Plodprasob Defends Water-Management Scheme

[webfact]

Plodprasob defends water-management scheme
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- In response to criticism about the withdrawal of several Japanese contractors from the government's large-scale flood and water-management scheme, Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi told the press yesterday that the companies were bidding at prices higher than median rates.

Plodprasob reacted specifically to an attempt by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's former adviser, Utain Shartpinyo, to halt the bidding process scheduled for May 3 by lodging a petition with the Central Administrative Court. He said Utain was merely finding fault with the government and did not understand the conditions listed in the contract's terms of reference.

He said Japanese contractors had submitted proposals for 10 projects, but so far only six of them had been approved because their asking price was higher than the median rate.

Plodprasob also apologised to the firms that had withdrawn from the bidding before releasing the figures of the bids: the proposal for dams was Bt190 billion, while the median rate as Bt50 billion.

The construction of catchment areas was bid at Bt84 billion against Bt60 billion, floodways at Bt390 billion against Bt120 billion, and a database at Bt5.7 billion against Bt3 billion. He said a total of Bt700 billion was requested, while the entire budget for this scheme stood at Bt350 billion.

Thongthong Chandrangsu, permanent secretary of PM's Office Ministry, said the government and the Office of Attorney General were ready to provide an explanation to the Central Administrative Court if it ruled in favour of Utain and decided to halt the bidding process.

As for the petition, Thongthong said he did not believe that Utain was qualified to make the complaint and that the conditions in the TOR did not cast suspicions because they had been reviewed before being approved.

-- The Nation 2013-04-30

[Ricardo]

Ten different projects, all with different requirements, so how is a median or average in-any-way meaningful ?

Bigger projects cost more, smaller projects cost less, bigger projects cost more than the median or average, so what ?

Perhaps it's the reporting, that wouldn't be surprising, or perhaps the Japanese firms had other reasons for withdrawing ?

[Locationthailand]

Be transparent Plod, name the numbers... because every time you open your mouth only lies and self belief BS comes out.

[rametindallas]

'Plodprasob defends water-management scheme' He would since he will benefit from the corruption more than Thailand will benefit from any project.

The Japanese were probably unwilling to get involved in the corruption needed to win a government contract here. You notice there are never any U.S. companies getting government contracts in Thailand because the U.S. government will jail any company executive who bribes or pays graft to a foreign entity.

[chainarong]

I'm backing the Academic's

[maidu]

Sorry to say, Plodprasob has lost any modicum of credence he may have once had. His scientific prowess is as solid as wet tissue.

[thaicbr]

I imagine the bridge in Ayutthua was also built to the median price... look what happened to that!?

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

[Pimay1]

Sorry to say, Plodprasob has lost any modicum of credence he may have once had. His scientific prowess is as solid as wet tissue.

Agree. He shoud go back to his previous job of selling sauteed zoo animals.

[OzMick]

As I hurtled through space, one thought kept crossing my mind – every part of this rocket was supplied by the lowest bidder.
~ John Glenn

[EyesWideOpen]

As I hurtled through space, one thought kept crossing my mind – every part of this rocket was supplied by the lowest bidder.

~ John Glenn

That is a GREAT quote !!! Thanks. As for the antics of Plodprasop , I have taken so many pot shots at him I am simply going to pass on this one.

[MikeOboe57]

Does he still defend his water-pushing-machines?

[maidu]

Does he still defend his water-pushing-machines?

He can take the bogus bomb detection boxes and re-christen them flood denial devices (FDD's), and super glue them along the railings of bridges over the Chao Praya river. That should work to keep too much water from flowing to the wrong places.

[ResX]

The effectiveness of any new flood control structure can defined mathematically as its capability to reduce flood return frequency. For example, if the current flood return frequency for he Chao Pharaya is 1-in-10 years without any additional structure and 1-in -50 years with the new structure, then we can see how the new structure helps to reduce flood return probability from 10% to 2%.

With due respect, over the last two years, I doubt Thailand water management authorities have the correct undersatnd about the issue that I have put forward. The person in charge to invest THB 390billion, as far as I know has never revealed the current figure for flood frequency nor the expected target he wishes to achive. In this case, I'm afraid the invesment TBH 390billion can be badly over estimated.

Edited May 3, 2013 by ResX

[rubl]

Interesting to read that with a 350 billion Baht budget the total required if following the proposals is twice as much. Must be those pesky foreign companies who try to make an easy buck here over the back of those poor government officials.