Yingluck says she feels sorry for the scrapping of infrastructure mega projects

[webfact]

PM says she feels sorry for the scrapping of infrastructure mega projects



BANGKOK: -- Caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said today (Wednesday) that she felt sorry that the Constitution Court ruled the two trillion baht borrowing bill unconstitutional because they would mean the lost opportunity for Thailand to develop its infrastructure in order to maintain its competitiveness among countries in the region.

The court ruled by 8:0 votes the borrowing bill unconstitutional in accordance with Article 169 (first paragraph) and Article 170 of the Constitution. It also ruled by 6:2 votes that the drafting process of the bill was unconstitutional.

The bill will authorize the Finance Ministry to seek off-budget loan amounting to two trillion baht to development infrastructure mega projects which include high-speed trains from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Bangkok to Nong Khai and Bangkok to Songkhla, dual-track trains, electric trains in Bangkok and road expansion.

The prime minister said her government had tried its best to see the country move forward and to remain competitive by introducing the infrastructure development mega projects as it had promised in the policy statement to the parliament.

She noted that Thailand’s infrastructures were not as good as those in several countries in the region and, therefore, they need to be upgraded so Thailand can remain as the transportation and investment hub of the region.

The prime minister said she hoped the next government should carry on with the development in infrastructures “because this is the opportunity of everyone not any government in particular”.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/pm-says-feels-sorry-scrapping-infrastructure-mega-projects/


-- Thai PBS 2014-03-12

[Scamper]

Perhaps Yingluck can save her regret for how she has governed.

[MunterHunter]

Or she could just go with the proposals of the Democrat party where they spell out how the money will be spent, without the need for borrowing large amounts of non-transparent cash

[Crushdepth]

So why not put the loan bill through the normal Parliamentary process?

Sent from somewhere in the Pacific

[MB1]

Maybe some people are now realising that they can't afford it.....And at the end of the day how much of the 2 trillion would be milked off through corruption...

[TVGerry]

Cronies of the family can't build that new house now!

Boohoo.

[Dork]

It was suggested to me recently that the Purple Line mass transit is going to be further delayed because the interim government can't sign contracts for the rolling stock. If so, that's disappointing.

[Thai at Heart]

30% of zilch is zilch.

Solly three times.

Maybe they should have been happy with 5% of 1.5 trillion? Sticky fingers in the pot killed this one.

[ratcatcher]

Cronies of the family can't build that new house now!

Boohoo.

The constitution court just managed to 'kikomin" the Shins.

[smedly]

So why not put the loan bill through the normal Parliamentary process?

Sent from somewhere in the Pacific

because it was never intended for infrastructure so it needed to be off budget meaning they could use the money for anything they liked for e.g. replacing the 800 billion they stole from the rice scheme and paying the farmers, it also seems the first car scheme has money missing also - what next

All they had to do was process the loan proposal with openness transparency and proper budgetary responsibility and it wouldn't have been an issue but then that would have restricted it's flexibility and made it useless for it's true intended purpose

Anyone involved in this deception should be jailed

[clockman]

Before thinking of high speed trains. Fix the simple things. Education, road deaths, Health, But no big payoffs for these! So everything stays the same.

[Thai at Heart]

So why not put the loan bill through the normal Parliamentary process?

Sent from somewhere in the Pacific

because it was never intended for infrastructure so it needed to be off budget meaning they could use the money for anything they liked for e.g. replacing the 800 billion they stole from the rice scheme and paying the farmers, it also seems the first car scheme has money missing also - what next

All they had to do was process the loan proposal with openness transparency and proper budgetary responsibility and it wouldn't have been an issue but then that would have restricted it's flexibility and made it useless for it's true intended purpose

Anyone involved in this deception should be jailed

I think this should include the senate. They completely failed in their role. Completely and utterly.

[rubl]

It was suggested to me recently that the Purple Line mass transit is going to be further delayed because the interim government can't sign contracts for the rolling stock. If so, that's disappointing.

normally speaking the money needed should have been reserved when the project was auctioned off. If there's no money now, there has been some very sloppy budget management.

[Old Man River]

Before thinking of high speed trains. Fix the simple things. Education, road deaths, Health, But no big payoffs for these! So everything stays the same.

Thai governments have budgeted a lot for education. The money just doesn't seem to flow downhill far enough.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[virtualtraveller]

Maybe if you hadn't screwed up the rice scheme the CC might have seen the merit in what you're trying to do. Pity that, 30% of 2 trillion would have ironed out all your woes and bought everyone off, you might've been in power for decades.

[Bocking]

A sad result for corrupt officials hoping to score a tidy dollar or two, but I suspect it's a very good day for Thailand in general.

Perhaps the most positive thing in the recent months of unrest, is a new sense of political awareness and opposition to the back-door methods of politicians.

For example: Off-Budget Loans & 4:30am Amnesty Bill Amendments.

Red will always see Red, and vice versa, but hopefully a new willingness to unearth the truth with will make for a more prosperous Thailand for all Thais.

I'm not holding my breath, but it's a start.

[StealthEnergiser]

what will happen about the 240 million baht they already spent promoting this rejected bill ?

Edited March 12, 2014 by StealthEnergiser

[Noi657]

Does this mean the rice farmers won't be paid this week? Or is it next week..... Or

[PepperMe]

So why not put the loan bill through the normal Parliamentary process?

Sent from somewhere in the Pacific

because it was never intended for infrastructure so it needed to be off budget meaning they could use the money for anything they liked for e.g. replacing the 800 billion they stole from the rice scheme and paying the farmers, it also seems the first car scheme has money missing also - what next

All they had to do was process the loan proposal with openness transparency and proper budgetary responsibility and it wouldn't have been an issue but then that would have restricted it's flexibility and made it useless for it's true intended purpose

Anyone involved in this deception should be jailed

I think this should include the senate. They completely failed in their role. Completely and utterly.

Well a certain portion of the Senate anyway..... 'the red portion'.

Edited March 12, 2014 by PepperMe

[ramrod711]

Perhaps Yingluck can save her regret for how she has governed.

She is just campaigning now, she knows she's finished. She will be in our village on Friday, some of the roads closed already, tents erected etc. I told my wife I was going to get a whistle and ask Yingluck where the money is, wife said I should go to town and stay there until YS is gone.

[Soutpeel]

Yingluck feels sorry for family members, friends, hangers on and various other little piggies who will not be able to get their snouts in trough come mega project budget hand out time

[Gunna]

It was suggested to me recently that the Purple Line mass transit is going to be further delayed because the interim government can't sign contracts for the rolling stock. If so, that's disappointing.

My understanding the Purple line is being built by MRT, luckily nothing to do with PT

[Artisi]

Before thinking of high speed trains. Fix the simple things. Education, road deaths, Health, But no big payoffs for these! So everything stays the same.

Thai governments have budgeted a lot for education. The money just doesn't seem to flow downhill far enough.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Correct, it defies gravity and flows up hill. Amazing Thailand.

[Crushdepth]

So why not put the loan bill through the normal Parliamentary process?

Sent from somewhere in the Pacific

because it was never intended for infrastructure so it needed to be off budget meaning they could use the money for anything they liked for e.g. replacing the 800 billion they stole from the rice scheme and paying the farmers, it also seems the first car scheme has money missing also - what next

All they had to do was process the loan proposal with openness transparency and proper budgetary responsibility and it wouldn't have been an issue but then that would have restricted it's flexibility and made it useless for it's true intended purpose

Anyone involved in this deception should be jailed

I think this should include the senate. They completely failed in their role. Completely and utterly.

Well I'd have to agree on that one.

[mrtoad]

Perhaps Yingluck can save her regret for how she has governed.

As all of her staple policies have failed, the dent thing to do is to resign. Still think she'll flee the country in tears very soon though.

Big Bruv is not going to be happy.

[djjamie]

So why not put the loan bill through the normal Parliamentary process?

Sent from somewhere in the Pacific

because it was never intended for infrastructure so it needed to be off budget meaning they could use the money for anything they liked for e.g. replacing the 800 billion they stole from the rice scheme and paying the farmers, it also seems the first car scheme has money missing also - what next

All they had to do was process the loan proposal with openness transparency and proper budgetary responsibility and it wouldn't have been an issue but then that would have restricted it's flexibility and made it useless for it's true intended purpose

Anyone involved in this deception should be jailed

I think this should include the senate. They completely failed in their role. Completely and utterly.

Well I'd have to agree on that one.

Yep so do I.

The voted senators should be jailed for supporting this? An appointed senator didn't agree with it and this is further ratifies my argument for an appointed senate being crucial to ensure democracy is represented in the Thai governmental framework all the way to the senate.

Edited March 12, 2014 by djjamie

[orchidlady]

If she is so sorry about the ruling...here's a novel idea-how about doing proper feasibility studies with transparent costs, inviting public opinion sessions that allows all not just your yes men/women to attend and do it properly through the budget process so it can be more transparent and subject to Parliament scrutiny. Oh, I know that is not how brother told you to do it but that is the proper way taxpayer's money should be spent--open the books to all procurement projects over a certain threshold.

[Smokemachine]

YL to public: I feel sorry for the scrapping of infrastructure mega project.

YL to her red subordinates: I feel sorry for not able to deliver the promised bonus to you all.

[Morch]

She noted that Thailand’s infrastructures were not as good as those in several countries in the region and, therefore, they need to be upgraded so Thailand can remain as the transportation and investment hub of the region.

How does she mean "remain"?

[Blackmirage2013]

Oh Bull****! She is not sorry.... she doesn't even know what infrastructure means!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anything not sold at Paragon is foreign to her...