Thai Water-Management Projects: European Firms' 'bids Being Ignored'

[webfact]

WATER-MANAGEMENT PROJECT

European firms' 'bids being ignored'

JANJIRA PONGRAI,

ANAN WIJITPRACHA

THE NATION

Companies refusing to offer kickbacks not considered in flood-prevention plan

BANGKOK: -- The government's Bt350-billion water-management projects look set to stay out of reach for European companies that cannot offer commissions without issuing receipts, a seminar was told yesterday.

"I have received complaints from these firms," National Disaster Warning Council chairman Smith Dharmasaroja said at a seminar on the 2011 flood crisis and flood-prevention plans.

Held by the Anti-Global Warming Association and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the seminar attracted more than 200 people, including academics.

In the wake of the 2011 crisis, the government approved a massive budget for flood-prevention and water-management plans, but many are concerned this money might end up being wasted.

"Firms from China, South Korean and Japan have offered to help Thailand develop its water-management infrastructure, but these countries have also suffered fatal flooding," Smith pointed out.

He said companies from Netherlands and France, meanwhile, had barely been given any attention by the government and their representatives have said this is because they would not offer commissions without issuing receipts.

Deputy Bangkok Governor Theerachon Manomaipiboon also said the flood crisis could be partially blamed on the government's inefficient water management and its decision to heed the advice of people who did not really know much about this issue.

"The government listened to some politicians from the House 111 [referring to 111 politicians ordered to serve a five-year political ban]," Theerachon said, adding that the authorities should learn a lesson and stop listening to people who do not have real knowledge about water management.

Theerachon also dismissed the plan to use boats to speed up the flow of water into the sea. "From an engineering point of view, this operation does not work at all," he said.

NHRC commissioner Parinya Sirisarakarn said he hoped the government would spend the Bt350 billion earmarked for flood prevention well.

Meanwhile, Democrat MP Satit Wongnongtaey said that as per World Bank figures, last year's flooding had caused about Bt1.4 trillion in damages, while the Thai Chamber of Commerce estimates the damage at Bt1.7 trillion or more.

"These damages were caused not because the disaster came suddenly, but because the government had time to manage the floods but failed," Satit said.

He added that the Royal Irrigation Department admitted that it had stored far too much water and that there was a coordination problem among the many committees being set up manage the water situation.

"Now, the government is storing too little and it looks like there will be a serious drought this year," he said.

Science Minister Plodprasob Surassawadee, in his capacity as chair of the Water and Flood Management Committee, said he would announce the national flood-prevention plan tomorrow, adding that the procedure of draining water in Bangkok will be rehearsed between September 5 and 7.

"We will test our new water-drainage models," he said.

-- The Nation 2012-08-30

[KireB]

Corruption barred what a surprise. Sad is that most contracts will be of sub quality with all the commissions.

[FOODLOVER]

"These damages were caused not because the disaster came suddenly, but because the government had time to manage the floods but failed," Satit said.

Almost 900 dead from the flooding.

Edited August 29, 2012 by FOODLOVER

[Thai at Heart]

Commission without receipt?

Ah, bribes. I get it now.

Also how are they going to rehearse pumping out Water like last year. Please no full scale reenactment.

[Reasonableman]

Darned Europeans and their ethics, morals, standards, etc. How's a guy supposed to make an honest envelope?

[noahvail]

So, do the revelations in this article fall under Yingluck's definition of "transparency?"

[jerrysteve]

My goodness gracious...and just when Yingluck was proclaiming EUROPEAN HARMONY.

It looks like that speech is out the old window.

[jerrysteve]

Good G-d, Good Grief lets hope these are not the same group of contractors that built the Hairport!

Please continue to buy bottled water!!!!!!

[MaxLee]

safe saving Thailand, though FACE has been exposed in years past already,... ???? HELLO, Yingluck, Pheu Thai team, Army chiefs, whoever Blunt head in the politics.... THE NEW WORLD with modern demands for information in the information age has already started.

Thanks to the internet, nobody can conceal information anymore.

Your Thai national citizens know, Thai kids know, Thai teenagers know, THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWS.... how pathetic your old fashioned concealing strategies and corruptions schemes work in favor for you and your Pheu Thai goons

Edited August 30, 2012 by MaxLee

[EvilDrSomkid]

safe saving Thailand, though FACE has been exposed in years past already,... ???? HELLO, Yingluck, Pheu Thai team, Army chiefs, whoever Blunt head in the politics.... THE NEW WORLD with modern demands for information in the information age has already started.

Thanks to the internet, nobody can conceal information anymore.

Your Thai national citizens know, Thai kids know, Thai teenagers know, THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWS.... how pathetic your old fashioned concealing strategies and corruptions schemes work in favor for you and your Pheu Thai goons

Let's be honest here, this is not a PTP specific problem. ALL Thai politicians are like this. Some more than others, but on the whole...

Congratulations Thailand. Again you show the world that you are just interested in filling your pockets, not actually doing anything beneficial.

No hope for this place until these ridiculous corrupt practices stop. The chance of that: 0.

This is what was meant last year when some buffoon dismissed competent knowledge offered by the Dutch, because: "They don't know Thai culture".

Edited August 30, 2012 by EvilDrSomkid

[angsta]

The Dutch have no knowledge of water management. The Dutch?. Jesus wept.

I hope all the foreign factory owners with plants in Bangkok and Korat are reading this rubbish. Why would you invest in Thailand when you have a succession of retards running the country. And Thaksin got kicked out for being corrupt?? The irony... is clearly lost on these idiot.

[Ricardo]

Don't PTP and the government know anyone, perhaps resident already in the Middle-East, who can find ways to enable the European-companies to get round the anti-corruption laws which are holding them back ?

Someone with expertise on offshore-banking & doing business with the third-world ?

Given that PM-Yingluck wishes to help trade & harmony with Europe, and all ?

Perhaps a rice-for-construction barter-trade deal, of some sort ?

[chainarong]

A donation, under the table , really, most international companies, bean counters don't issue open cheque books, any expences they want to know why and you have to have a bloody good reason, just go's to show how wordly these dumb bums are and how their companies are run, time for a cuppa.

[chainarong]

The Dutch have no knowledge of water management. The Dutch?. Jesus wept.

I hope all the foreign factory owners with plants in Bangkok and Korat are reading this rubbish. Why would you invest in Thailand when you have a succession of retards running the country. And Thaksin got kicked out for being corrupt?? The irony... is clearly lost on these idiot.

You are too Kind

[FOODLOVER]

A donation, under the table , really, most international companies, bean counters don't issue open cheque books, any expences they want to know why and you have to have a bloody good reason, just go's to show how wordly these dumb bums are and how their companies are run, time for a cuppa.

It's actually a Federal crime in the states to pay bribes as well. People have and are currently being prosecuted for this crime.

[moe666]

Where are the usual suspects defending their heros, according to some they are doing a fantastic job

[hanuman2543]

"Theerachon also dismissed the plan to use boats to speed up the flow of water into the sea. "From an engineering point of view, this operation does not work at all," he said."

Be careful, you walk on very thin ice!

[stefb1964]

I wonder if they can do better than the experts from Europe, The Netherlands, when it comes to water management. For centuries they had to deal with water to keep the land dry.

The Netherlands even managed to win land from the sea. Land that is nowadays below sea level.

Up to Thailand to prove they don't need the experts.

Commissions, receipts, br*be.., transparency, white lies and other lies ? come on..

Edited August 30, 2012 by stefb1964

[MEL1]

""Firms from China, South Korean and Japan have offered to help Thailand develop its water-management infrastructure, but these countries have also suffered fatal flooding," Smith pointed out."

-mel.

[OzMick]

A donation, under the table , really, most international companies, bean counters don't issue open cheque books, any expences they want to know why and you have to have a bloody good reason, just go's to show how wordly these dumb bums are and how their companies are run, time for a cuppa.

It's actually a Federal crime in the states to pay bribes as well. People have and are currently being prosecuted for this crime.

But in Thailand, those named as demanding bribes are not even investigated.

[chainarong]

A donation, under the table , really, most international companies, bean counters don't issue open cheque books, any expences they want to know why and you have to have a bloody good reason, just go's to show how wordly these dumb bums are and how their companies are run, time for a cuppa.

It's actually a Federal crime in the states to pay bribes as well. People have and are currently being prosecuted for this crime.

I have just come up with a wounderfull idea, why don't they just tender the contracts out , I mean all of their contracts including milltary , the public(open for public tender) could then see for themselves and the tenders could be placed each Sat in the paper, err yeah

[jonclark]

""Firms from China, South Korean and Japan have offered to help Thailand develop its water-management infrastructure, but these countries have also suffered fatal flooding," Smith pointed out."

-mel.

The irony of this is comically out of the world

[kotsak]

Speaking of Dutch.. Homan Van Der Heide, the first Director of the newly established Canal Department by King Chulalongkorn.

http://books.google....AAJ&redir_esc=y

King of the Waters describes how a brilliant Dutch engineer ultimately failed to implement his plans for modern irrigation in Siam. The author's identification with the interests of the rice farmers caused ambivalent reactions from his Siamese environment. Interwoven with the detailed description of the actions of the Dutch engineer, King Chulalongkorn and some of his ministers is the ambiguous performance of the Siamese state towards agriculture in the first decade of the twentieth century. The book shows the weight of many contingencies in state affairs, especially through the problematical interactions between Homan van der Heide and the minister of Agriculture, chao phraya Thewet-they seemed to form a kind of jolie a deux. King of the Waters sketches a dramatic picture of clashing cultures, comparable to many encounters in contemporary development cooperation. The study is based on arhival material in the National Archives in Bangkok and documents available in the Netherlands.

[h90]

A donation, under the table , really, most international companies, bean counters don't issue open cheque books, any expences they want to know why and you have to have a bloody good reason, just go's to show how wordly these dumb bums are and how their companies are run, time for a cuppa.

Really most do it, but they can't do huge sums, because they don't have these amounts on the black accounts.

On products the way around is to switch a dealer between. Like the Computers Thaksin bought, he bought them from a new company which was just founded by a family member.

You can do that on computer but hardly on construction work.

[Theoutsider]

They should just offer them some good old corporate hospitality, that's the way they have found a way around the receipt situation. Granted some people still prefer the brown envelope in the pocket.

[Pimay1]

Well you know the old saying, "no money no honey". Also here in the LOS "no bribe no contract".

[bobobo]

Is the conclusion that all international companies working in Thailand must pay bribes..??

[stefb1964]

Speaking of Dutch.. Homan Van Der Heide, the first Director of the newly established Canal Department by King Chulalongkorn.

http://books.google....AAJ&redir_esc=y

King of the Waters describes how a brilliant Dutch engineer ultimately failed to implement his plans for modern irrigation in Siam. The author's identification with the interests of the rice farmers caused ambivalent reactions from his Siamese environment. Interwoven with the detailed description of the actions of the Dutch engineer, King Chulalongkorn and some of his ministers is the ambiguous performance of the Siamese state towards agriculture in the first decade of the twentieth century. The book shows the weight of many contingencies in state affairs, especially through the problematical interactions between Homan van der Heide and the minister of Agriculture, chao phraya Thewet-they seemed to form a kind of jolie a deux. King of the Waters sketches a dramatic picture of clashing cultures, comparable to many encounters in contemporary development cooperation. The study is based on arhival material in the National Archives in Bangkok and documents available in the Netherlands.

They might have found the solution to all their water management problem in this book maybe :

http://books.google.co.th/books?id=qUn_ZWEg64cC&hl=nl&source=gbs_similarbooks

[Bowery99]

Actually the Koreans have a very good understanding of flood management and most of the design is based on California designs which work very well. Seoul has a really nice water control system which works very well, when was the last time we heard about floods there? It is also dam_n attractive and doubles as public space and parkland. I was excited by Yingluck going there and seeing what they do (but of course tempered my enthusiasm, considering how things work or don't in Thailand). But I do hope they "win" the bids I guess.

[mrtoad]

Surely The DL has powers to hold back rising tides and swollen rivers?