Poor side of Thai society and consists mostly of "FARMERS." Now if you have to ask what Farmers have done for the country then you really need to think again.

Unless you are so rich that you can afford to buy imported rice, fruit and vegetables then you should be Thanking and supporting these folk.

Also your comment about "empty vessels" is not a very nice thing to say about Thai people.

[asiawatcher]

More wasted time and effort in interference by the opposition who have nothing - no leadership, no policies and no credibility. Surely there must be a way to pass a law to outlaw these lawless outlaws.

[Thai at Heart]

I fell about laughing after the first paragraph of the OP. Doesn't the Opposition know anything about Thai culture?

I wonder what the "among others" accusations are. LOL

The opposition yesterday filed a censure motion against Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and nine other Cabinet members, accusing them of failure in running the country, inefficiency, corruption, and abuse of power, among others.

[timekeeper]

on the other hand i would like the reds to tell the Thai people what (if any) good things they have done for the country

empty vessels make the most noise...........

That is a silly post. The Red's as you say are made up of mostly the Poor side of Thai society and consists mostly of "FARMERS." Now if you have to ask what Farmers have done for the country then you really need to think again.

Unless you are so rich that you can afford to buy imported rice, fruit and vegetables then you should be Thanking and supporting these folk.

Also your comment about "empty vessels" is not a very nice thing to say about Thai people.

i did NOT say that '' The Red's are made up of mostly the Poor side of Thai society and consists mostly of "FARMERS."

please do not attribute quotes to me that i never actually made then call them silly

that's silly

i actually meant the red politicians who will be contesting the next election

they may well be farmers or ex farmers , that's by the by

what i would like to hear is exactly what good they have done in the time they have been in opposition to the Dems

have they actually done anything that has been of benefit to the Thai people, including the farmers you are talking about

apart from maybe paying them 500 baht a day to protest in the Capital and risk being killed for causing trouble and breaking the law

all the good stuff they have enjoyed in terms of subsidies, low rate loans, credit unions, loan sharks pay offs has been given by the Dems

the red politicians have not even thought about a policy for governing the country let alone offer one to the people

the only definitive policy they have is that they will buy the peoples votes, just as their leader Thaksin did before them.

oh as to supporting the farmers and thanking them

i thought most of Thai rice, fruit and vegetables went for export anyway

maybe they should be thanking the west for buying their products......

i think empty vessels is an appropriate term for red politicians

take jatuporn for example.........

[hyperdimension]

i think empty vessels is an appropriate term for red politicians

take jatuporn for example.........

He is not empty but full of watery faeces that is excreted from his mouth. Very honorable, according to thailandbluegrass.

Edited March 2, 2011 by hyperdimension

[rubl]

Two items from the OP:

- Intentional violation of the Constitution and other laws; failure to respect democratic principles and human rights; ordering the killings of people and distorting facts to conceal his wrongdoing about the incident.

- Interference with personnel transfers of the bureaucracy, and ignoring the principle of merit.

Now please remind me, was this against the previous PM Thaksin or against the current PM Abhisit ?

[landofthefree]

on the other hand i would like the reds to tell the Thai people what (if any) good things they have done for the country

empty vessels make the most noise...........

When Thaksin was PM Thailand did not have many of these problems, whatever you think of what he did he was an effective PM who knew how to run a country not a useless one like Abhisit. None of my Thai friends want him back and most of them feel he wont be back after an election.

[rubl]

When Thaksin was PM Thailand did not have many of these problems, whatever you think of what he did he was an effective PM who knew how to run a country not a useless one like Abhisit. None of my Thai friends want him back and most of them feel he wont be back after an election.

One of the reasons k. Thaksin started to behave as he did in 2005/2006 was because of the slowly emerging failure of his 'wonderplans'. Some of his plans didn't really help the country or people longterm, just him and his family and friends. K. Thaksin may be new elite, but elite none the less. K. Abhisit has been less effectful and less successful than would have been possible without continuous obstruction by many sides and the global economical crisis. At least we can praise the government and the opposition for testing finer details of the legal framework with the hundreds of cases filed

[TheyCallmeScooter]

When Thaksin was PM Thailand did not have many of these problems, whatever you think of what he did he was an effective PM who knew how to run a country not a useless one like Abhisit.

landofthefree it was, indeed.

If your last name was Thaksin.

If you had a problem with a police officer?

Not so much.

In that case, the police were free to behave rather extra-judiciously in their 'handling' of you.

[animatic]

Not to mention Thaksin's PPP crew completely missed the coming world economic failure and did absolutely nothing about it, even as K. Korn was writing Op'Eds about it say this is as pressing need to be adressed.

Thaksin the great economist said not a single word about it. When Korn became Minister he immediately started effectively working on minimizing the harm to the nation. He was more than a little successful in this salvage job. He pulled the national bacon from the fire.

Thaksinomics was a sham and a shameful failure, and this is clearly known by all but reddened true believers.

Thaksin benefited from the upswing of world recovery from the Asian meltdown, that he and Chavalit kicked off and helped make much worse, years earlier, but that he 'miraculously' profited on, as most others crashed and burned.

Edited March 4, 2011 by animatic

[Emptyset]

Not to mention Thaksin's PPP crew completely missed the coming world economic failure and did absolutely nothing about it, even as K. Korn was writing Op'Eds about it say this is as pressing need to be adressed.

Thaksin the great economist said not a single word about it. When Korn became Minister he immediately started effectively working on minimizing the harm to the nation. He was more than a little successful in this salvage job. He pulled the national bacon from the fire.

Thaksinomics was a sham and a shameful failure, and this is clearly known by all but reddened true believers.

Thaksin benefited from the upswing of world recovery from the Asian meltdown, that he and Chavalit kicked off and helped make much worse, years earlier, but that he 'miraculously' profited on, as most others crashed and burned.

I don't think Thaksin knows much about economics, I think he took a lot of credit for what was the work of Somkid and others in his team. Why was 'Thaksinomics' a sham, though? I don't think there was much special about it, just basic 'third way' economics... the dual track strategy of trying to make big business succesful and then some measure of redistribution to the 'grassroots'. I don't think the current government is doing much different, are they? 'Thaksinomics' is still the order of the day, it's become the new concensus, practiced by all parties, whatever their rhetoric about 'sufficiency economy' etc. Mind you, I'm merely an interested layman when it comes to economics, so perhaps you could detail how 'Thaksinomics' was a failure and what the current goverment are doing different... ? And also explain how Chavalit 'kicked off' the 97 crisis plus what measures Korn took that PPP didn't... if you could... ?

I'm not disagreeing yet, just want to know your reasoning, because it seems to me that many Thais who aren't 'red' (indeed some who are very anti-red) have told me that they respected TRT's economic team and that that was the best thing about Thaksin's government (perhaps the only redeeming factor for some). I definitely agree that Thaksin benefited from a good deal of economic luck compared to the current government though.

[jimbeam1]

A Censure Debate is full of fun. I think that just about sums it all up.

When I first started reading the topic, I thought that's it firing squad for Abhisit by next weekend Thailand back to amazing by the following week. Oh well.

jb1

[jayjay0]

on the other hand i would like the reds to tell the Thai people what (if any) good things they have done for the country

empty vessels make the most noise...........

That is a silly post. The Red's as you say are made up of mostly the Poor side of Thai society and consists mostly of "FARMERS." Now if you have to ask what Farmers have done for the country then you really need to think again.

Unless you are so rich that you can afford to buy imported rice, fruit and vegetables then you should be Thanking and supporting these folk.

Also your comment about "empty vessels" is not a very nice thing to say about Thai people.

What are you on about now. Every one knows that farmers contribute to the Thai Society. Did you just figure that out. The question was what have the red shirts done for society.

Maybe you are new to Thailand and don't realize seven of there leaders are running for office. If elected are they going to farm? Do they even know how to farm. They obviously seem to know how to fool some of the people all of the time.

[jayjay0]

on the other hand i would like the reds to tell the Thai people what (if any) good things they have done for the country

empty vessels make the most noise...........

That is a silly post. The Red's as you say are made up of mostly the Poor side of Thai society and consists mostly of "FARMERS." Now if you have to ask what Farmers have done for the country then you really need to think again.

Unless you are so rich that you can afford to buy imported rice, fruit and vegetables then you should be Thanking and supporting these folk.

Also your comment about "empty vessels" is not a very nice thing to say about Thai people.

Sorry double post.

Edited March 4, 2011 by jayjay0

[ronz28]

Yep, just throw a stink bomb and repeat the lie, repeat the lie, repeat the lie... maybe someone will believe you.

[jayjay0]

on the other hand i would like the reds to tell the Thai people what (if any) good things they have done for the country

empty vessels make the most noise...........

That is a silly post. The Red's as you say are made up of mostly the Poor side of Thai society and consists mostly of "FARMERS." Now if you have to ask what Farmers have done for the country then you really need to think again.

Unless you are so rich that you can afford to buy imported rice, fruit and vegetables then you should be Thanking and supporting these folk.

Also your comment about "empty vessels" is not a very nice thing to say about Thai people.

i did NOT say that '' The Red's are made up of mostly the Poor side of Thai society and consists mostly of "FARMERS."

please do not attribute quotes to me that i never actually made then call them silly

that's silly

i actually meant the red politicians who will be contesting the next election

they may well be farmers or ex farmers , that's by the by

what i would like to hear is exactly what good they have done in the time they have been in opposition to the Dems

have they actually done anything that has been of benefit to the Thai people, including the farmers you are talking about

apart from maybe paying them 500 baht a day to protest in the Capital and risk being killed for causing trouble and breaking the law

all the good stuff they have enjoyed in terms of subsidies, low rate loans, credit unions, loan sharks pay offs has been given by the Dems

the red politicians have not even thought about a policy for governing the country let alone offer one to the people

the only definitive policy they have is that they will buy the peoples votes, just as their leader Thaksin did before them.

oh as to supporting the farmers and thanking them

i thought most of Thai rice, fruit and vegetables went for export anyway

maybe they should be thanking the west for buying their products......

i think empty vessels is an appropriate term for red politicians

take jatuporn for example.........

'timekeeper' Good points.

thailandbluegrass

Just out of curiosity what were the farmers growing in down town Bangkok.

[jayboy]

Not to mention Thaksin's PPP crew completely missed the coming world economic failure and did absolutely nothing about it, even as K. Korn was writing Op'Eds about it say this is as pressing need to be adressed.

Thaksin the great economist said not a single word about it. When Korn became Minister he immediately started effectively working on minimizing the harm to the nation. He was more than a little successful in this salvage job. He pulled the national bacon from the fire.

Thaksinomics was a sham and a shameful failure, and this is clearly known by all but reddened true believers.

Thaksin benefited from the upswing of world recovery from the Asian meltdown, that he and Chavalit kicked off and helped make much worse, years earlier, but that he 'miraculously' profited on, as most others crashed and burned.

I don't think Thaksin knows much about economics, I think he took a lot of credit for what was the work of Somkid and others in his team. Why was 'Thaksinomics' a sham, though? I don't think there was much special about it, just basic 'third way' economics... the dual track strategy of trying to make big business succesful and then some measure of redistribution to the 'grassroots'. I don't think the current government is doing much different, are they? 'Thaksinomics' is still the order of the day, it's become the new concensus, practiced by all parties, whatever their rhetoric about 'sufficiency economy' etc. Mind you, I'm merely an interested layman when it comes to economics, so perhaps you could detail how 'Thaksinomics' was a failure and what the current goverment are doing different... ? And also explain how Chavalit 'kicked off' the 97 crisis plus what measures Korn took that PPP didn't... if you could... ?

I'm not disagreeing yet, just want to know your reasoning, because it seems to me that many Thais who aren't 'red' (indeed some who are very anti-red) have told me that they respected TRT's economic team and that that was the best thing about Thaksin's government (perhaps the only redeeming factor for some). I definitely agree that Thaksin benefited from a good deal of economic luck compared to the current government though.

You will wait I am afraid for a coherent reply until the mountains crumble into the sea.There are a number of voluble posters who back off once they sense they have encountered someone with real knowledge.A similar situation occurred when this poster was faced with a dialogue with Nick Nostitz.

Your characterization of "Thaksinomics" and its virtual adoption by the current government is of course correct.

[Buchholz]

The opposition yesterday filed a censure motion

It doesn't bode well for the opposition when they couldn't even do that properly :

[rubl]

I don't think Thaksin knows much about economics, I think he took a lot of credit for what was the work of Somkid and others in his team. Why was 'Thaksinomics' a sham, though? I don't think there was much special about it, just basic 'third way' economics... the dual track strategy of trying to make big business succesful and then some measure of redistribution to the 'grassroots'. I don't think the current government is doing much different, are they? 'Thaksinomics' is still the order of the day, it's become the new concensus, practiced by all parties, whatever their rhetoric about 'sufficiency economy' etc. Mind you, I'm merely an interested layman when it comes to economics, so perhaps you could detail how 'Thaksinomics' was a failure and what the current goverment are doing different... ? And also explain how Chavalit 'kicked off' the 97 crisis plus what measures Korn took that PPP didn't... if you could... ?

I'm not disagreeing yet, just want to know your reasoning, because it seems to me that many Thais who aren't 'red' (indeed some who are very anti-red) have told me that they respected TRT's economic team and that that was the best thing about Thaksin's government (perhaps the only redeeming factor for some). I definitely agree that Thaksin benefited from a good deal of economic luck compared to the current government though.

Just for info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaksinomics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaksinocracy

As for the defence and fall of the Thai Baht in 1997 no clear answer. Lots of money movements in the days before the Baht was floated (downwards). Lots of money movements after. The term 'insider job' comes to mind especially since the government kept saying 'we will not float (the Baht)'. They gave up when the foreign reserves were spent, $26B if I remember correctly. I also profited, but by accident. At that time salary in foreign currency but spent in Thailand, double my money

Edited March 4, 2011 by rubl

[Oberkommando]

More wasted time and effort in interference by the opposition who have nothing - no leadership, no policies and no credibility.

Ironic, that before the coup, before the organised PAD protests, the seige of Government house and the takeover of the airport among other mechanisms, you could have said exactly the same thing of the Democrat Party.

It's why they have not won a general election in over a decade, after all.

Edited March 4, 2011 by Oberkommando

[TheyCallmeScooter]

More wasted time and effort in interference by the opposition who have nothing - no leadership, no policies and no credibility.

Ironic, that before the coup...you could have said exactly the same thing of the Democrat Party.

It's why they have not won a general election in over a decade, after all.

Oh, is that a fact? I was unaware that Thai (or any) general elections were an accurate reflection of leadership, policy and credibility.

I was under the impression that, after a premier was caught knee-and-elbow-deep in the cookie jar, and the opposition's censure / impeachment efforts were ludicrously negated by that premier dissolving Parliament and calling for an election mere months after 'winning' a ludicrous majority in the routine general elections - a majority which made Thaksin's House Dissolution the most ludicrous in parliamentary political history - all purely to save that premier's bacon, mind...

...why, I was under the impression that - after all of that - Thailand's voters then ludicrously voted that corrupt premier straight back into (indirect, if not direct) power! A couple times!

Clearly one of us is ludicrously wrong about why the Democrats aren't winning the battle for the hearts and mi...for the hearts of Thailand's voters, in the past decade. I think it's because the majority of Thailand's voters are ludicrously easy to manipulate - due to a pervasive ignorance which isn't entirely their fault, of course. An ignorance Thaksin did nothing to eradicate, of course. He rather cultivated it, in fact. You think it's because Thaksin is a better leader, PTP has superior, innovative / intelligent policy ideas, and that Thaksin, his PTP, his UDD, his Red Shirts and his many other multi-skilled employees (Jutaporn, et al)...have more credibility, in general.

Clearly one of us is being a bit ridiculous. I have a feeling it is probably I...for writing out this post without the audience's limitations in mind.

[ginjag]

on the other hand i would like the reds to tell the Thai people what (if any) good things they have done for the country

empty vessels make the most noise...........

That is a silly post. The Red's as you say are made up of mostly the Poor side of Thai society and consists mostly of "FARMERS." Now if you have to ask what Farmers have done for the country then you really need to think again.

Unless you are so rich that you can afford to buy imported rice, fruit and vegetables then you should be Thanking and supporting these folk.

Also your comment about "empty vessels" is not a very nice thing to say about Thai people.

Yours may be equally as daft, The reds as I see it from Issan mainly-are no good money people, whipping up hatred, and buying the services of poor farmers to support them. paying for bus pick-ups and food to the said venues, There are not many POOR farmers, that is WRONG--the poor are the farm workers--a big difference. these farm workers were initially given carrots--to vote the big money people into elected positions, who then are robbing Thailand every day through corrupt practices