"One Tablet Per Child" project hit as suppliers falter

[moe666]

All they need now is a survey of the minimum wage and starting salary for graduates and the whole scam will be unravelled.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I believe it is 300baht a day

[IamNoone88]

I believe that this is the only country to have a policy of providing "tablets" to school children? Most schools have an ICT department where fixed class room computers are made available to students during the ICT class periods. These computers are upgraded every couple of years and are generally more robust and are well maintained. They provide better educational development (kids learn basic programming, productivity tools, daily functional software etc from a PC), they do not get lost or stolen and are far more functional in bringing kids into the wired world. The tablet scheme was poorly thought through, expensive, served no purpose and could not be delivered. No consideration was given to maintenance or even how quickly tablets become obsolete and will need another round of financing for replacements. It is good job they were not delivered. Time to put in place another program or simply buy books which are sorely lacking in the schools I have seen.

[klauskunkel]

Chaturon said though the procurements were not successful, they were definitely free from corruption.

"We will confiscate its security deposit," Kitti Limsakul said in his capacity as an adviser to Chaturon

Free from corruption?!? It ain't free until the security deposit is deposited in my bank account. Then it's free from corruption, Kitti-me-lad.

[prvtdetdave]

Another failed scheme by the Shinawatras! So how much under the table money was given by this dodgy Chinese company to win this contract? Students got nothing but I'm sure some Shinawatra cronies could suddenly afford to build a summer mansion somewhere.

It sounds like a good idea, but calling the Chinese company dodgy is just ignorant. Also to blame the Shinawatras' is just plain stupid.

I believe the government should have paid the company. I don't provide product or service without money, would you?

This was a good project, but like most; asian greed destroyed it.

As you seem to be so knoweldgable how much money was given under the table?

You seem to only talk trash and never offer solutions.

[schondie]

I don't understand why the government didn't make a bid for the supposed 6 million Microsoft Surface tablets that were never sold. Microsoft took a massive loss on them but I'm sure they'd like to recoup some cash and clear their warehouses. More space for Windows 8 DVDs.

[belg]

yingluck should use one, TO LEARN ENGLISH

if she goes abroad and speak english, IT NEEDS SUBTITLES as nobody understand what she is brabbeling

[jocko]

Oh the lies, the lies.

They just keep coming and coming.

Having spent many years trading with the Chinese, I am amazed that this government is claiming that an established company is willing to supply 800,000 tablets without having at least a 30% deposit?

I doubt that even Apple Corp could stump up the forward costs for a contract that size.

I have never in all my years heard such drivvel.... Come on Chaturon how much have you lost to this company? How much of that have you had yourself and how involved is Thaksin? Don't tell me he isn't involved.

The funniest part is that we are expected to believe that the company even PAID the Thai government a security deposit...... hahaha. Priceless.

So the spin is that instead of losing money, we made money but unfortunately like the rice farmers, we have to break our promise...... lol

What a crock of crap.... NACC please demand the education budget paperwork and conduct a full investigation on this scheme also, you will probably find a lot of strange cash movements.

100% concur my company is part of a consortium that has been importing goods into Australia now for about 10 years from china and with every company we deal with it was deposit first ranging from 20%-50% even after 5-6 years dealing with the same company and WE HAD to show we had the monies available which is held in a trust account held by our lawyers in Hong Kong and when the goods were delivered then they get paid .

This is just another web of lies that they think they can spin to the uneducated masses of Thailand, the arrogance and deceitfulness of this government is beyond belief

They don't think they can spread these lies.

They know they can. If the masses had been educated they would not be in office today.

Spot on . My Thai wife gets very angry watching the propaganda on the TV she knows that this government and the previous government did not take care of the Thai people she wants to know why and what is going to be the future

People's council,(Who picks the team)The Courts, The Constitution .The law,

All that is over her head she just wants Thailand to be a better place for average Thais and not the already rich .

It's not a lot to ask.

[Loles]

Did the Chinese supplier do this ??? Impossible

[jongkolkhoo]

Never buy anything that says Made in China.

Oh sh*t. My iPhone bought at 32,000 baht says "assembled in china "

My iPad , my mini iPad and most of my gadgets including my dell computer says the same.

What am I going to do ????.

Oh and I am Chinese assembled in Malaysia .

[Jimjim]

They need to take this as a sign that this idea was an utterly stupid one to begin with. First graders don't need tablets.

[scorecard]

All they need now is a survey of the minimum wage and starting salary for graduates and the whole scam will be unravelled.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I can give them 2 names to start in regard to the starting salary of 15,000 for new graduates,

Edited February 6, 2014 by scorecard

[DLock]

I must commend Yingluck and her Government.

It's hard to screw up 100% of your policies in such a short time.

But she managed to do it.

Well done.

[bander]

"Children have lost the opportunity to learn with these devices," Chaturon said."

Children have lost opportunity to play games with these devices is closer to the truth.

I have never seen a thai use any tablet to educate them self, they all play games, listen to music and watch youtube videos on them.

Edited February 6, 2014 by bander

[FredNL]

I just took a look at Bloomberg. The price of the Shenzhen Yitoa Intelligent Control Co., Ltd shares have been rising from 7,090 in June 2013 to 13,400 at the end of Januari 2014 at the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. This is a rise of 89%. Someone has made a lot of money with shares of Shenzhen Yitoa Intelligent Control Co., Ltd.

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/300131:CH

[Notable]

The list of fkups will keep growing but they still vote for the same shower of currents. Thailand, the place where logic comes to die.

[Notable]

The list of fkups will keep growing but they still vote for the same shower of currents. Thailand, the place where logic comes to die.

[rjcampbe]

What a beautiful photo op... Too bad that was all this populist policy was ever about.

If it was about improving the education in Thailand they should have spent the money on teacher training, updating the curriculum, streamlining the bureaucratic processes, and in some cases, maybe installing a small computer lab in the school. It would have been more cost effective and more practical in terms of results.

Shame on Yingluck, Shame on PTP, Shame on the MoE, and shame on the voters for enabling this nonsense at the expense of these students future, while YLS and the rest of the elite send their kids to private schools and then to universities abroad.

The whole thing makes me sick to my stomach.

[rebelplatoon]

Another populist policy hits a snag. Any policies left that can be fulfilled? The people's choice.... As Winston Churchill once said: some countries deserve a benevolent dictator. With the emphasis on benevolent.

[SOTIRIOS]

...is this journalism ....or damage control...or deception....

...it was announced a few days a go........ that the supplier had declared bankruptcy.....

...so what is the game here....???

[peterbkk9]

Another populist policy hits a snag. Any policies left that can be fulfilled? The people's choice.... As Winston Churchill once said: some countries deserve a benevolent dictator. With the emphasis on benevolent.

Agreed. Democracy is not adapted to the Thai context. Thailand needs a "benevolent dictator"

[Ricardo]

All they need now is a survey of the minimum wage and starting salary for graduates and the whole scam will be unravelled.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I believe it is 300baht a day

Sadly, back in the real world, not everybody in Thailand actually gets that minimum-wage. Which is the point I believe Thai Spot was making.

Wonder what it was supposed to rise to, under the PTP's new set of pre-election promises, did anybody hear ?

And why ever couldn't the previous government have found a Thai supplier, to build these cheap tablet-computers, so that more of the jobs & money remained here ?

Answers in a brown-envelope, please !

[Notable]

It's sad for the kids and sadder still given that things will probably never change. People think that the ASEAN inclusion will bring about changes, but it won't. Thais think that they know best and that outside interference is driven by a hidden agenda.

[Scamper]

Pheu Thai has been so eager to administer graft on a massive scale, so eager to find the absolutely lowest bidder, so eager to make a buck at every level of the food chain, that they keep coming up with these debacles. Somehow, 800,000 tablets meant for the start of classes has turned into 300 a few weeks before the school season ends. And I bet the very first thing the 300 kids that got these was to ask assistance to block access to video games. After all, they wanted so much to learn, and a junk quality tablet was the way they were going to do it.

Even if the teacher didn't have one.

[icare999]

For the recent election PT rolled out the same tired posters from the last election and lined them along the highway through the village here.

No 300bht minimum wage here.

Wifeys graduate friend is on 9000bht pm.

None of the rice farmers have been paid for the last crop.

And not a single tablet has been delivered to the local school for the Prathom 1 students there.

but they still vote for their hero taksin don't they

[diehard60]

Another failed scheme by the Shinawatras! So how much under the table money was given by this dodgy Chinese company to win this contract? Students got nothing but I'm sure some Shinawatra cronies could suddenly afford to build a summer mansion somewhere.

Know just how do you figure that? I suppose if you had bought one you would not say anything about the SUPPLIERS???????????????????

[diehard60]

This tablet policy is the one that PTP supporters always wheel-out to show that PTP kept their pre-election promises, they say "we were promised a tablets for kids scheme and PTP delivered it."

Inquiring minds wonder if the choice of such a seriously shifty supplier is a way to avoid that pre-election promise, while at the same time claiming to have fulfilled it. Its not our fault the tablets weren't delivered. We made the deal in good faith, with such a not-shady-at-all supplier.

In either case it was a stupid idea. The list of things Thailand needs investment in is truly encyclopedic. Giving toys to kids is Santa's job, the government's job is railways, roads, water, buildings, etc. also job security and income quality, and strict regulation across the board.

#1 these are not toys there are educational.

#2 you have neve seen a company break a contract before????

# 3 this is standard business in many countries.

[exalll]

So, with all these savings, PLUS the confiscated security deposit, the rice farmers will be happy.

Or am I missing something? Perhaps something beginning with the letter c?

[makkam]

Oh surprise surprise. Another mega project fails dismally.

A promise never likely to remotely of partially succeed made by a member one of the most discredited families ever to grace thai politics...and thais just lapped it up.

The cronies got to fill their bank accounts yet again with not a second thought for the families and children thereof for whom they were intended.

Of the ones that were delivered I wonder how many were sold off on the sly by the largely unscrupulous school principals that use their schools like a fiefdom?

Laughable..the whole damn thing.

A real shame for the kids that have done nothing to deserve the disgusting ruling elite that besmirch thailand

[Jonmarleesco]

'"Children have lost the opportunity to learn with these devices," Chaturon said.'

Then perhaps the government - when there is a legitimate administration in place - should look to improve teacher training, support, and the whole education system, instead of relying on a 'cheap' machine to do it for them.

[smedly]

This is how PTP does business with China, something really stinks with this tablet contract and it needs to be investigated

From another thread on TV concerning the rice deal with China, also worth noting that recent supposed contracts were cancelled

most likely because they were about to be investigated so they buried them

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The government once announced that the sale of stockpiled rice would be done under a G2G (government to government) arrangement via a Chinese company called GSSG Import & Export Corporation, whose sole appointed agent in Thailand is Mr. Natthanit Sojirakul, a.k.a. 'Palm' who is the personal assistant of Udonthani MP Rapheephan Phongrueangrong, wife of red shirt leader Arisman Phongrueangrong.

Mr. Natthanit in turn issued a formal letter appointing as his representative Mr. Nimol Rakdee, who is the right hand man of Sia Piang.

It was Mr. Nimol Rakdee's job purchase rice from the government under the G2G scheme via the Department of Foreign Trade. Sia Piang then takes the rice which was sold at a price below market rates due to the fact that there was no public auction as per G2G regulations, and sells them to the rice mills at market rates.

The government loses money once because Sia Piang pockets the difference between the G2G price and the market rates. The rice mills then sell the rice back to the government, causing the government to lose money the twice because the government is obliged to buy the rice at 40% above the market rate.

It is probably not negligence or coincidence that causes the government loses money in this way. More likely because Sia Piang (circled) is a close associate of Thaksin.

Selling the rice under a G2G scheme (to avoid a public tender) is actually a scheme to sell the rice to corporations belonging to people close to Thaksin Shinawatra.