"tea Money"...good Or Bad, Advantage Vs Disadvantage

[rene123]

Representatives of Pharmaceutical go to doctors in Europe, offer them a two week luxury holiday with the whole family.....

if they prescribe a type of medicine, at least XXXXX packets a month. ( Even if it's a dangerous medicine)

Would you call that tea money?

I prefer 200 baht to cops here, when speeding......

I somewhat agree with you. That is basically why this topic could go on forever. There is no one definitive answer. In Canada I know that Pharmaceutical companies pressure doctors to prescribe their latest wonder drug. At a lower level (ie - paying a policeman 100 baht for a simple traffic offence) there really isn't much harm done. However, at a higher level (ammunition companies and oil companies pressuring governments to start wars) there is a whole lot of harm done.

[StreetCowboy]

Representatives of Pharmaceutical go to doctors in Europe, offer them a two week luxury holiday with the whole family.....

if they prescribe a type of medicine, at least XXXXX packets a month. ( Even if it's a dangerous medicine)

Would you call that tea money?

I prefer 200 baht to cops here, when speeding......

Can you give us an example of this happening? Or is it just a story that you read on the internet somewhere?

I believe that in most countries in Western Europe, a doctor would lose his license for accepting a holiday from a pharmaceutical company, and could certainly lose his license for over-prescribing dangerous drugs. Not everyone is subject to such lax regulation as you and I

SC

[TomTao]

The good thing about tea money is its ability to smoothe rough waters, the biggest disadvantage is witnessed in the lawlessness that abounds, people learn that the law can be circumvented by greasing a palm, those who are tasked with enforcing the law learn to look away when thier conscience is appeased, a cycle that does not end without serious intervention.

[khunPer]

Tea Money can mean many things, everything from bribing the BiB to cover a little extra service, when in contact with a public office. The latter I normally call VIP-fee, just like you have a VIP-line at Airport Immigration. You will get the job done anyway, but it is a question how long time you shall wait. If you can afford the fee – which may be anything from an extra 100 baht to some thousands, depending of the case and your status – you will get a VIP-service. Examples: A building permission may take six to eight weeks, but a ‘modest’ fee can speed the process up and you will have the permission in two weeks; or, transfer of land at the Land Department may take a whole day or a couple of hours for a thousand baht VIP-fee.

In a way just like having the choice between monkey class, Business Class or First Class – most of us prefers the better class, if we can afford it.

At some offices they just expect the fee, like charging 2,000 baht without receipt for 1,900 baht Visa-extension, but the job done quickly.

The bad issue from a farang point of view is, when it comes to bribe the BiB for an offence to get off the hook. But even in such cases, some foreigners may find it useful to pay off and get out of the country, rather than spending years in a Thai prison.

Is it then fair, if the Red Bull heir shall can get off the hook for his odd driving in Bangkok, killing a police officer?

The question is, if we shall all be equal for the Law or some shall be more equal than others?

In a country, where money equals elite status, the answer may not be that difficult. However, time is changing – so may some of the benefits from Tea Money!

[TackyToo]

"tea Money"...good Or Bad

...what a stupid question to start with!

[krisb]

"tea Money"...good Or Bad

...what a stupid question to start with!

So thats your input? at least explain yourself instead of just dropping a trolling comment.

Good or bad is what its about.

[krisb]

Representatives of Pharmaceutical go to doctors in Europe, offer them a two week luxury holiday with the whole family.....

if they prescribe a type of medicine, at least XXXXX packets a month. ( Even if it's a dangerous medicine)

Would you call that tea money?

I prefer 200 baht to cops here, when speeding......

Can you give us an example of this happening? Or is it just a story that you read on the internet somewhere?

I believe that in most countries in Western Europe, a doctor would lose his license for accepting a holiday from a pharmaceutical company, and could certainly lose his license for over-prescribing dangerous drugs. Not everyone is subject to such lax regulation as you and I

SC

I agree SC. Western medicine doesnt work like that. I cant speak for all but Australian pharmaceuticals would never work like this. Of all the tablets that end up on the market here there are 100s that never will. Its very very strict and watched.

[khunPer]

Representatives of Pharmaceutical go to doctors in Europe, offer them a two week luxury holiday with the whole family.....

if they prescribe a type of medicine, at least XXXXX packets a month. ( Even if it's a dangerous medicine)

Would you call that tea money?

I prefer 200 baht to cops here, when speeding......

Can you give us an example of this happening? Or is it just a story that you read on the internet somewhere?

I believe that in most countries in Western Europe, a doctor would lose his license for accepting a holiday from a pharmaceutical company, and could certainly lose his license for over-prescribing dangerous drugs. Not everyone is subject to such lax regulation as you and I

SC

I agree SC. Western medicine doesnt work like that. I cant speak for all but Australian pharmaceuticals would never work like this. Of all the tablets that end up on the market here there are 100s that never will. Its very very strict and watched.

It has been a quite common practice for many years, just called ‘conference’ instead of holiday. However, the authorities have more focus on the subject now.

[utalkin2me]

I think if you took the total product of all the productivity, ingenuity, creativity and hard work in a place like the US it would match the total product of Thais thinking about and executing ways to get more tea money.

[bigbamboo]

"The accomplice to the crime of corruption is frequently our own indifference."

Bess Myerson

"Money, money, money"

Bjorn Ulvaeus

[bonobo]

Representatives of Pharmaceutical go to doctors in Europe, offer them a two week luxury holiday with the whole family.....

if they prescribe a type of medicine, at least XXXXX packets a month. ( Even if it's a dangerous medicine)

Would you call that tea money?

I prefer 200 baht to cops here, when speeding......

Can you give us an example of this happening? Or is it just a story that you read on the internet somewhere?

I believe that in most countries in Western Europe, a doctor would lose his license for accepting a holiday from a pharmaceutical company, and could certainly lose his license for over-prescribing dangerous drugs. Not everyone is subject to such lax regulation as you and I

SC

A doctor cannot accept a holiday for prescribing drugs. However, they can go to a "conference" in Hawaii where the pharmaceutical company gives a lecture as to just how good their drugs are.

However, drug companies do attempt to pay doctors to prescribe drugs, and some have paid the price.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/doctors-avoid-penalties-in-suits-against-medical-firms/2011/09/14/gIQAQ8MpXK_story.html?hpid=z2

[robblok]

@the doctor pharmacist story guys,

The point is its controlled, and if bribery is caught its punished. Its regulated and frowned upon. That is a total different situation like here. I can't understand how people can compare it as how it is perceived and handled is totally different.

[TackyToo]

"tea Money"...good Or Bad

...what a stupid question to start with!

So thats your input? at least explain yourself instead of just dropping a trolling comment.

Good or bad is what its about.

OK, maybe I am (like your wife’s son) not the sharpest knife in the drawer. However, in my humble opinion demanding tea money is demanding a bribe which is at least illegal. Hence, I find the question if it is good or bad ridiculous. Just because you benefit from it doesn’t make it good. And what is the next question according to your logic? How about: theft- good or bad? Or even better- rape- good or bad?

I hope that explains why I consider the question stupid.

[StreetCowboy]

"tea Money"...good Or Bad

...what a stupid question to start with!

So thats your input? at least explain yourself instead of just dropping a trolling comment.

Good or bad is what its about.

OK, maybe I am (like your wife’s son) not the sharpest knife in the drawer. However, in my humble opinion demanding tea money is demanding a bribe which is at least illegal. Hence, I find the question if it is good or bad ridiculous. Just because you benefit from it doesn’t make it good. And what is the next question according to your logic? How about: theft- good or bad? Or even better- rape- good or bad?

I hope that explains why I consider the question stupid.

I think the question effectively is should we sub-contract law enforcement and let it become a self-supporting actiity, and let our friends in brown replace the courts, thus saving a lot of money and improving some statistics, at the trivial expense of a breakdown in law and order, imposition of kleptocratic government and the abandonment of standards in construction and safety.

SC

[Forethat]

Good or bad? Obviously, tea money is not only bad; it's a massive problem. I guess most of us support the idea that minor skirmishes with the law can be fixed directly at the scene of the crime i.e. a u-turn here and there, but we tend to forget that we are participating in criminal activities. Only when it turns against us do we oppose this idea.

My advice to anyone who thinks tea money is a great idea should know there is a potential that this can turn against you in more serious ways you can imagine. And if you think you're safe simply because you have a couple of bucks accumulated in a bank account somewhere - think again, there are more than one person in LOS who knows how to play the tea money game; I know at least one case where a minor traffic accident escalated to blackmail that involved kidnapping.

[bocceball1]

Old post ....but had to tell my story anyway!

Today I renewed my Driver's License (from 1 yr to 5 yr)...had all my paperwork (copies of passport, medical certif, old license and proof of residence).

Got to the DMV at 11am....had to be at least 200 people before me (75 were in the rooms watching a video ....half the others were waiting to be tested, and the other half were waiting to be processed). I was ready to turn around and come back the next day....My wife said "wait, give me 500 baht" ...I smiled knowing what she was about to do ...and told her great idea (she doesn't always like to pay tea money but likes to size the situation up first). So my wife makes her way to the counter through the mass of people waiting and standing around .....and next thing I know my wife waves me up....I write my name, date, and sign the paper given to me....then the women behind the counter comes and takes my hand to lead me to a visual testing area (asks me the what the colors are she points to on a poster) I'm sure I missed some as my vision is somewhat blurry ..but she says ..."you pass...wait here'' ..5 minutes later I'm asked for 505 baht and given a que number for getting your picture taken to get the license..... Now this all took maybe 10 minutes.....for the picture my number was 139 and they were on 81. Another 45 minutes later I was out of there with my 5 yr license ........605 baht Plus 500 tea money....and saved probably 4 hours of BS.

GOTTA LOVE THAILAND!!!!!!!