REPORT
Bad behaviour in Parliament seems rife
JINTANA PANYAARVUDH
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- THE IMAGE of Thai parliamentarians worsened recently after several incidents of misbehaviour inside the assembly hall, but apparently this is nothing new. Parliamentarians generally seem to be badly behaved.

Over the past two years, Thai lawmakers have been caught at least three times viewing pornographic images during national debates. Last Friday, an elected senator - believed to be Krabi Senator Pinyo Sainui - was caught on camera surfing porn on his mobile phone. In fact, the captured image showed him zooming in on photographs of a woman with her genital area clearly visible. He admitted to looking at photographs on his iPhone during a Senate meeting, but said they were photographs of his niece.

Last month, Pheu Thai MP for Nong Khai Pongpan Sunthornchai was caught looking at pictures of a scantily dressed woman on his iPad during a parliamentary debate. He later claimed that he had accidentally clicked on a link that downloaded the images.

Back in April last year, photographs of a red-faced Democrat Party MP Nat Bantadtan viewing pornography on his mobile phone during a parliamentary meeting were widely distributed among Facebook users. Nat was caught viewing the photo at almost the same time as images of girls in bikinis striking sexy poses were accidentally shown on a monitor inside the assembly hall.

Last week, Huffington Post UK revealed that according to official records, more than 300,000 attempts had been made to access pornographic websites from the British Parliament in the past year.

After Huffington Post UK filed a Freedom of Information request, the authorities of the House of Commons had no choice but to acknowledge that users of the parliamentary network, including MPs, peers and their staff, had repeatedly tried to access websites classed as pornographic between May 2012 and July 2013.

In the United States, Senator John McCain was spotted by a Washington Post photographer as playing poker on his iPhone during a US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing on Syria.

Some might put the blame on technology, as it makes it easy for politicians to give in to temptation and access both pornography as well as online games.

But how do voters feel about this?

The Internet should be used as a tool for MPs to scrutinise the government, not to entertain themselves. Other than failing to focus on issues at hand, Thai parliamentarians were recently seen using physical force - getting into scuffles and even throwing around chairs inside the chamber. Luckily, nobody had a gun handy.

An AFP report said yesterday that a Jordanian MP was arrested after firing a Kalashnikov assault rifle in Parliament at a colleague. Fortunately, nobody was injured. Sources said the shooting came in the wake of an argument in Parliament between the two MPs.

Judging from how things are heating up in Thai politics, we can only hope our lawmakers don't follow the ways of the Middle East.


-- The Nation 2013-09-12

"In fact, the captured image showed him zooming in on photographs of a woman with her genital area clearly visible. He admitted to looking at photographs on his iPhone during a Senate meeting, but said they were photographs of his niece."

So was he looking at a naked picture of his niece?

"In fact, the captured image showed him zooming in on photographs of a woman with her genital area clearly visible. He admitted to looking at photographs on his iPhone during a Senate meeting, but said they were photographs of his niece."

So was he looking at a naked picture of his niece?

Another Thai official with Foot in Mouth Disease or " speak first and think about what was said later ", usually when it's too late.

Parliamentarians generally seem to be badly behaved.

Consequences . . . there are none . . . so why should they do anything other than what they do now? Things only change when their is a reason to change, and that's not even close to happening here. They're like the Vikings, raping and pillaging the country for their own benefit.

I do not know which is more immature the members of various legislatures viewing porn or the post here

If I was caught looking at porn at work there would be hell to pay. Why should it be any different for them?

But how do voters feel about this?

Feel like a crisp 500 baht note.

Parliamentarians generally seem to be badly behaved.

Consequences . . . there are none . . . so why should they do anything other than what they do now? Things only change when their is a reason to change, and that's not even close to happening here. They're like the Vikings, raping and pillaging the country for their own benefit.

The difference between the Vikings and Thai politicians is that the Viking raped and pillaged OTHER countries, but Thai politicians rape and pillage THEIR OWN.

Well duh! You have criminals, gangsters, corrupt politicians and terrorists in both parliament and the government. You expect these people to behave?

Parliamentarians generally seem to be badly behaved.

Consequences . . . there are none . . . so why should they do anything other than what they do now? Things only change when their is a reason to change, and that's not even close to happening here. They're like the Vikings, raping and pillaging the country for their own benefit.

The difference between the Vikings and Thai politicians is that the Viking raped and pillaged OTHER countries, but Thai politicians rape and pillage THEIR OWN.

No morals or ethics or integrity . . .

What do they expect when you have a Parliament full of thugs, criminals, spoiled brats and mummy's little darlings that can never do wrong ? You will find more sensible bunches looking at you from behind bars in your local zoo.

Some might put the blame on technology, as it makes it easy for politicians to give in to temptation and access both pornography as well as online games.

Yup, don't blame character weakness, unethical behavior, corruption, double standards, etc. ad nauseam...it's not guns that kill people...

This is nothing new ,as most of the PTP members should be in jail and the others, wouldn't make the grade at kindergarten, low intelligence creates sub - normal out looks.

"In fact, the captured image showed him zooming in on photographs of a woman with her genital area clearly visible. He admitted to looking at photographs on his iPhone during a Senate meeting, but said they were photographs of his niece."

So was he looking at a naked picture of his niece?

Incest is not frowned upon here like it is in the civilised world.

I hear its how a lot of bar girls first get introduced into the game!

When my friend married a school teacher we were introduced to other school teachers who ran a Karaoke bar and were recruiting girls directly from the school where the teachers worked!

You gotta have a sense of humour to live here!

If I was caught looking at porn at work there would be hell to pay. Why should it be any different for them?

If you we're caught looking at porn at work on a company computer you would be sacked in all probability

"In fact, the captured image showed him zooming in on photographs of a woman with her genital area clearly visible. He admitted to looking at photographs on his iPhone during a Senate meeting, but said they were photographs of his niece."

So was he looking at a naked picture of his niece?

Incest is not frowned upon here like it is in the civilised world.

I hear its how a lot of bar girls first get introduced into the game!

When my friend married a school teacher we were introduced to other school teachers who ran a Karaoke bar and were recruiting girls directly from the school where the teachers worked!

You gotta have a sense of humour to live here!

Your reading too much into the MP,s comment, it was the first thing that came into peanut he call a brain to use as an excuse, no different from when a Thai lady introduces her thai husband as her brother or nephew to her Falang husband......same same

So, let's get this straight.

Thai parliament enact laws banning pornography and set up the "Web Porn Police" to prevent thousands of websites from being accessible in Thailand.

""Sorry for the inconvenience.

Ministry of Information and Communication Technology. Has ordered the suspension of the release site that you want to visit.

The images, text and content that some inappropriate For more information, visit.

Ministry of Information and Communication Tel: 0 2141 6950 "..."

And then have the audacity to access porn sites themselves when at work? No doubt for a bit of light relief

Or maybe they will claim to be searching the web to ensure those over at the MICT are dong a proper job

I do feel sorry for the poor niece.

It must be terrible news for her and her family to discover that "Uncle Pinyo" was checking out her punanee on his phone.

There all as bad as each other !

"In fact, the captured image showed him zooming in on photographs of a woman with her genital area clearly visible. He admitted to looking at photographs on his iPhone during a Senate meeting, but said they were photographs of his niece."

So was he looking at a naked picture of his niece?

Don't jump to conclusion. He could be a doctor giving advise to his niece on her genital infection.

Sleeping and watching porn with extra pension 15,000 Baht for life. Good bargain!

Bad behaviour in Parliament seems rife <- even a disabled kindergarten toddler child has more dignity than this bunch of GREEDY ANIMALS