Corruption Spreading Like Plague : PM Abhisit

[webfact]

Corruption spreading like plague : PM

By The Nation

Corruption has inflicted untold damage to the country's competitiveness, spreading like a neverending plague, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday, urging all sectors of society to unite in rooting out graft.

"As government leader, I know politicians have been joint suspects," he said, conceding that he was not satisfied with the anticorruption fight in the past two years under his watch.

Abhisit said he hoped the July 3 election would be a turning point for every political party to come up with a road map to fight corruption, which he believed had become a complex issue and could not be easily detected.

He voiced concern about the attempts to rig the bids for public projects by inflating the benchmark price, thus adding kickbacks as part of the cost borne by the government instead of the tea money paid by the winning contractor. The inflated cost would later be distributed via moneylaundering.

He was speaking at an anticorruption seminar jointly organised by the government and the private sector. Seminar sponsors included the National AntiCorruption Commission, the Federation of Thai Industries, the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Thai Bankers' Association.

Thai Chamber of Commerce chairman Dusit Nontanakorn called for businesses to unite and refuse to pay bribes.

"Corruption involves givers and takers of bribes, therefore the politicians and bureaucrats could not take what the business sector refuses to pay," he said.

Dusit said it was time to ensure the country's survival by rooting out graft and refusing to be involved in such violations.

Leading professionals such as Kesree Narongdej and Tortrakul Yomnak called for stronger internal checks within government agencies and personnel instead of focusing on each offence after it had already caused damage.

Community leader Chartchai Luengcharoen said an increase in people's participation in the policymaking process would be a way to check the spread of corruption.

A number of seminar participants were critical of the media, arguing that media professionals had failed to uncover irregularities because they put ties with news sources above their job responsibilities.

-- The Nation 2011-06-02

[maewrocks]

Is this the guy holding hands with BJT? Speaking out the side of mouth as usual.

[pisico]

I want to know who had the audacity to wake him up.

Oi vey! I am so naive!! It's election time! He has to appear that he means it and worries about the country.

Or..., maybe he did not notice anything until now. Is it possible?

Maybe... and so the saga of Thai politics goes on. Like a typical soap opera on TV.

[jaltsc]

Hey....He's in charge. Stop passing the baht. If there's corruption, than the baht stops with him.

[timekeeper]

Is this the guy holding hands with BJT? Speaking out the side of mouth as usual.

who is ''this guy'' you are referring to?

there are five people named in this article

use proper names when posting please

you have been warned before by the forum moderators

[pisico]

Is this the guy holding hands with BJT? Speaking out the side of mouth as usual.

who is ''this guy'' you are referring to?

there are five people named in this article

use proper names when posting please

you have been warned before by the forum moderators

Obviously he is referring to the PM. The headline in Thai Visa reads : "Corruption spreading like the plague: PM."

[metroman]

It is encouraging that PM Abhisit has identified the problem so the solution should be easy.

[bdenner]

How is it possible for corruption to spread when there is no where else for it to go??

[timekeeper]

Is this the guy holding hands with BJT? Speaking out the side of mouth as usual.

who is ''this guy'' you are referring to?

there are five people named in this article

use proper names when posting please

you have been warned before by the forum moderators

Obviously he is referring to the PM. The headline in Thai Visa reads : "Corruption spreading like the plague: PM."

i think you are missing the point of my post............

[kmj]

Surprise it's election time... next time maybe think of this at the start of your term as PM

[rreddin]

It is encouraging that PM Abhisit has identified the problem so the solution should be easy.

How many forum members remember last year's grovelling apology from the outgoing British Ambassador over the publication of a memorandum from 40 years before written by a previous outgoing ambassador? That memorandum said corruption was endemic in Thailand. Nothing serious has been done in the last four decades to stamp out corruption nor is that situation going to change soon.

Abhisit will be remembered for and judged by his actions, not his words. On his own admission, corruption has continued to spread "like a plague" on his watch. That is part of his legacy.

[Pib]

When there is no real enforcement of the law and/or prosecutors/investigators not seriously going after corrupt activities nor people willing to testify/file a complaint, then corruption just continues to grow deeper roots. Thailand provides a great growing environment for corruption. But don't worry, sound bites by govt officials and politicians will fix everything.

[selftaopath]

When there is no real enforcement of the law and/or prosecutors/investigators not seriously going after corrupt activities nor people willing to testify/file a complaint, then corruption just continues to grow deeper roots. Thailand provides a great growing environment for corruption. But don't worry, sound bites by govt officials and politicians will fix everything.

EXACTLY. Welcome to LOS=Land of Scams/Lack of Sanctions.

Eventually the country will be so severely devastated that a change will occur. I suspect NOT before. When the pain outweighs the pleasure then "you" (Thailand) will change.

[geriatrickid]

I will respect the PM when his government arrests and prosecutes those members of HIS government that are corrupt. Let him clean up his own house first.

[Ricardo]

Pheu Thai have the answer, give all the guilty an amnesty, that's bound to discourage them from doing it again in the future !

[Pawpcorn]

Pheu Thai have the answer, give all the guilty an amnesty, that's bound to discourage them from doing it again in the future !

[Deez]

I will respect the PM when his government arrests and prosecutes those members of HIS government that are corrupt. Let him clean up his own house first.

Agreed. Until someone high up is charged and convicted and spends time in jail, there really is no deterrent

[anotheruser]

I just want a hand job!

[Asa]

PM is telling corruption spreads and blossoms during his administration! weirdo!

[pendragon]

Russian proverb: a fish stinks from the head

[jdinasia]

I will respect the PM when his government arrests and prosecutes those members of HIS government that are corrupt. Let him clean up his own house first.

Agreed. Until someone high up is charged and convicted and spends time in jail, there really is no deterrent

Someone high-up has been charged, convicted and run from his punishment ... does that count?

As for gk's statement --- look how long prosecution takes in Thailand. Even those found guilty years ago are still out on bail pending appeal etc ...

(example --- S'noh and the Alpine Golf land deal --- where did it go? The clock ran out on the prosecution of the case of theft of the land from a Buddhist temple)

Edited June 2, 2011 by jdinasia

[ginjag]

I will respect the PM when his government arrests and prosecutes those members of HIS government that are corrupt. Let him clean up his own house first.

Easy isn't it !!! DO YOU honestly think if you were the P.M. you could stop instantly the Shizen going on here, There is no one in this world who could do it--here like all bad corrupt countries will take a decade to make inroads.

Just being P.M. doesn't give you the gift to pick up a phone and say--as from today all corruption stops---GET real

I even think if I would inherit the P.M. position, First call the armed forces and knock them in the head==then "all police please note no more corruption--then businesses--apart from near all government officials--then tackle the population. Give the guy a break it takes more than him to do it---but I AGREE he is responsible. I would like to see the guy continue, but if I was him I wouldn't kill myself worrying about this corrupt lot. To tell you the truth I would opt out and let them run riot. Stupid as it may seem, rather than try and sweet mouth this majority mob.

[Thai at Heart]

It is encouraging that PM Abhisit has identified the problem so the solution should be easy.

How many forum members remember last year's grovelling apology from the outgoing British Ambassador over the publication of a memorandum from 40 years before written by a previous outgoing ambassador? That memorandum said corruption was endemic in Thailand. Nothing serious has been done in the last four decades to stamp out corruption nor is that situation going to change soon.

Abhisit will be remembered for and judged by his actions, not his words. On his own admission, corruption has continued to spread "like a plague" on his watch. That is part of his legacy.

As the longest standing organised political party in the country, I think there is a belief that the Dems haven't seriously dealt with most issues for at least 40 years. This is their problem. The start of populist politics appears to have put the jump start up them in the last few years, but for the previous entirety of their existence they have acted as though there are no issues in the country for them to deal with.

[OZEMADE]

Is this the guy holding hands with BJT? Speaking out the side of mouth as usual.

who is ''this guy'' you are referring to?

there are five people named in this article

use proper names when posting please

you have been warned before by the forum moderators

Obviously he is referring to the PM. The headline in Thai Visa reads : "Corruption spreading like the plague: PM."

i think you are missing the point of my post............

I dont think any one is missing the point of your post.

You quite clearly state "use proper names when posting please,"

" you have been warned before by the forum moderators."

Is this the pot calling the kettle black, when in a post "My Government would Boost Confidence"

You spell Yingluck's name yunglick in your sentence.Post No21.

Is there favouritism on this Thai visa Forum, such as when Buchholz asked me to prove where Thaksin had given money to the military to purchase Submarines, during his time as Prime Minister. I did prove where it came from and my proof was removed?

It's about time some people look at their own forum rules.

[WyattEarp]

Yeah as they say, "the buck stops here". Stop whining about it and do something instead.

[oldbookman]

Only way to stop corruption is to pay workers a fair wage, ie., the policemen. Then Syam needs to inforce its laws. Put the buggers in jail, ie., Thaksin et al.

[MattabarRetail]

politicians,police,money and sex all go hand in hand. any politicians not millionaires in Bangkok.

[MrChangers]

PM confesses that corruption has increased while he has been running the country. Well get a star and go to the front of the class, I like honesty but now go to the back for shooting yourself in the foot.

[whybother]

Only way to stop corruption is to pay workers a fair wage, ie., the policemen. Then Syam needs to inforce its laws. Put the buggers in jail, ie., Thaksin et al.

Paying workers more will just put more money out there for corruption.

Enforcing laws is the only way to deal with it.

[themockrat]

PM confesses that corruption has increased while he has been running the country. Well get a star and go to the front of the class, I like honesty but now go to the back for shooting yourself in the foot.