Politicians told to end the high life

[FangFerang]

Before anyone kicks in about TIT, in my country (UK) many politicians are just as bad. Thieving *@!+@*DS

Well said! They have learned some nasty tricks from the West.

Before anyone kicks in about TIT, in my country (USA) many politicians are just as bad. Thieving *@!+@*DS

(The imitation is pure flattery here!)

[Trentham]

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Just look at Australia within a month of being in power Bishop was under fire for travel rorts , they are not really needed as they only make our lives harder.

Don't let me get started with the Bandits in OZ, Joe Hockey rents a house from he's father in Canberra for $280 a week and claims travel allowance of $110 grand a year plus rent , then tells everybody Oz is in bad shape financially the crux of this, every where politicians have there snouts in the trough, not only in Thailand.

WOW! Labour voters are out in force today.

So, it's OK in Thailand or maybe we should all pack up and fight our home-front wars. Or...leave it to the thieves of Thailand or... kick the door shut.

???????????

[Benmart]

really?

This story is about Thailand, not the UK, Australia, the USA or any other country.

Greed is not unlike self-centeredness. It is pervasive and tiring to those that observe it.

[fatfather]

The only change I can see is that a car trip from Nong Khai to Bangkok is done much smoother than before. Before the ROYAL Thai police were around every corner to catch people for speeding and other so-called offences. Now we do not see the police at all on this route. Why ??? I think they are not brave enough to continuing their practise, because the military will put them in jail if they try to extort anybody. That was their living before. Now I can drive how fast I want, no police, mai pen rai. But this means that if the new prime minister is serious and an honest man, he will kick out every policeman with rank over sergeant all over the country. Make a new police force from the bottom. The most corrupt people normal people are used to meet is the police officers and the guys at the desks in the ampeu.

Not being charged for speeding is a change, a change for good?? A new police force from the bottom will not care for enforcement of traffic rules? What a poor statement

Fatfather

[trogers]

I'd like to know what airline serves 100,000 baht per bottle wine and allows economy class customers to serve a boss who is in First Class.

If the story as any basis in truth then it got lost in translation.. like so many news stories.

An airline that does this would be in constant red ink. Hmmm...cannot think of any regional airline showing this trait...

[FangFerang]

I have a solution, and it is an actual and workable solution.

Many countries require a super majority vote for specific bills going through parliament (being a two-thirds vote to pass). These bills are important matters, being Constitutional Changes, large expenditures, and other matters such as national security.

Requiring a super majority takes care of several problems simultaneously. It makes both sides compromise. It forces electees to share power with opponents. It forces compromise, and would prevent those late night laws that cause upheavals.

It still lets the majority have an edge, but denies anyone the whole blade. For most legislation, a simple majority is fine, but a super majority forces consensus for important matters.

[rethaier]

Telling them to spend less caould just as easily be accomplished by removing them from office. We need a military coup in the UK, Australia and the USA too. And that would be just a start.

[mok199]

this is great..lets start tomorrow...

[asdecas]

The only change I can see is that a car trip from Nong Khai to Bangkok is done much smoother than before. Before the ROYAL Thai police were around every corner to catch people for speeding and other so-called offences. Now we do not see the police at all on this route. Why ??? I think they are not brave enough to continuing their practise, because the military will put them in jail if they try to extort anybody. That was their living before. Now I can drive how fast I want, no police, mai pen rai. But this means that if the new prime minister is serious and an honest man, he will kick out every policeman with rank over sergeant all over the country. Make a new police force from the bottom. The most corrupt people normal people are used to meet is the police officers and the guys at the desks in the ampeu.

If you imagine the boys in power now are or have historically been any different, you are dreaming.

A statistic: there are an estimated 1500 generals in the RTA, about three times the number in the US army, which is three times as big. Why should that be?

Honeymoons do not usually last long.

[Zeegator]

Exactly. A huge problem is the "bribes" people pay to get elected. I'm not talking about the 500B at the polling station, I'm talking about all the back room deals with the regions hi-so's.

I visited a very small town not long ago. Driving down the main road was this huge "mansion". It was massive. Guess who owned it? Right.

I think you missed something out of your post, you didn't tell us which town and nobody guessed, so why don't you tell us who did own it?

"Driving down the main road was this huge "mansion"." This is confirmation that you made this story up, mansions, huge or otherwise, cannot drive, even in your make-believe part of the country.

Edited August 24, 2014 by Zeegator

[Larry001]

Scum that does not give two hoots about the average Thai.

[stephen terry]

A politician?

[kurtgruen]

"It's not only local politicians but government officials and state enterprise officials also want to live a luxurious life without shame and the guilty should go into private business. Do not be politicians or bureaucrats because they are just a disgrace to the institution."

Go into private business??? How about GO TO JAIL, eat sticky rice and drink water for a few years and have all the assets seized from them and their families? Sounds more fair to me. Then give those assets to the people the money was stolen from. (like the poor, during the flood in Chiang Mai, some years back, where they got none, or only a fraction of the flood money and the village head got richer. I am talking about the guy next to Gym Kanna Golf Course)

That was so pathetic, stealing money from people, who lost everything in that flood.

[renaissanc]

I live close to a HUGE house owned by a policeman.

[godden]

they should all be made to fly Malaysia air.

[wandasloan]

Those darned rural people don't know their place!

I'm pretty sure the quotes for this story were emailed from the back seat of a chauffeur-driven Mercedes being escorted by two police cars.

[abrahamzvi]

When GM needed a bailout, they went from ordering steak and lobster for lunch to the office, to bringing their own homemade sandwiches.

I like this story.

I happen to know the two main US car manufacturers quite well and I think that their ethics should be an example for authorities everywhere as well as for private companies. For years, long before the bail outs were necessary, employees of GM and Ford were not allowed to take any presents whatsoever from any service provider. If an employee (in the Finance or legal departments) was invited for lunch, dinner, baseball match etc. by a service provider, he had to get his boss's OK, which was often not granted. This is one way of making sure corruption is not ripe!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The headline says the "greedy" should work in the private sector...

But the article itself says the "guilty" should work in the private sector.

Obviously, what they meant to say was, the GUILTY should work in the public sector.

[lovetotravel]

Exactly. A huge problem is the "bribes" people pay to get elected. I'm not talking about the 500B at the polling station, I'm talking about all the back room deals with the regions hi-so's.

I visited a very small town not long ago. Driving down the main road was this huge "mansion". It was massive. Guess who owned it? Right.

I think you missed something out of your post, you didn't tell us which town and nobody guessed, so why don't you tell us who did own it?

"Driving down the main road was this huge "mansion"." This is confirmation that you made this story up, mansions, huge or otherwise, cannot drive, even in your make-believe part of the country.

Pick a town, any town, and you'll see them. And if you understand anything about the defamation laws here, you'll understand why details are never given.

[Cake Monster]

Thai high class society

100.000 Bht / bottle of wine to swill down shrimp paste and fish sauce.

Priceless

[MediaWatcher]

espinoza, on 24 Aug 2014 - 08:05, said:

The only change I can see is that a car trip from Nong Khai to Bangkok is done much smoother than before. Before the ROYAL Thai police were around every corner to catch people for speeding and other so-called offences. Now we do not see the police at all on this route. Why ??? I think they are not brave enough to continuing their practise, because the military will put them in jail if they try to extort anybody. That was their living before. Now I can drive how fast I want, no police, mai pen rai. But this means that if the new prime minister is serious and an honest man, he will kick out every policeman with rank over sergeant all over the country. Make a new police force from the bottom. The most corrupt people normal people are used to meet is the police officers and the guys at the desks in the ampeu.

Does "Now I can drive how fast I want" mean you go faster than legally allowed, if so you are breaking the law, the same as a corrupt cop would be.

[bigwhitewarrior]

Same same

[MediaWatcher]

rethaier, on 24 Aug 2014 - 11:54, said:

Telling them to spend less caould just as easily be accomplished by removing them from office. We need a military coup in the UK, Australia and the USA too. And that would be just a start.

And you're an expert on those three counties!

[billd766]

I have a solution, and it is an actual and workable solution.

Many countries require a super majority vote for specific bills going through parliament (being a two-thirds vote to pass). These bills are important matters, being Constitutional Changes, large expenditures, and other matters such as national security.

Requiring a super majority takes care of several problems simultaneously. It makes both sides compromise. It forces electees to share power with opponents. It forces compromise, and would prevent those late night laws that cause upheavals.

It still lets the majority have an edge, but denies anyone the whole blade. For most legislation, a simple majority is fine, but a super majority forces consensus for important matters.

Run out of likes already.

Have one of these.

[givenall]

Same story different regime

[wvavin]

Seriously I begin to think that Thailand can only be ruled by the military, I mean good military. Their mentality is so low that this applies not only to the poor but the wealthy as well. The whole country just need a very firm grip or else chaos. Just hope the military is perpetually there, never mind no democracy but a better Thailand.

Edited August 24, 2014 by wvavin

[trogers]

espinoza, on 24 Aug 2014 - 08:05, said:

The only change I can see is that a car trip from Nong Khai to Bangkok is done much smoother than before. Before the ROYAL Thai police were around every corner to catch people for speeding and other so-called offences. Now we do not see the police at all on this route. Why ??? I think they are not brave enough to continuing their practise, because the military will put them in jail if they try to extort anybody. That was their living before. Now I can drive how fast I want, no police, mai pen rai. But this means that if the new prime minister is serious and an honest man, he will kick out every policeman with rank over sergeant all over the country. Make a new police force from the bottom. The most corrupt people normal people are used to meet is the police officers and the guys at the desks in the ampeu.

Does "Now I can drive how fast I want" mean you go faster than legally allowed, if so you are breaking the law, the same as a corrupt cop would be.

Cruising speed above 100Kmph is just wasting fuel. Hmmm...what kind of people don't give a darn about law breaking and wasting resources?

[jakobvarming]

How come that some Thais keep on saying that foreigners don't know Thainess?

Most foreigners living in Thailand see this kind of behaviour from high ranking Thais within less than a year staying here...

Maybe because we (foreigners) know "Thainess" and the Thais don't???

Edited August 24, 2014 by jakobvarming

[Baghdad]

What about the South African Prsident who build a house for him and his family for 250 million rand.Do the calculation, there is no way in hell he could afford that and not even SARS could investigate where the money come from. So corrupt its worse than Thailand could ever be.

[MediaWatcher]

Baghdad, on 24 Aug 2014 - 14:09, said:

What about the South African Prsident who build a house for him and his family for 250 million rand.Do the calculation, there is no way in hell he could afford that and not even SARS could investigate where the money come from. So corrupt its worse than Thailand could ever be.

No country is free of corruption, it's how the country deals with it. You mention one man, I could almost guarantee every Thai politician, down to the local headman and as this story is about pollies I won't mention other officials.