In danger of being a nation run by thieves: Thai editorial

[Thereisnoif]

It's already the case and has been the case for a long time . Move on

[gosompoi]

If they had cash rewards for turning in those for bribery and corruption it would be the biggest step to cleaning the country. Do not have pay that bribe just turn the person and get money in your account. I hear from the Thai, I have no choice, If I do not pay then I will lose out on my promotion, raise or job. If you get 10% of what the DSI finds, which could be many millions!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I wasn't challenging your account of things at the schools you're familiar with... I was just saying... the salaries scam was not apparently done at my acquaintance's school, or at least, I never heard about it.

But now that you raise it, I'll inquire further on that point.

So, I inquired further...and heard the following:

--A military family this year that paid 100,000 baht upfront for their univ. graduate daughter who had been working in the private sector to take a 15K a month military job.

--A government school teacher in recent years who had to pay 70,000 baht upfront to get hired at a different government school with a higher salary rate.

And yet, as it was explained to me, the job buying practice is more focused on regular/official government jobs...those with the serious benefits and pensions.

On the other hand, as it was explained to me, a lot of government schools hire Thais in lesser job classifications -- those without civil service status and without the same benefits provisions -- where job buying isn't the norm.

[Gaow]

Its so easy to look at Thailand! B4 you all start here, You should look where you come from, To mention, know names EU, the biggest corruption, on the planit, Uk People are starvin, tthere are food bank's, Opening up every where, the UK, is not run by polition's, it's run be Power, and what is Power? MONEY, We all no it happend in Thailand, So get use to it!

[phanangpete]

It is indemic in Thai society and you would need to be a historian to pinpoint when it really started, probably only a few generations ago, as they only really started heading down the road of capitalism/democracy ,middle of last century.

I have talked to teachers and a headmaster or two (farang) who have confirmed that the teenage children have no real interest in academic studies, as it requires an element of concentration, they the kids , in the main, do not think it necessary to learn a resonable standard of the English language , cause why do they need it, their dads will give them a job and make sure the pass exams anyway. Most know nothing about the ASEAN community, let alone where Austrailia is.

One headmaster told me that when he tried to change the curriculum to edge towards the Uk one, the board, all Thais, refused point blank!

So without a standard education what chance do they have, even when they go to higher education, i will not call it Uni, they end up using the gang mentallity and taking guns with them, who can forget only last year, boys in white shirts ie: uniform opened fire on another students bus!

Once out in society this culture carries on and most of us living here know about it, the answer is to clear the slate of all the hardcore corruptables and start afresh, is it possible, i leave that for you to decide !

[pb1936]

There seems to be increasing corruption in all counties. together with an overall decline in standards of honesty and responsibility.

In Thailand, everyone knows that corruption is rampant everywhere. at all levels, and is completely out of control.

Any talk of stopping it seems impossible. The country is evidently quite happy with things as they are.

It would be a start if some high profile figures were banged-up for a good long spell. stripped of their ill-gotten gains. and their names publicised........

But this is never likely to happen, because they all have their fingers in the till.

[hawker9000]

So, Thailand, the USA, the UK, wherever... What do you think it is that so effectively strips the average citizen of his sense of responsibility, accountability and decency? Of course there've always been people like that. But it seems like until relatively recently it took a campaign of intimidation and violence, or big payoffs, to make the common man so inclined to look the other way and ignore & accept obvious criminal behavior. What started it as being socially tolerated? What is it that's made these things as forgettable and as non-disqualifying as they are now? What changed? Who changed it? It seems like a funny sort of social "progress" that's gotten us here. Thailand seems to be as infected with it as anywhere else.

Edited July 19, 2013 by hawker9000

[Somrak]

he best business in Thailand is to be a politician followed by being a policeman

Some ..... are former policeman and politicians.

[dominique355]

The applicants are required to be "evidently honest"

That means, appearance will decide, right?

Such as this army general who owns a Mercedes-Benz (S-Class) and a big home in Bangkok plus a condo in Hua Hin plus a week-end house in Kao Yai, and millions in bank accounts around Thailand and the Cayman Islands but he is evidently honest and nobody ever asked him, where the money comes form.

And you now why? Because such a question would be considered as "slandering" and and the one who asks the question - without being allowed to show the facts - will be sentenced to prison. And the general is evidently honest, those who say differently, are all convicts, or criminals. Got it?

[Robby nz]

Where I live in a small town there is no obvious corruption among the people I meet.

The people in the post office never ask for bribes, the power outfit don't ask for extra to come and fix things nor do the local authorities when they are called to do something about blocked drains or fixing the road

Prices in the markets, eating places, supermarkets are fair, the police have never asked me for money, bus fares and entry to things are the same for everyone and people are generally fair and friendly.

Assuming things are much the same in most small towns the main corruption would appear to be farther up the chain of command and people only accept it because they have no choice.

I know the MRS is dead against corruption of any sort and so are her friends, but what can they do except write things on facebook and possibly go along to the occasional rally.

But rallys have their risks, the few red shirts here are watching and the people know it.

Life and making a living is hard enough without getting offside with someone who can do you grevious bodily or stuff your business up.

[gosompoi]

Where I live in a small town there is no obvious corruption among the people I meet.

The people in the post office never ask for bribes, the power outfit don't ask for extra to come and fix things nor do the local authorities when they are called to do something about blocked drains or fixing the road

Prices in the markets, eating places, supermarkets are fair, the police have never asked me for money, bus fares and entry to things are the same for everyone and people are generally fair and friendly.

Assuming things are much the same in most small towns the main corruption would appear to be farther up the chain of command and people only accept it because they have no choice.

I know the MRS is dead against corruption of any sort and so are her friends, but what can they do except write things on facebook and possibly go along to the occasional rally.

But rallys have their risks, the few red shirts here are watching and the people know it.

Life and making a living is hard enough without getting offside with someone who can do you grevious bodily or stuff your business up.

The corruption doesn't seem to be at the service level to people but at the service to government level. In a small village there are not bribes or kick backs between the little guys. When the government money is paying the bills then the tea money exchanging hands. Example in my area the teachers teach the students and do their daily work as normal but to get raises, promotions, and move schools they need to pay tea money. If they are due 7,000 baht a month raise, they need to pay 70,000 processing fee or if they want to move schools closer to home in a village 50,000 baht or in a city 200,000 baht. These amounts are from my first hand experience in the past year. New roads and new school buildings then it gets even worse, they all want a share of the free government money.

Edited July 28, 2013 by gosompoi

[evadgib]

I think the writer of this editorial does not even follow the news. In danger of becoming? It seems Thailand passed that road marker many years ago. Without a complete change of mindset, corruption will never stop. Jailing big names and educating the masses on the evils of corruption would be a good start.

They are about as close to achieving this as present day England is to Nelson's Portsmouth!

Edited July 28, 2013 by evadgib