PM Yingluck Worries Cheaper Computer Tablets May Not Be Good

[tlansford]

With 1.9 billion, I can build an IT factory, capable of producing EVERYONE a tablet at the same low price as the China. At the same time, create thousands of jobs for the Thai people and also AT THE SAME TIME improve technological competitiveness internationally. Has that thought crossed anyone's minds? Injecting that kind of money into Thai economy rather than giving all the opportunities to China, and all the more reasons for Minnebea, Seagate and other IT factories to leave Thailand.

yes. but in the short term, there is no chance to do that.

in the mid-term, the gov't could do well to turn toward domestic manufacturing.

[swillowbee]

... an electronic, educational product spec'd out by the Royal Thai [insert any ministry here] ... a bid process managed the Royal Thai [insert any ministry here] ... the winning bid for which is Chinese-owned [insert any company here] ... oh, pul-leaze!

... forget all the details, guys ... nothing good will come of this ... predict fiasco, as anything the Royal Thai [insert any ministry here] has a remarkably consistent track record ... a powerful combination of Thai incompetence and Thai corruption assures a crtain failure.

... watch for it.

Edited February 23, 2012 by swillowbee

[OzMick]

With 1.9 billion, I can build an IT factory, capable of producing EVERYONE a tablet at the same low price as the China. At the same time, create thousands of jobs for the Thai people and also AT THE SAME TIME improve technological competitiveness internationally. Has that thought crossed anyone's minds? Injecting that kind of money into Thai economy rather than giving all the opportunities to China, and all the more reasons for Minnebea, Seagate and other IT factories to leave Thailand.

yes. but in the short term, there is no chance to do that.

in the mid-term, the gov't could do well to turn toward domestic manufacturing.

I hate to point out the bleeding obvious, but they could wait. Over the past 10 years a Thaksin govt has been in power most of the time and achieved very little in education improvement, and all of a sudden a billion plus baht has to change hands. Why?

[HowardH]

If it's Samsung it IS crap, they are the worst electronics manufacturer that ever existed.

[Ricardo]

If it's Samsung it IS crap, they are the worst electronics manufacturer that ever existed.

I fear that Thai students are about to discover, there are people, who make electronics even worse, but I'd be happy to be proven wrong.

[exeter]

They might be like those cardboard cut outs that MFI in the UK used to leave around their mock up homes.

[exeter]

The commodore 64 is a fine bit of kit.

[Nickymaster]

No, the point of this whole "scheme" is to profit the people who will provide the tablets, infrastructure, wi-fi access, upgrades and before this is all said and done they will decide that while this scheme failed we owe it to the students to do it right the next time. and off we will go with another round of spending for no real return for the students only profits and payoffs for those involved in the procurement process.

Correct.

[tlansford]

With 1.9 billion, I can build an IT factory, capable of producing EVERYONE a tablet at the same low price as the China. At the same time, create thousands of jobs for the Thai people and also AT THE SAME TIME improve technological competitiveness internationally. Has that thought crossed anyone's minds? Injecting that kind of money into Thai economy rather than giving all the opportunities to China, and all the more reasons for Minnebea, Seagate and other IT factories to leave Thailand.

yes. but in the short term, there is no chance to do that.

in the mid-term, the gov't could do well to turn toward domestic manufacturing.

I hate to point out the bleeding obvious, but they could wait. Over the past 10 years a Thaksin govt has been in power most of the time and achieved very little in education improvement, and all of a sudden a billion plus baht has to change hands. Why?

WRT to bleeding obvious, it was a campaign promise. You know the rules.

WRT the last 10 years, the numbers do not support your pessimism. Many more kids are in schools, and class sizes have been held steady or reduced. At a macro-level, Thai education has made progress during that time. That is a direct result if investing in education.

WRT to this program, waiting means inaction, means they won't gain the experience of executing on the program and improving it. This is a program that is already pushing Thailand to build up the internet infrastructure and that will benefit the schools and everyone.

If this is a long-term program, then I am interested to see the Thai education system 10 years from now.

[Tanaka]

How about using those billions to increase the salaries for teachers, to get good teachers who actually know what they are supposed to be teaching. Errr, I saw that it is the Education Ministry that handles this. The same ministry that provided the questions in the recent nationwide school tests. Oh dear.

[Buchholz]

If it's Samsung it IS crap, they are the worst electronics manufacturer that ever existed.

It'll be a brand lower than Samsung, thus even worse than the worst electronics manufacturer that ever existed and crappier than crap.

.

Edited February 23, 2012 by Buchholz

[tlansford]

How about using those billions to increase the salaries for teachers, to get good teachers who actually know what they are supposed to be teaching. Errr, I saw that it is the Education Ministry that handles this. The same ministry that provided the questions in the recent nationwide school tests. Oh dear.

It is possible to do 2 things at the same time.

In fact, the tablet program will also force training for the teachers. Same as it is forcing the build up of the internet infrastructure.

[Buchholz]

Indeed. The promised nation-wide free access to WiFi is right around the corner....

.

[lannarebirth]

How about using those billions to increase the salaries for teachers, to get good teachers who actually know what they are supposed to be teaching. Errr, I saw that it is the Education Ministry that handles this. The same ministry that provided the questions in the recent nationwide school tests. Oh dear.

It is possible to do 2 things at the same time.

In fact, the tablet program will also force training for the teachers. Same as it is forcing the build up of the internet infrastructure.

If that's true, that would be a good thing. But I doubt it's true.

[exeter]

I wonder if anyone of the internet providers have any of the right connections?

[MAJIC]

Pre election promises mean nothing Tony Blair promised the British a referendum on Europe.

Any left wing govt is a bad thing.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

Correct.

And so did David Cameron promise a Referendum on Europe,Pre election,and promptly renaded Post election,wouldn't anybody have seen it coming?

[tlansford]

How about using those billions to increase the salaries for teachers, to get good teachers who actually know what they are supposed to be teaching. Errr, I saw that it is the Education Ministry that handles this. The same ministry that provided the questions in the recent nationwide school tests. Oh dear.

It is possible to do 2 things at the same time.

In fact, the tablet program will also force training for the teachers. Same as it is forcing the build up of the internet infrastructure.

If that's true, that would be a good thing. But I doubt it's true.

I believe it will come about simply because the training for the teachers makes sense & with a program this big, it cannot be ignored.

[Buchholz]

I wonder if anyone of the internet providers have any of the right connections?

Built for Shin Satellite of Thailand, iPSTAR-1 is designed to provide both enterprises and consumers throughout Asia, Australia and New Zealand with various levels of Internet access services, competing with cable modems and digital subscriber lines (DSL).

[MaiChai]

One thing I have notice about Thailand say compared to somewhere like Singapore: every move and turn is publicised in the press. In places like Singapore things like this go through alot of thinking and planning before making any announcements. Its almost like the 'being seen to do something' has greater value than the 'end result'. So I can only conclude that this exercise is about impressing people rather than giving decent teaching aids to children? Less effort is put on thinking through the solution than spouting how great the idea will be, and those doing the spouting don't have a clue what they are talking about? In the world I am familiar with, we would always hire and put in place, people who have knowledge and experience about what they will be working with?

[bumpkin]

Cheap Electronics are not reliable and are poor value ! What an amazing discovery. Why do so many people have difficulty differentiating between Value and Cost ?

[rubl]

2011-12-10:

The government has approved a request to increase the budget for the One Tablet Per Child scheme by 44% to 2.68 billion baht for a total of 600,000 units for fiscal 2012. The increase from an earlier estimated budget of 1.18 billion baht is meant to cover a higher median price of 6,000 baht a unit from 3,100 baht estimated earlier. The move will not only give all 600,000 Prathom 1 students nationwide a higher-quality device but also cover the cost of training courses for teachers and content development, according to Chinnapat Bhumirat, secretary-general of the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec)."

2012-01-27:

"The recent cabinet reshuffle in Thailand has breathed new life into the floundering One Tablet Per Child project, with the new Education Minister promising to distribute 900,000 tablets to all first grade students and some forth grade students.

Newly appointed Education Minister Professor Suchart Thadathamrongvej made the announcement on his first day in office, along with clarification that he would be almost doubling the budget from 1 billion baht to 1.9 billion baht ($60 million).

The additional 900 million would be taken from the mid-year contingency budget that does not need to be ratified by parliament."

2012-02-15"

"According to Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Minister Anudith Nakornthap, the Thai government had already approved a THB1.9-billion budget (US$63.3 million) for the procurement of 560,000 tablets to the Ministry of Education. However, more funds would be needed because the Education Ministry plans to distribute the devices to all 860,000 first graders before the start of the semester in May, and give some to the kids in other grades."

Anyone out there who really knows

- budget already allocated for the purchase of tabletPCs

- budget already allocated for infrastructure

- number of P1 student in May 2012

- number of tablet PCs budgetted for P1

- number of additional tablet PCs needed for possible remainder of P1 students and some others

- additional budget needed for all of this

I guess it's too much to ask for an official accountants bureau certified statement on how the budget(s) is/are (being) spent

The 2012 budget approved begin of this year was THB 420.4 billion. Still searching for a breakdown in recognizable items

Edited February 23, 2012 by rubl

[Skywalker69]

I am chocked!!

is she calling Big Brother a "Cheep Carlie"??

[KKK]

Never mind ... it was only a 'pre-election promise'.

Don't you mean LIE

[KKK]

Cheap Electronics are not reliable and are poor value ! What an amazing discovery. Why do so many people have difficulty differentiating between Value and Cost ?

Just ask any Thai why he is driving a Benz..the answer would be 'because it cost a lot' not 'because it is good value' which of course it ain't.....

Just yesterday was buying a bottle of rum...picked one out at 320 baht...sales girl came over pointing to 600 baht bottle.."buy that one" she said "it's better". "Have you ever drunk rum?" I asked. "No" she replied. I said "Then how do you know it's better?" "It costs more" she replied "it has to be better".

[blows]

I am chocked!!

is she calling Big Brother a "Cheep Carlie"??

maybe more along the same lines of [farang khi nok (literally 'bird droppings foreigner') could mean a Westerner who is stingy.]

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

[slapout]

More slight of hand with value of tablet going from 2400 baht (proposed cost in first govt. to govt. proposal) to 3100, now up to 6000. Throw in the nmber of tablets consistently changing, additional funds being requested, which do not seem to corresponde to the number of tablet increase nor the price increase. So many avenues of potential graft are created, that it would take a army of auditors to keep up and since they would be civil servants, this could be another venue for lining more pockets.

With the figures being floated, the noted dependency on calculators here, and the limit on didgets on many of the calculators in use, monetary confusion is probable, while graft seems certain.

Wonder when the trickle down effect for "every one being rich" isgoing to kick in?

[Ricardo]

"every Thai will be rich", wasn't that supposed to happen within 6-months of the election, seems a little overdue by now ?

But at least they'll then be able to afford to upgrade their crap-top computers !

[DLock]

With 1.9 billion, I can build an IT factory, capable of producing EVERYONE a tablet at the same low price as the China. At the same time, create thousands of jobs for the Thai people and also AT THE SAME TIME improve technological competitiveness internationally. Has that thought crossed anyone's minds? Injecting that kind of money into Thai economy rather than giving all the opportunities to China, and all the more reasons for Minnebea, Seagate and other IT factories to leave Thailand.

No you can't.

[DLock]

If it's Samsung it IS crap, they are the worst electronics manufacturer that ever existed.

You don't buy a lot of electronics do you?

[Thaddeus]

One thing I have notice about Thailand say compared to somewhere like Singapore: every move and turn is publicised in the press. In places like Singapore things like this go through alot of thinking and planning before making any announcements. Its almost like the 'being seen to do something' has greater value than the 'end result'. So I can only conclude that this exercise is about impressing people rather than giving decent teaching aids to children? Less effort is put on thinking through the solution than spouting how great the idea will be, and those doing the spouting don't have a clue what they are talking about? In the world I am familiar with, we would always hire and put in place, people who have knowledge and experience about what they will be working with?

Yep, it's a little like a fat person constantly spouting "I'm going on a diet" occasionally changing the type of diet name.

Just come back when you're thin.