343 billion Baht budget sails through the House

[webfact]

BUDGET DEBATE
Bt343 billion budget sails through the House
Khanittha Thepphajorn
The Nation

Hundreds of millions of baht used to curb the anti-govt protests

BANGKOK: -- The Bt343-billion central budget for 2014 sailed through the House despite the opposition's attack on the government's inefficient spending last year.

During the deliberation, Democrat MP Watchara Pechthong pointed out that the government had used Bt600 million in all to curb anti-government rallies - Bt200 million to control the Pitak Siam protest last year and Bt400 million to deal with the rallies against the amnesty bill.

In addition, he said, Bt2 billion of the national budget has been spent to compensate and rehabilitate the red-shirt protesters who took part in the 2010 political turmoil, while Bt10 billion was earmarked for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's trips overseas.

In defence, Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said the PM's trips were not for pleasure but to promote Thai businesses and tourism, which would contribute a lot more compared to the cost of the trips.

However, Democrat Bangkok MP Vilas Chanpitaksa presented different numbers. Citing a document from the PM's Office, he called into question the Bt340-million budget approved for police and military operations to provide security during the Pitak Siam rally in November last year.

The police were granted Bt335 million, the Army Bt600,000, the Navy and Air Force Bt48,000 each, and the Internal Security Operations Command Bt3.5 million, the MP said.

"I really have doubts about the sixth item, which is Bt200 million compensation that the Royal Thai Police transferred for a 'secret mission' to conduct intelligence work. I wonder if it was really for making money [illicitly], as the allowances, accommodation and wage costs comprised Bt139 million altogether," he said.

"However, transferring a secret budget cannot be done unless it is identified in the annual budget bill. The government and people involved were smart. Before they asked for approval from the Cabinet on November 20, 2012, the Cabinet had already approved it in principle, saying the protesters were likely to surround Government House, Parliament, besiege the premier and so on, and instigate a situation," Vilas said.

The central budget, which is not allocated to particular agencies, is part of the total annual budget. The meeting on Wednesday night voted 287:107 in support of cutting Bt31.9 billion from the total Bt2.525-trillion annual budget.

PM's Office Minister Varathep Ratanakorn said all spending from the government's central budget in cases of emergency and for other necessities such as the prime minister's official trips required the approval not only of the prime minister, but of the Cabinet as a whole.

The Cabinet did not always grant such spending requests, he added.

Varathep said spending on Yingluck's trips abroad was necessary - especially for trips made at other countries' invitation - as this is her first term and she had to strengthen international relations. Spending was always done according to the regulations, the minister said.

The biggest portion of travel costs went towards airfares. For 2011 and 2012, the budget for airfares was set at Bt61 million, and Bt80 million for 2013, he said, adding that Bt55 million had been earmarked for next year.

Meanwhile, Varathep said there had been no budget allocation for Yingluck's proposed political reform council.

The House voted 291:126 to pass Article 4 of the 2014 Budget Bill on the allocation of the central budget, following the vetting committee's proposal that it be brought down to Bt343 billion from Bt345 billion.


-- The Nation 2013-08-16

[Bluespunk]

PT's song of the day. Sing it loud sister.

"All the things I could do,

If I had a little money,

Money, money,

It's a rich mans world"

Edited August 15, 2013 by Bluespunk

[MB1]

Bt10 billion was earmarked for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's trips overseas.

OMG the woman knows how to spend Thank the lord I'm not having to pay for her, I couldnt afford her..Does she need a valet for her overseas trips..

3% of the budget...???

Edited August 16, 2013 by MB1

[canopus1969]

A high maintenance lady

[notmyself]

Bt10 billion was earmarked for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's trips overseas.

OMG the woman knows how to spend:rolleyes: Thank the lord I'm not having to pay for her, I couldnt afford her..Does she need a valet for her overseas trips..

3% of the budget...???

No way can it be that figure.

[steelepulse]

>>Bt10 billion was earmarked for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's trips overseas.

That's roughly 333 million USD or 250 million Pounds. That's a serious boondoggle for just one year. $1,000,000 day is a nice per diem!

[Tatsujin]

And the rape of Thailand continues . . . please wake up people before it's too late . . .

[BrianCR]

How can people wake up so early? Many have been working all night helping tourism!

[chooka]

Bt10 billion was earmarked for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's trips overseas.

OMG the woman knows how to spend:rolleyes: Thank the lord I'm not having to pay for her, I couldnt afford her..Does she need a valet for her overseas trips..

3% of the budget...???

No way can it be that figure.

Sounds like the people are paying her shopping bills also, shoes, handbags and garments purchased from the most exclusive stores and used once before being thrown in the trash.

What could actually be achieved if this 10 billion was actually spent on education, health care, infrastructure and the like? Why do I get the feeling that the country is being raped?

[Naam]

does anybody believe the nonsense from the Nation's journalist "PM travel costs THB 10 billion"?

instead of ridiculous frothing around the mouths and wild speculations in a forum... what about going into details and find out that four aircrafts will be bought with that money to be used for all kind of official travelling of various politicians?

Edited August 16, 2013 by Naam

[OzMick]

85 MPs didn't bother to vote, and I assume were absent. As a quarter (125) don't have constituencies to handle, the absence rate seems high for an important bill.

[gemini81]

does anybody believe the nonsense from the Nation's journalist "PM travel costs THB 10 billion"?

instead of ridiculous frothing around the mouths and wild speculations in a forum... what about going into details and find out that four aircrafts will be bought with that money to be used for all kind of official travelling of various politicians?

Just remember, gossiping the incorrect figures could send us all to con college, remember?! Haha

The real figures no one outside the circle will really know.

[Nickymaster]

Yingluck is running away from her responsibilities and spends 10 billion on top of that.

These guys really know how to plunder this country.

Sad sad sad

[Nickymaster]

In addition, he said, Bt2 billion of the national budget has been spent to compensate and rehabilitate the red-shirt protesters who took part in the 2010 political turmoil, while Bt10 billion was earmarked for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's trips overseas.

In defence, Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said the PM's trips were not for pleasure but to promote Thai businesses and tourism, which would contribute a lot more compared to the cost of the trips.

Yes of course Surapong. Those countries Yingluck has visited have no idea what is going on in Thailand. The only information they have about Thailand is what they hear from Yingluck during her trips. When Yingluck visits them, smiles and says that everything is fine in Thailand, they start investing and planning their holidays.

What a mess.

[ezzra]

"The Bt343-billion central budget for 2014 sailed through the House" what an interesting choice of words, sailed through to be sunk later by greed, corruptions and ignorance...

[gabruce]

does anybody believe the nonsense from the Nation's journalist "PM travel costs THB 10 billion"?

instead of ridiculous frothing around the mouths and wild speculations in a forum... what about going into details and find out that four aircrafts will be bought with that money to be used for all kind of official travelling of various politicians?

Maybe because it was an article about the budget. If they reported incorrectly, okay. However it seems pretty clearly stated that 10 billion baht has been budgeted for her overseas travel. I would agree that there is nothing in the article about her using the budget to buy shoes, and it is a very big budget item. Farther on they note that air travel is only a tiny portion (80 million?) of that amount. As someone else pointed out, it's a $1,000,000 US daily travel budget.

[NeverSure]

does anybody believe the nonsense from the Nation's journalist "PM travel costs THB 10 billion"?

instead of ridiculous frothing around the mouths and wild speculations in a forum... what about going into details and find out that four aircrafts will be bought with that money to be used for all kind of official travelling of various politicians?

What a relief. I'm so happy to learn that US$1 million dollars per day will be split four or five ways.

It's still a <deleted>' boondoggle.

[ggold]

does anybody believe the nonsense from the Nation's journalist "PM travel costs THB 10 billion"?

instead of ridiculous frothing around the mouths and wild speculations in a forum... what about going into details and find out that four aircrafts will be bought with that money to be used for all kind of official travelling of various politicians?

No doubt it will make the trips to Dubai, Honk Kong or where ever (Mr T is at the time) when someone wants something, like a space at the trough?

Edited August 16, 2013 by ggold

[SOTIRIOS]

......this is aside from the 'odd trillion(s) or so' that they have appropriated under other guises.....

[Naam]

does anybody believe the nonsense from the Nation's journalist "PM travel costs THB 10 billion"?

instead of ridiculous frothing around the mouths and wild speculations in a forum... what about going into details and find out that four aircrafts will be bought with that money to be used for all kind of official travelling of various politicians?

Maybe because it was an article about the budget. If they reported incorrectly, okay. However it seems pretty clearly stated that 10 billion baht has been budgeted for her overseas travel. I would agree that there is nothing in the article about her using the budget to buy shoes, and it is a very big budget item. Farther on they note that air travel is only a tiny portion (80 million?) of that amount. As someone else pointed out, it's a $1,000,000 US daily travel budget.

give me a break man!

someone else was obviously as stupid naïve as the journàsslist who wrote the rubbish. and if another journàsslist "seem to clearly state" any rubbish then common sense should kick in and a few brain cells should be activated to find out that "rubbish was clearly stated."

[Naam]

does anybody believe the nonsense from the Nation's journalist "PM travel costs THB 10 billion"?

instead of ridiculous frothing around the mouths and wild speculations in a forum... what about going into details and find out that four aircrafts will be bought with that money to be used for all kind of official travelling of various politicians?

No doubt it will make the trips to Dubai, Honk Kong or where ever (Mr T is at the time) when someone wants something, like a space at the trough?

"it" will not make any trips my good man. "four" aircrafts means plural. "they" not "it" might make trips to whatever destinations on this planet. but that's neither your business nor mine because neither of us will pay for the trips.

[Mudcrab]

does anybody believe the nonsense from the Nation's journalist "PM travel costs THB 10 billion"?

instead of ridiculous frothing around the mouths and wild speculations in a forum... what about going into details and find out that four aircrafts will be bought with that money to be used for all kind of official travelling of various politicians?

No doubt it will make the trips to Dubai, Honk Kong or where ever (Mr T is at the time) when someone wants something, like a space at the trough?

"it" will not make any trips my good man. "four" aircrafts means plural. "they" not "it" might make trips to whatever destinations on this planet. but that's neither your business nor mine because neither of us will pay for the trips.

might need the extra planes for the accompanying journàsslist

[MB1]

does anybody believe the nonsense from the Nation's journalist "PM travel costs THB 10 billion"?

instead of ridiculous frothing around the mouths and wild speculations in a forum... what about going into details and find out that four aircrafts will be bought with that money to be used for all kind of official travelling of various politicians?

Why buy 4 new aircraft Naam when Thai Air already have plenty and seem to have 3 new ones on order, seems to me that whatever the budget really is for the PM's travel budget, the money could be spent on other things, don't the Ministry of Finance/ Government own over 50% of Thai air ?. By the way are the 4 aircraft on top of the 3 Thai Air seem to have on order, 2 x Airbus A380 and 1 x Boeing 777. Maybe the PM only wants private jets/aircraft...painted in the colours of Burberry and other top fashion designs...

http://www.planespotters.net/Airline/Thai-Airways-International

Data for link was last updated it seems on 4th August 2013, is that enough detail for you Naam, oh and just a bit more detail for you, Thai air seem to have 7 aircraft in storage, 3x Airbus A340's and 4 x Boeing 737's.

Seems to me theres 1 more person to add to the list of people frothing round the mouth..

Edited August 16, 2013 by MB1

[annabel]

Bt10 billion was earmarked for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's trips overseas.

OMG the woman knows how to spend:rolleyes: Thank the lord I'm not having to pay for her, I couldnt afford her..Does she need a valet for her overseas trips..

3% of the budget...???

No way can it be that figure.

Sounds like the people are paying her shopping bills also, shoes, handbags and garments purchased from the most exclusive stores and used once before being thrown in the trash.

What could actually be achieved if this 10 billion was actually spent on education, health care, infrastructure and the like? Why do I get the feeling that the country is being raped?

Nah! Just trying to be another Imelda Marcos and trying to see how far she can get away with it ,,,,

[Baerboxer]

"I really have doubts about the sixth item, which is Bt200 million compensation that the Royal Thai Police transferred for a 'secret mission' to conduct intelligence work. I wonder if it was really for making money [illicitly], as the allowances, accommodation and wage costs comprised Bt139 million altogether," he said

Wondered why the police seem so pleased with the current government. Nice to see the government supporting law enforcement.

[Baerboxer]

During the deliberation, Democrat MP Watchara Pechthong pointed out that the government had used Bt600 million in all to curb anti-government rallies - Bt200 million to control the Pitak Siam protest last year and Bt400 million to deal with the rallies against the amnesty bill

That's an awful lot of spondula to spend controlling anti-government rallies - from the party whose erstwhile leader (in name) spouts on about her pledge to freedom of speech and right of protest.