DSI Accuses Schools Of Embezzling Student Loans: Thailand

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DSI accuses schools of embezzling student loans

Piyanuch Thamnukasetchai

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is preparing to take action against higher-education institutions and staff caught embezzling student loans.

"I will raise the issue at the upcoming meeting of the special case committee," Tharit Pengdit, director-general of the DSI, said yesterday.

The committee would be asked to assign corruption cases related to the Student Loan Fund (SLF) and the Income Contingent Loan (ICL) programmes to the DSI because they caused damage to the public sector, hurt youth's chances for an education, and involved the state budget, he said.

Each year, the government appropriates more than Bt4 billion for the SLF and ICL.

An initial inquiry suggests that 32 state and private colleges as well as universities or their staff might have siphoned money from the loan schemes in 2006 and 2007. "The administrators of these institutions were found encouraging high school students to enrol at their campuses and sign loan applications. Many students later discovered that they owe money to the SLF or ICL even though they have not really furthered their studies at the undergraduate level," Tharit said.

Hundreds of students have refused to repay loans they said they did not really use. Their debts range from Bt80,000-Bt120,000 each. Last year, a local leader in Narathiwat helped students lodge a complaint against a higher-education institution operating in the Central region after it used the students' paperwork to seek loans from the SLF programme.

SLF manager Dr Thada Martin said he did not think corruption involving the ICL or SLF was possible. "Students have to sign loan applications on a yearly basis for the loan money to go to the higher-educational institutions," he said, "The loan money does not go to those institutes automatically."

-- The Nation 2012-02-21

[pauljones]

A friend of mine sells school supplies.

The administration rigs the bids & steals 35%.

[rkidlad]

Maybe this sort of thing will come to a complete end like the drug trade will. Or maybe not.

[RogueExpat]

A friend of mine sells school supplies.

The administration rigs the bids & steals 35%.

Pretty standard figures for graft. 25 - 40 % off the top on all government procurement.

No wonder buy in price to join Phua Thai, and secure a MP seat is in the region of 100 million Baht, and a cabinet position will cost a pound of flesh, most of your blood, and your soul.

[jaltsc]

. "Students have to sign loan applications on a yearly basis for the loan money to go to the higher-educational institutions," he said, "The loan money does not go to those institutes automatically."

Of course, how easy would it be to have naive high school students believe that they can sign the loan application if they are only considering furthering their education, with no obligation to repay if the decide not enroll? Then if they decide to enroll, they can access the loan. Thus the students are not aware that they owe repayment just for signing the application.

[Scott]

I am aware of a director at a school who was caught stealing money. I asked our director how she was able to get by with doing it so long. She explained that when I had put in the book order for the foreign teachers books, there was a 25% discount. When the books arrived, there was a 25% discount and envelope with an addition 10% given directly to her. She told the sales person it didn't work that way (with her) and they should just give 35% discount. The sales person said that is how it is always done. She gave the money to someone higher up the food chain.

[OzMick]

"SLF manager Dr Thada Martin said he did not think corruption involving the ICL or SLF was possible."

I wonder how he achieved his position. When students have been complaining for 6 years he might have had some slight indication.

[rubl]

I can (almost) hear Education Minister Suchart T. said "I warned you, but did you listen. Oh no, you didn't".

Without legalizing tea-money schools are forced to be somewhat inventive in procuring funds. That's why the MoE has a THB 420.4 billion budget for 2012 and even needs to ask for more

[lungmi]

I can (almost) hear Education Minister Suchart T. said "I warned you, but did you listen. Oh no, you didn't".

Without legalizing tea-money schools are forced to be somewhat inventive in procuring funds. That's why the MoE has a THB 420.4 billion budget for 2012 and even needs to ask for more

The oppositional model we had at my German Highschool. An association of "Friends of the High School" registered as this collected money for the school. The sponsors were anonymous people, parents, companies but had deduced tax for social "charity".

Persons representing the concerning matters (the principal, the by the students elected " confidentialness teacher" (at this time me) and the president of the association decided how to use the money

- for special school equipment, for students in need (immigration problems), for the Volleyball- team to compete for the German school championship etc.

This would be a good system for Thailand.

[rubl]

I can (almost) hear Education Minister Suchart T. said "I warned you, but did you listen. Oh no, you didn't".

Without legalizing tea-money schools are forced to be somewhat inventive in procuring funds. That's why the MoE has a THB 420.4 billion budget for 2012 and even needs to ask for more

The oppositional model we had at my German Highschool. An association of "Friends of the High School" registered as this collected money for the school. The sponsors were anonymous people, parents, companies but had deduced tax for social "charity".

Persons representing the concerning matters (the principal, the by the students elected " confidentialness teacher" (at this time me) and the president of the association decided how to use the money

- for special school equipment, for students in need (immigration problems), for the Volleyball- team to compete for the German school championship etc.

This would be a good system for Thailand.

I was just poking a bit of fun with Minister Suchart's recent zigzag. What you describe will work, only if donations are really confidential to avoid any favoritism.

All in all I'm still looking for a more detailed specification of the THB 420.4 billion the MoE has been allocated with for 2012. Especially since a few more tablet PCs force them to ask for an additional budget of barely THB 2 billion.

Edited February 21, 2012 by rubl

[whybother]

Surely they were just donations.

[lungmi]

I can (almost) hear Education Minister Suchart T. said "I warned you, but did you listen. Oh no, you didn't".

Without legalizing tea-money schools are forced to be somewhat inventive in procuring funds. That's why the MoE has a THB 420.4 billion budget for 2012 and even needs to ask for more

The oppositional model we had at my German Highschool. An association of "Friends of the High School" registered as this collected money for the school. The sponsors were anonymous people, parents, companies but had deduced tax for social "charity".

Persons representing the concerning matters (the principal, the by the students elected " confidentialness teacher" (at this time me) and the president of the association decided how to use the money

- for special school equipment, for students in need (immigration problems), for the Volleyball- team to compete for the German school championship etc.

This would be a good system for Thailand.

I was just poking a bit of fun with Minister Suchart's recent zigzag. What you describe will work, only if donations are really confidential to avoid any favoritism.

All in all I'm still looking for a more detailed specification of the THB 420.4 billion the MoE has been allocated with for 2012. Especially since a few more tablet PCs force them to ask for an additional budget of barely THB 2 billion.

For the supervising staff you can integrate a honest Abbot. No tax deduction but a Tambun donation paper from the Wat.

[TAWP]

Every time the government gets involved there is waste and corruption.

And in many cases huge amounts of our tax-money is stolen.

[katana]

I came across a related story in Thairath last Friday (17/02/12) where 1000 Thai secondary school students left their high school, Nawamintarachutit Payap in Chiang Mai's Mae Rim district and gathered in a field outside the town hall in Chiang Mai calling for the expulsion of the school's director for coarse and aggressive behaviour to the students. Additionally they were calling for an audit committee to be set up to look into the school's finances claiming a need for greater transparency.

They met with officials and refused to go back to school unless their demands were met, in the end getting a promise that the director would be moved by 4pm that day, so they dispersed.

http://www.thairath....t/region/239175

Edited February 22, 2012 by katana

[rubl]

I came across a related story in Thairath last Friday (17/02/12) where 1000 Thai secondary school students left their high school, Nawamintarachutit Payap in Chiang Mai's Mae Rim district and gathered in a field outside the town hall in Chiang Mai calling for the expulsion of the school's director for coarse and aggressive behaviour to the students. Additionally they were calling for an audit committee to be set up to look into the school's finances claiming a need for greater transparency.

They met with officials and refused to go back to school unless their demands were met, in the end getting a promise that the director would be moved by 4pm that day, so they dispersed.

http://www.thairath....t/region/239175

The 64k THB question now is: was the director removed ?

[katana]

Well they met with the secondary school regional education area Director General, a Mr Manop Deemee, who promised them he would sort out the matter by Monday but this was met by jeers, the students saying they wanted the school's director, a Mr Nikhom Sinthuphong out by the end of the day or they wouldn't return to school. So he agreed to have him gone by 4pm that day. Whether that was honoured remains to be seen. Would be interesting to find out exactly what the guy did to make him so hated.

[pauljones]

I came across a related story in Thairath last Friday (17/02/12) where 1000 Thai secondary school students left their high school, Nawamintarachutit Payap in Chiang Mai's Mae Rim district and gathered in a field outside the town hall in Chiang Mai calling for the expulsion of the school's director for coarse and aggressive behaviour to the students. Additionally they were calling for an audit committee to be set up to look into the school's finances claiming a need for greater transparency.

They met with officials and refused to go back to school unless their demands were met, in the end getting a promise that the director would be moved by 4pm that day, so they dispersed.

http://www.thairath....t/region/239175

Good for them.

Standing up to the abuse.

[Buchholz]

"SLF manager Dr Thada Martin said he did not think corruption involving the ICL or SLF was possible."

I wonder how he achieved his position. When students have been complaining for 6 years he might have had some slight indication.

Dr. Thada Martin

Manager, The Fund for Education Loans

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

- Ph.D. in Ophthalmology, the Medical Council of Thailand

- Master Degree from Mahidol University

- Bachelor Degree in Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, and B.A.in Law, Chiang Mai University

- Senior Executive Training Program 4, Ministry of University Affairs

- Public Economics for Top Executive Certificate, King Prajadhipok’s Institute

- Justice Top Executive Certificate, Justice College

WORKING EXPERIENCES

2005 - present : Act for director general of Income Contingent Loans (ICL),

Commission on Higher Education

2000 - 2004 : Vice President of Finance and Asset, Chiang Mai University

1998 - 2000 : Deputy Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University

1996 - 1998 : Head of Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine,

Chiang Mai University

1998 – present : Associate Professor 9

1994 : Professor Assistant 8

1988 : Instructor 7, Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of

Medicine, Chiang Mai University