Botched tablet computer deal: Thai Govt seeks Bt156 mil damage fee

[webfact]

Botched Tablet Deal: Govt Seeks B156 Mil Damage Fee
By Khaosod English


A student tests out a tablet computer distributed under the "one child one tablet" program (Photo by Prachachart)

BANGKOK: -- The government will file a lawsuit seeking a compensation fee of 154.6 million baht from the company behind the now-collapsed school tablet computers plan.

Minister of Education Chaturon Chaisaeng said Jasmine Telecom System Company was initially contracted to distribute tablet computers to Matthayom 1 students and their teachers enrolled in public schools in the northern and northeastern regions ("Zone 4" under the Ministry of Education designation).

Under the contract signed in September last year, the company was due to distribute the first shipment of the devices in February 2014, Mr. Chaturon, but the company postponed the delivery in early February and promised to schedule another delivery date on 4 March.

When that deadline was missed again, the Ministry was forced to cancel the shipment in order to prevent any further delay or damage, Mr. Chaturon told reporters in a press conference yesterday.

According to the Minister of Education, the company must be fined 0.2% of the price of each undelivered tablet computers for each day that exceeded the deadline, amounting to 1.5 million baht of damage fee per day and a total of 114.6 million baht. An additional insurance fee of 40 million baht will be applied to the compensation payment, Mr. Chaturon said.

The collapsed deal is yet another blow to the "one tablet, one student" program promised by the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Tablet contracts for Zone 1 and Zone 2 have faced similar cancellations.

Like some other populist policies pursued by the government, such as the controversial rice-pledging scheme, the tablet program was plagued by delays and reports of possible corruption.

However, Mr. Chaturon remains unfazed by the latest obstacle, vowing to organise a new round of auction for the tablet distribution contract soon. He added that Jasmine Telecom System Company will be required to pay some of the budget for the new auction.

Mr. Chaturon also expressed his confidence that students will receive their tablets within "May and June" this year.

Source: http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1395482528&typecate=06&section=


-- Khaosod English 2014-03-24

[Somtamnication]

My son's tablet has not worked since day 2! Full of lite programs and pirated software. This came from a govt. agency. So, who should sue who again?

[soundman]

Every time there is a "new" auction, I suspect there is a new round of unseen "bidding fees" levied........ And the beat goes on.

[kingalfred]

A political pre election stunt gone bad.Everything Peau Thai has touched with its grubby corrupted tentacles has failed and cost the country billions.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[looping]

A very convenient way for the govt to shift the blame.

Probably would have ended up being cheaper to give the actual Samsung Galaxy as paraded (and promised) by YL.

BTW I'm still keen to hear what the tablets have been used for, or are the govt admitting now that they were just a token gesture, or in their original words "just an election promise".

Of course, YL herself isn't responsible as she has little or no experience in the area of ICT, etc etc, and wasn't there at the meetings.

I'd love to hear their summary of the project, along with the 'accounts' of course, for a laugh if it wasn't so tragic.

Here's my summary... They promised a Galaxy, they delivered DIRT, and it cost The Earth!

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited March 24, 2014 by looping

[Thaddeus]

Are they prosecuting themselves? that would make a refreshing change from screwing everyone else.

[noitom]

And the Thai boy in the photo is using these Thai tablets as they should be used by Thais - Cartoons.

[kannot]

And the Thai boy in the photo is using these Thai tablets as they should be used by Thais - Cartoons.

What else in a "Mickey Mouse" run country!

[Tatsujin]

I wonder who and how many of the Board of Directors are friends/relatives of the Govt?

[Borzandy]

My daughter's tablet has never worked !

[wxpwzrd]

Corrupt company screws over corrupt government?

[rametindallas]

Now they know how the rice farmers feel. Promised delivery delayed and delayed delivery date not met. Had they taken a few years and developed a lesson plan and accompanying software, This would have also given the education dept. time to teach the teachers how best to utilize the new technology. They could have, in those several years, set up a Thai company to manufacture them to a set of minimal specifications. Competitions could have been held to write the lesson plans and the software. This would have helped Thailand develop on many levels. Unfortunately for Thailand, the program was designed to get votes and not help educate the young; of course, the populace is getting an education in inept implementation of policy.

[ginjag]

This is one of many contracts that have PTP flaws, so will be looked into by the courts.

Where are the diehards on this topic, little for them to crow about.

[Utley]

Common sense would dictate that before one accepts bids from potential contractors, the contractors' backgrounds and references would be checked. This is called "due diligence" - a routine business practice in the West. Unless of course, obtaining the best possible product for the least reasonable cost is not your primary goal. Hmm......I wonder what the primary goal really was?

Edited March 24, 2014 by Utley

[ginjag]

Common sense would dictate that before one accepts bids from potential contractors, the contractors' backgrounds and references would be checked. This is called "due diligence" - a routine business practice in the West. Unless of course, obtaining the best possible product for the least reasonable cost is not your primary goal. Hmm......I wonder what the primary goal really was?

Likewise the contractors should check the backgrounds of the buyers.

[Baerboxer]

Common sense would dictate that before one accepts bids from potential contractors, the contractors' backgrounds and references would be checked. This is called "due diligence" - a routine business practice in the West. Unless of course, obtaining the best possible product for the least reasonable cost is not your primary goal. Hmm......I wonder what the primary goal really was?

Potential suppliers wanting to take part in the auction should have been thoroughly appraised, evaluated and approved as part of the civil service procurement procedures. Only suppliers who are technically capable, financially sound, and meet other evaluation criteria such as sustainability and corporate social responsibility would be allowed to bid in the auction. The rules around public sector procurement in the EU and US are very strict. They are designed to promote competition, achieve best value for money, provide goods or services that are fit for purpose whilst maintaining full transparency and accountability. Even with this in place there are many many examples of corruption in the West - at local and national government levels and in defense procurement.

The NACC could easily request and check the process followed in the selection for the suppliers prior to and after the initial e-Auctions. Most public procurement departments are required to keep information for a fixed number of years.

Yingluck was clearly touting a Samsung Galaxy around. But as always with PTP, what you see and are told is always what you get.

[ginjag]

Common sense would dictate that before one accepts bids from potential contractors, the contractors' backgrounds and references would be checked. This is called "due diligence" - a routine business practice in the West. Unless of course, obtaining the best possible product for the least reasonable cost is not your primary goal. Hmm......I wonder what the primary goal really was?

Potential suppliers wanting to take part in the auction should have been thoroughly appraised, evaluated and approved as part of the civil service procurement procedures. Only suppliers who are technically capable, financially sound, and meet other evaluation criteria such as sustainability and corporate social responsibility would be allowed to bid in the auction. The rules around public sector procurement in the EU and US are very strict. They are designed to promote competition, achieve best value for money, provide goods or services that are fit for purpose whilst maintaining full transparency and accountability. Even with this in place there are many many examples of corruption in the West - at local and national government levels and in defense procurement.

The NACC could easily request and check the process followed in the selection for the suppliers prior to and after the initial e-Auctions. Most public procurement departments are required to keep information for a fixed number of years.

Yingluck was clearly touting a Samsung Galaxy around. But as always with PTP, what you see and are told is always what you get.

I clearly remember Yingluck waving around the state of the art at the time,--stupid money making RACKET. They got what name tablet (world best seller) ???

It turned out to be the pits, The whole idea was only part of their vote catcher scheme ----

[fab4]

My daughter's tablet has never worked !

Blimey, that's two now!

Edited March 24, 2014 by fab4

[ginjag]

My daughter's tablet has never worked !

Blimey, that's two now!

DOH, 2 today out of a few of farrangs kids.

Maybe if you could do a survey of the 99.999% of Thai kids tablets, think your silly count would be different.

Why don't you be honest, say the scheme was rubbish, money down the drain as 99.999% people now are aware.

[bigbamboo]

My daughter's tablet has never worked !

Blimey, that's two now!

DOH, 2 today out of a few of farrangs kids.

Maybe if you could do a survey of the 99.999% of Thai kids tablets, think your silly count would be different.

Why don't you be honest, say the scheme was rubbish, money down the drain as 99.999% people now are aware.

Because that wouldn't be toeing the party line.

[Scamper]

This Khaosod article is an absolute scream. We have this serene photo of a student " testing " a tablet computer - with a video game ! But then the article itself continues to roam down fairy land. Chaturon is reputed to be the minister of education. That in itself is comical, but Khaosod - unlike other publications - has now dropped the " caretaker " label. They've had enough of it, apparently. He's fully in the saddle. Because Khaosod says he is, that's why. And Chaturon has big plans. First he wants 156 million baht from litigation. That money will certainly come in handy. And then there's the incredulous plan of promising students at long last their tablets in May or June. How ? Where's the contractor ? The previous one is being sued for 156 million baht. Chaturon has promised all these tablets in two and three months time - but he has no contractor ! Are we in the land of Lewis Carroll ? No we aren't. Because Khaosod says we're not. It's all very true. You see, although we don't have a contractor, we intend to hold another auction round for contractors - another riotous auction for companies that are just chopping at the bit to secure a contract to someone who is suing the previous company for 156 million baht. Chaturon is sublimely confident that not only will an enthusiastic contractor materialize, but will secure thousands upon thousands of tablet computers in two or three months to students who have for too long already complained about not having access to the newest games. Ladies and gentlemen - the blissful world of Khaosod.

Edited March 24, 2014 by Scamper

[Thai at Heart]

0.2% is worth this much?

Wow

[Basil B]

My daughter's tablet has never worked !

"Made in China"...

What are you complaining about, it has not burst into flames or electrocuted her.

[ginjag]

My daughter's tablet has never worked !

"Made in China"...

What are you complaining about, it has not burst into flames or electrocuted her.

What has worked in the last 2 years ??? same a dog with 1 leg.

[gemini81]

My daughter's tablet has never worked !

Neither have most members of PTP.

[fxe1200]

As far as I know, Jasmine Telecom System Company is only the pretextual company to skim some of the money off. Producer of the tablet is Shenzen from China. When Shenzen and the Chinese Government learned, that there is corruption involved, the company Shenzen nullified the contract. One day, I saw the message in the Bangkokpost, that Shenzen is bankrupt, and therefore cannot deliver. This is not true. Shenzen is alive and kicking. I urge the the Thai Government to deal directly with the producer, and publish the contractual content, knowing that would never happen.

[ginjag]

Is the 156 million baht to pay for repairs, ???

[Yme]

So the 2013 academic year kids will get their tablets when starting the 2014 academic year (in theory). When will the 2014 academic year kids get theirs?

[getthaid]

My daughter's tablet has never worked !

Blimey, that's two now!

Dead right. The statistics bear out that the facts!

From all available data it can be proven that only two tablets fail to work taken from a statistically significant sample, geographically spanning most of Thailand.

Ever consider working forTAT statistics dept?

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand