Purchase Of 1,000,000 Computer Tablets Gets Thai Cabinet Okay

[webfact]

Purchase of 1,000,000 tablets gets Cabinet okay

Sirivish Toomgum,

Chuleeporn Aramne

The Nation

ICT minister promises devices will be delivered to schools in June, though contract has yet to be signed

BANGKOK: -- Even though a contract with the Chinese firm has yet to be signed, the Cabinet last night approved the purchase of 1 million tablet computers for elementary students instead of the initial 900,000, Information and Communications Technology Minister Anudith Nakornthap confirmed last night.

However, the purchase contract with Shenzhen Scope Scientific Development could not be signed immediately over fears of legal problems, especially since the signing had been cancelled several times previously.

The number of units to be purchased has been increased from 900,000 to 1 million, raising the budget to about Bt2.4 billion from the initial Bt1.9 billion. Besides, the ICT permanent secretary will be signing the contract instead of Anudith.

The contract was to be signed last Thursday, but the government and the Chinese firm rescheduled the finalisation of the contract to yesterday. The manufacturer failed to produce a standby guarantee from the Bank of China on the day before.

However, Jirawan Boonperm, ICT permanent secretary, said she had no idea when the procurement deal would be sealed, as documents from the ministry and the Chinese supplier still need to be readied.

Last night, Anudith admitted that the first lot should be delivered by June, though schools open for the next semester in mid-May - a deadline the government had once promised to beat.

The purchase includes units for schools run by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration as well as some institutions in Pattaya City. BMA will be giving Bt137 million to the ICT Ministry for the devices.

"The Office of the Attorney General has already returned the contract to the ICT Ministry, which has prepared all the documents. We are waiting for Shenzhen Scope Scientific Development to tell us when it is ready to sign the contract," he said.

In response to reports that the company had not obtained a bank guarantee, he said the ministry would have to look into the issue.

The One Tablet Per Child policy was a hallmark of the Pheu Thai Party's election campaign, and the government has promised to distribute the tablets to Prathom 1 schools next month.

The first batch of 2,000 tablets is due to be delivered for inspection 15 days after the contract is inked.

Anudith said the devices would be closely checked and if any flaws were discovered, the entire manufacturing process would have to be revamped from the start.

The Education Ministry has already prepared content to be uploaded into the tablets.

Education Minister Suchart Tadathamrongvej said about a million tablets, requiring a budget of Bt2.4 billion, would be bought for Prathom 1 students in both government and private schools. Ministry officials showed Prathom 1 students how they could use their tablets.

Chinnapat Bhumirat, secretary-general of the Office of Basic Education Commission, said 336 learning objects for English and Thai languages, mathematics, social studies and science would be installed in each tablet as well as PDF files.

Her office will also provide a dictionary as well as drawing and painting programs, and is considering including multiplication tables, poetry and other applications.

-- The Nation 2012-04-11

[Buchholz]

The One Tablet Per Child policy was a hallmark of the Pheu Thai Party's election campaign, and the government has promised to distribute the tablets to Prathom 1 schools next month.

The original election promise of the One Tablet Per Child scheme called for 11 million tablets for every student.

The current scheme has dwindled into One Tablet Per 10 Or So Children. .... with no definitive answer as to exactly when even this ten percenter of a promise will come to pass.

.

[MaxLee]

I cannot wait to see a population getting F(L)AT on their behinds, as they spend more time in front of the machines instead of dealing with people.

[Ricardo]

How many times does this make, that the Cabinet have approved the purchase, invariably for a different number each time ?

[saengsureeya]

900,000 pieces cost THB 1,900,000,000 = THB 2,111 for one piece.

1,000,000 pieces cost THB 2,400,000,000 = THB 2,400 for one piece.

I was taught, the bigger the number, the lower the price............this will never be my purchase-manager.

Wait, it's even worse: the extra 100,000 pieces cost THB 5,000 each.

[Cheops]

"The number of units to be purchased has been increased from 900,000 to 1 million, raising the budget to about Bt2.4 billion from the initial Bt1.9 billion."

Hmm, it costs 1.9 billion Baht to buy 900,000 tablets and 100,000 more costs 0.5 billion Baht more?

Did they use one of those cheap tablets to calculate this?

[pipo1000]

Purchase of 1,000,000 tablets gets Cabinet okay

How many Cabinets are there in Thailand?

[GentlemanJim]

The writing is on the wall, this is just not going to happen. The Government are preparing the population to accept an inevitable failure. I bet the 2.4 Billion baht still disappears though!

[moe666]

On a thread there was a story about the need for education budget cuts system wide to buy the extra 100,000, they have found a good payday here and everyone wants part of the pie.

[Rionoir]

I just heard the mayor of Phuket has spent the entire budget on more gold chains and pimp clothing... sorry kids.

[Innerpeace]

900,000 pieces cost THB 1,900,000,000 = THB 2,111 for one piece.

1,000,000 pieces cost THB 2,400,000,000 = THB 2,400 for one piece.

I was taught, the bigger the number, the lower the price............this will never be my purchase-manager.

Wait, it's even worse: the extra 100,000 pieces cost THB 5,000 each.

This tablet need to use be use by the governments first to imporve their mathematics. It's Urgent!!

Edited April 11, 2012 by Innerpeace

[smylie]

How long Time they will use the Tablet's untill some of dem will Sale it becouse their Family have no Money for Eat? Who want to Teach them How to use them? Even not all of the Teacher knows how to use the Computers? Who payd for the Internet connections and the Electricity at their Home to do do Homeworks? Most of the Family dont have the Money to for it? Who payd for the Repair if the Tablet dont work? Who will have the first Hacked Tablet to Download all "Closed" Sites inkl. Pornsites? At least the most User will be Gamer! Questions over Questions....

[Buchholz]

The contract was to be signed last Thursday, but the government and the Chinese firm rescheduled the finalisation of the contract to yesterday. The manufacturer failed to produce a standby guarantee from the Bank of China on the day before.

Yesterday's contract signing was also cancelled as Shenzhen has still not provided the guarantee needed. They will try once again for the contract to be signed on April 17th.

Also, the amount the Cabinet approved was not 2.4 Billion Baht, but 2.6 Billion Baht as per the other paper.

It was also revealed the Education Ministry had cut the funding of other educational programs by 477 Million Baht in order to pay for the additional tablets.

,

Edited April 11, 2012 by Buchholz

[Buchholz]

How many times does this make, that the Cabinet have approved the purchase, invariably for a different number each time ?

I believe it currently stands at five times.

*Edit. Make that six times if one considers the original plan to purchase 11 million tablets for every primary, secondary, and vocational student.

.

Edited April 11, 2012 by Buchholz

[letitbe]

Thailand government makes even worst in rest of world seem competent. What a farce but then what can you expect from this bunch of clowns and when will the thai people ever wake up to fact that their government only has one aim and thats to return Taksin and his bunch back to their rightful places as biggest robber barons in modern history.

Its a shame since only way most thais are going to get away from being virtual slaves is by education and thats simply not on cards for a long long time except for those fortunate enough to pay for some form of decent education as found almost anywhere but here

[AZBill]

Now that all the proper bribes and kickbacks have been handled, the kids can finally get their POS chinese tablets to play their video games in class, at least for the 1 or 2 months that these things will work! Only here people - no other place in the whole frickin world would be this damned stupid!

[anterian]

How many times does this make, that the Cabinet have approved the purchase, invariably for a different number each time ?

I believe it currently stands at five times.

*Edit. Make that six times if one considers the original plan to purchase 11 million tablets for every primary, secondary, and vocational student.

.

If people like you would keep quiet the entire project could just be quietly swept under the carpet, where it rightly belongs. You know full well that if you attack a Thai idea, they will push it through in the face of all logic, it is called saving face.

[americaninbangkok]

Even though a contract with the Chinese firm has yet to be signed, the Cabinet last night approved the purchase of 1 million tablet computers for elementary students instead of the initial 900,000, Information and Communications Technology Minister Anudith Nakornthap confirmed last night.

A. Does anyone here know what "confirmed" means? It means that something has been verified and is being done. But no... in Thai politics, it means that there's a plan to do something, someday, somehow... but only if a buck/baht can be made. Schools' going to open eventually, and they'll still be sitting on their butts "planning" for the confirmed delivery of the tablets.

B. Normally when doing business on a large scale with a new partner, and when unsure of the partner's ability to deliver, one does a trial run. For example, "I'll take 25,000 of your tablets today. If they work well, I'll order another 975,000 soon." But not here in Phantasmagorical Thailand! Here it's, "Hmmm... not sure of the final product quality. Not sure how/where it's going to be delivered. Not sure what software is included and what needs to be developed. And not sure of the contract terms. The Plan? Let's delay signing the contract until we can get the number of tablets and their overall cost REALLY high. By then, it will be 3 days before the delivery due date, making it impossible to deliver the goods on time. Then we’ll hold off on paying the supplier for as long as possible. They’ll finally settle for less money… but we’ve already earmarked the full amount… so the difference goes into our pockets!”

Yeah… that's pretty f’ed up!.

Edited April 11, 2012 by americaninbangkok

[Buchholz]

The contract was to be signed last Thursday, but the government and the Chinese firm rescheduled the finalisation of the contract to yesterday. The manufacturer failed to produce a standby guarantee from the Bank of China on the day before.

Yesterday's contract signing was also cancelled as Shenzhen has still not provided the guarantee needed. They will try once again for the contract to be signed on April 17th.

Also, the amount the Cabinet approved was not 2.4 Billion Baht, but 2.6 Billion Baht as per the other paper.

In addition to the 2.6 Billion Baht comes another 8.5 Billion Baht....

Ministry to Seek 8.5 Billion Baht for Wi-Fi Expansion

The Information and Communication Technology Ministry is planning to seek 8.5 billion baht for the TOT to expand Wi-Fi network to support the free tablet PC program.

Information and Communication Technology Minister Anudith Nakornthap has reported that the ministry is seeking 8.5 billion baht requested by the Telephone Organization of Thailand, or TOT, to increase the number of Wi-Fi network spots to 50,000 around 30,000 schools across the country.

The network expansion is intended to complement the government's free tablet PC project and is a part of Smart Thailand program.

Currently, the TOT is drafting the contract to be submitted to the ministry for approval.

National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commissioner Settapong Malisuwan said that it will be determined whether the funding for the Wi-Fi expansion should base on the Universal Service Obligation, or USO, regulations agreed upon by the ICT Ministry and the commission or deducted from the TOT's four-percent license fee.

-- Tan Network 2012-04-11

[annabel]

And why are they buying them from China....??? Can't they make them here...? they can copy anything here as good as the Chinese can and probably better ...So why is this contract being given to the Chinese rather than to the local Thai market ......?? .... kickbacks too small at this end...??

Now that all the proper bribes and kickbacks have been handled, the kids can finally get their POS chinese tablets to play their video games in class, at least for the 1 or 2 months that these things will work! Only here people - no other place in the whole frickin world would be this damned stupid!

[BlueSmurf]

Total waste of money..Children should be taught by compentent teachers full stop..The Tablet computer is not a teaching aid as such..oh yes competent is open to opinion but thete is nothing to do or learn as in how to use a vomputer.Everyone can use the user friendly computers these days so as in teaching the competent use of one its a no starter these days.All kids will just play games! The acess to the net is overated books and a good teacher gives more control and kids kids on topic..Money should be used for more important things..The tablets will break and only have a say three year lifespan at best..So will thry then be replaced? Sad day for education? Yes I think so..Better to dpend the mo ey on teaching English..

[Ricardo]

How many times does this make, that the Cabinet have approved the purchase, invariably for a different number each time ?

I believe it currently stands at five times.

*Edit. Make that six times if one considers the original plan to purchase 11 million tablets for every primary, secondary, and vocational student.

.

Many Thanks for the clarification !

'Hub of Cabinet Confusion & Indecision', anyone ?

[TAWP]

Also, the amount the Cabinet approved was not 2.4 Billion Baht, but 2.6 Billion Baht as per the other paper.

It was also revealed the Education Ministry had cut the funding of other educational programs by 477 Million Baht in order to pay for the additional tablets.

If this is accurate, then o-m-g - reduce money to teachers and materials to cover for a vote-buying election promise...clearly they have no interest in really making the poor better educated.

I mean, if they got better educated they might question odd numbers and decisions...and we cannot have that - this is a PTP democracy!