ONE STUDENT, ONE TABLET COMPUTER

Pheu Thai Party offers tablets to Thai students

By THE NATION

The Pheu Thai Party has highlighted one of its campaign policies, billed as "one student, one tablet computer", arguing that it plans to offer Thai youth a tangible tool to brace them for the world of high-speed Internet.

"The government is promoting its broadband policy in an intangible manner, but Pheu Thai will make available the actual tool to access ADSL or high-speed internet," Pheu Thai campaign strategist Pichai Naripthaphan said.

Pichai said that his party, if elected to lead the next government, would expand Wi-Fi coverage to every school and that every primary school student would be given a tablet computer free of charge.

He said Internet access would be available without charge at education institutions, government offices and public places.

Pheu Thai expects to improve the country's competitiveness by promoting e-learning and making sure that every student can gain access to e-books, he said.

Tablet computers in China and India have a price range of Bt3,000-Bt6,000, and Thai schools could get a cheaper price by buying in bulk, he said.

In regard to campaign preparations, Pheu Thai deputy leader Plodprasop Suraswadi ruled out speculation about a merger between his party and Pracharaj.

Plodprasop said Pracharaj was an ally, arguing that switching of electoral candidates between the two parties would not undermine Pheu Thai's chances of victory.

Pracharaj and Pheu Thai are two separate parties in the same camp, he said.

Commenting on the future of Pheu Thai MP Mingkwan Saengsuwan, he said he was still waiting for Mingkwan to return to the party fold instead of trying to form a new party.

He admitted, however, that he had tried but failed to contact Mingkwan.

He said the deadline for Mingkwan and his supporters to rejoin Pheu Thai was the date for submitting the party-list electoral candidates.

If incumbent MPs fail to report to Pheu Thai by the day of party-list candidacy registration, then the party will have no choice but to cut them loose, he said.

-- The Nation 2011-04-29

.....THB 3000/6000 tablet computers are knock off copies.... .....cant see issuing these free promoting e learning......just an increase in surfing the internet and playing games....

Taksin promised to put a cheap laptop into the hands of every child, but nothing ever came of it

"Pheu Thai expects .....that every student can gain access to e-books, he said."

Kids have gotta learning to read first dumbass!

Seriously nice gimmick, schools are in desperate need of teachers and basic facilities, not tablets <deleted>

Old tactics used by Taksin to try to buy the vote of Thailand's disenfranchised. What good will tablets do for the students? They are computers and students will use them for games.

Could be a good money making scheme e.g. THB 1,000 on top of every tablet for say 5 million students = 5 billion. Student numbers are probably much higher. Anyway netbooks would be a much better option as a brand name one would be pretty much in the same price range when buying in bulk.

Taksin promised to put a cheap laptop into the hands of every child, but nothing ever came of it

And he was also wearing the hat of the Education Minister for almost 1 year before he dissolved Parliament.

My first thought was Yabaa, to control those future voters,

but second was cheap knock off computers.

No doubt it will be portable windoze and just glorified calculators,

and maybe word processors but no WiFi printer in the classroom to print them out on. Most likely increased gaming time, and naught else.

So who is going to teach the teacher who can hardly teach now, how to run IT networks and set up all these tablets to talk in class... 50-70 tablets all trying to access one WiFi node and one printer. Sorry kids don't print till I point at you.

And yes, to the whole project being a good earner for someone who has computer company connections.... a real 'kick in the shin' for the education budget...

A politician's motto "Promise them every thing, give them nothing"

Wont be much use anyway.

With employers having to pay graduates 15,000B per month none will be able to afford to, or want to hire a graduate as they will be able to get a non graduate who can do the work just as well for 300B a day.

Prepere to see a big hike in unemployed graduates, at least they will be able to play computer games to keep themselves occupied.

Wonder if Thaksin will set up a company to supply them?

Let's make sure all students are able to access facebook during class, to assure that the ruling elite will always have an educational edge over the illiterate masses.

Let's make sure all students are able to access facebook during class, to assure that the ruling elite will always have an educational edge over the illiterate masses.

Or Hi5 and set up their after school giks and johns.

Here is catch 22 in this useless idea.

While we, tv members understand along with educated locals the majority of uneducated kids and parents do not.

They never had a computer and not even a prospect of having one , so this offer sounds like the best thing in the world and naturally buys the vote.

Even if they supply huge calculators instead , masses be happy because it was FREE.

Ps. Considering all the problems in the country , how they planning to fund it? Take money away from which allocated budget?

let the bidding begin to win votes with takisms party.does it come with a free bag of rice too

There will be a kickback in it somewhere for Taksin....... He doesn't do anything for free

A politician's motto "Promise them every thing, give them nothing"

haha.............. seen that in Thialand............

agree....

Are we not supposed to notice that this as a transparent and blatant lie just to get votes?

I wish all Thais, everywhere, would put on the same color shirt-black, white, whatever-and empty all homes, offices, and shops into the streets. They need to shut the entire country down, and take it back. There is no one that Thais can rely on. They deserve better.

Don't be so negative, everyone.

With the standard of teaching in most Thai schools being under the zero line, it will enable the few kids who want to, to learn. The rest can play computer games, look up their local yaa-baa dealer or contribute to ThaiVisa.

He'd be better off giving them a cheap mobile phone each.

Thais are obsessed with mobile phones they can't get enough of them. I know one girl who has 2 Iphone 4's and 3 BB's!!!!

"Pheu Thai expects .....that every student can gain access to e-books, he said."

Kids have gotta learning to read first dumbass!

And I sincerely hope that it is not you teaching them Sir.

Firstly, I don't think this will ever happen.. But if it was too happen... They could always restrict the tablet from displaying programs that are not educational.

They could always contact APPLE, as they do have an educational program that is very affordable..

He'd be better off giving them a cheap mobile phone each.

Thais are obsessed with mobile phones they can't get enough of them. I know one girl who has 2 Iphone 4's and 3 BB's!!!!

and very likely 5 farang boyfriends who bought them for her........

And where exactly is the difference between giving one million students a new tablet, and a bribe? Every student in Thailand will try to influence the votes of their friends and families because of a TABLET, not because of their political opinion. I don't care what anyone thinks that is, but for me that's clearly a bribe. Are we now going to see the Thai students on the streets rallying for the red shirts instead of the taxi drivers?

:hit-the-fan:This is just wrong! ... but maybe they put at least a Thai - English learning software on it.... that would better many things in the land of the smile.

...... What good will tablets do for the students? .......

For the so called "bangkok elite" it will be handy for facebook......

For the so called "disenfranchised", computer literacy and internet capability is an essential life skill - it will make their likes ploughing fields and growing rise and working as labourers on building sites so much more productive!

Its an outstnading move, well planned, well thought out, and with the most noble of intentions behind it..... to buy votes!

The sad thing about this is that all the poor cretins whose vote is intended to be bought with this shameless tactic will actually believe this BS......

He'd be better off giving them a cheap mobile phone each.

Thais are obsessed with mobile phones they can't get enough of them. I know one girl who has 2 Iphone 4's and 3 BB's!!!!

and very likely 5 farang boyfriends who bought them for her........

I forgot to mention she has an Ipad, 2 Mac laptops.

It's amazing how you guys have a one track mind and class all girls as being like that.

No, she is a friend of my wife. She is a multimillionaire and happily married. She just hasn't a clue how to use the phones.

Thanks to the OP for posting this newsflash.I just started to look for such a tablet for my boy,so I better wait another few weeks now.

Any idea yet when the free ones will be available?Guess it will be shortly after the end June elections,not.

New phrase,, forget pork barreling, now its tech barreling.

What a huge joke, but hopefully when the government that offers the most bribes gets in, and they don't deliver, maybe the people will grow some eyes and see through the crap that is now the lead up to the Thai general elections.

Could this mean the end of TEFL teachers?

Instead of paying all these incompetents to teach the kids, give them a tablet each, and an internet connection. Big budget saving, no problems in class because all the kids 'd be playing computer games.

Standard of education would rise from zero to ten (on a scale of zero to one thousand). So Thailand marches to the next century armed with tablets (not computers, silly - yaa-baa!!)

He'd be better off giving them a cheap mobile phone each.

Thais are obsessed with mobile phones they can't get enough of them. I know one girl who has 2 Iphone 4's and 3 BB's!!!!

Didn´t your mother tell you to stay away from this kind of girls?

If you were thinking of buying one, wait until after the election. If (and a big "if" it is) PT win AND live up to this promise, there will be heaps available very cheap the next day.

In the unlikely case game-blocking software was fitted, your local computer shop would have a removal service for B50.