'No room for corruption'

[Tatsujin]

Corruption has not stopped in Phuket. This is a huge undertaking for him and it may be too big for him to tackle. Just sayin'.

It's only been a few months, and a LOT has already happened/changed . . . it's a huge task as you say, and it's going to take years to change the people's perception/acceptance/expectation of corruption . . . but at least more positive things have happened in these last 4 months or so than in the previous decade (under any Govt), so let's see what happens next.

[Pinothippy]

An admirable goal but where do you start? Corruption is endemic at all levels in Thai society. I wish him luck.

[jimbeam1]

Primeminister?

Of course Dictstors don't need to be voted in. I wonder who will be in his cabinet.

jb1

[mike324]

we are off to a good start so far, of course it can't be 100% and the general will have to let his guard down a little, but nonetheless this is the first time I ever saw so much change in the past 20 years against corruption and law enforcement.

[Dublin]

No room for corruption sounds a bit like no room for Thailand.

Not one man and not one government can root out corruption. It will be a long process. But I hope and think Prayuth is the man to give things a good start.

Butttttttttttt for this the big shot of the previous corrupt governments MUST be put in prison. So far only Sondhi got a long year sentence but is hopping around in freedom on bail.

Corruption is a way of life in Thailand, and its pretty dam difficult to eradicate a way of life.. I see motorway 9 is getting a face lift already,, corruption at its best...

[DDbkh]

One of the most complicated issues is 'patronage' which involves all areas of society. It may not occur to people that this is a major form of corruption, because it seems so much part of the normal way of life.

It would be very useful if the Govt could start a publicity campaign explaining what they mean by 'corruption' as I suspect most people only have a vague idea of what it is.

[Lung Mike]

They might have to move most of the Government's staff to "inactive posts" because in my experience most are corrupt.

[Stradavarius37]

Corruption has not stopped in Phuket. This is a huge undertaking for him and it may be too big for him to tackle. Just sayin'.

So he shouldn't bother?

[Pinothippy]

we are off to a good start so far, of course it can't be 100% and the general will have to let his guard down a little, but nonetheless this is the first time I ever saw so much change in the past 20 years against corruption and law enforcement.

What has actually been achieved so far?

[wilcopops]

How about taking power without an election?

[joecoolfrog]

Does anybody truly believe that they will ever live to see a Hiso , well connected Thai serve a prison sentence for corruption. The general may be sincere in what he says but I suspect that very little will actually change.

[phanangpete]

I think when he's jailed a few hundred of them, taken their assets and given that to a good cause, they will sit up and listen ,even in Phuket .

[Pikeybkk]

as long as you don,t get caught doing it.it will never die

no, they get caught, they just don't get punished

[Andyfarquar]

as Lonnie donegan would sing."my dustbins full of corruption" how do you know its full?cause there's no more room inside.

I never heard that song but I remember Lonnie Donegan's: "My Old Man's A Dustman" in which he says "My dustbin's full of toadstools - How do you know? - Cos there's not mush room inside".... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CEXiVppWYk

Here in Chiang Mai (for the first time) I see no signs of corruption, government employees and everyone else are indistinguishable from each other unless a uniform is worn. People are charming and friendly and I see little evidence of martial law. In fact the only incident I can report is the loud comments of a disgruntled bar owner (Farang) complaining about the decision to enforce the laws on advertising alcohol, which he'd read here on TV.

Having lived most of the last 22 years here in S E Asia, mostly in the Philippines, I'd like to say that Thailand generally and Chiang Mai in particular are beautiful places to live, offering unparalleled standards of living, especially to those who've settled here. I have not done so but compared to Philippines, this is by far a superior choice and one of the major reasons for my assertion is the lack of corruption when compared to my recent history in the Philippines, truly a filthy, low class country when compared to Thailand....

My experience here is limited so I won't try to push anything down anyone's throats but I would urge all those who criticise, to take a step back and view all of the S E Asian region with the same criteria. You will not find Thailand's equal, I'm willing to bet on that!

[ratcatcher]

we are off to a good start so far, of course it can't be 100% and the general will have to let his guard down a little, but nonetheless this is the first time I ever saw so much change in the past 20 years against corruption and law enforcement.

What has actually been achieved so far?

Ah, at last, someone practically admits they've been asleep these last 3 months since the coup. Time to read some recent history and news reports.

[ratcatcher]

does that mean the Chinese-thai that regularly practice fraud and corruption will now have to stop. wait and see

Yes it does, they will have to wait and see what the northern Thais, the Isaan Thais, the southern Thais and all the other Thai Thais are going to do, the corrupt ones that is. .

You honestly think it's just the "Chinese" Thais that are corrupt? Wake up!

[fab4]

Thailand should do the same as Singapore and some European countries. Offering a bribe is a criminal offense and as well accepting the bribe.

A cop in Singapore that takes 100 S$ is going to jail for at least 1 year, being kicked out of the force.

Unfortunately for that to work you'd have to accept autocracy, Oh , wait a minute

[spidermike007]

So, that means every single official in Surat Thani province, and Koh Samui will have to be replaced. Every single one. There is not one who is not corrupt. Not one. Where would they start? Where would they find straight men and women, who are not on the dole? How would they build their new villas, buy their new yachts, buy their first class air tickets all over the world, and send their children to the finest universities overseas? These are perfectly worthy objectives, but the general has a long, long way to go to convince us he is capable of pulling off the kinds of gargantuan feats of will he is talking about. Do not talk about it. Do it. Show us. Jawboning only works if you can back it up. We are waiting. We are hopeful. But, we are skeptical.

[robert888d]

I have heard this 'no room for corruption' dozens and dozens of times. Actions speak louder than words,

Edited August 30, 2014 by metisdead
Bold font removed.

[klauskunkel]

The first and admittedly most difficult and complicated target is the Thai police. If they can be reinvented from top to bottom with independent oversight agencies in place (Internal Affaires), then the job to curb systematic corruption by other officials and the private sector will be much easier, since the protection from prosecution bought from the police will have dwindled. In tandem with police overhaul should be the long overdue toughening of punishment and fines (no more inactive posts) together with the rectifying of certain laws holding the process back (defamation/libel, etc.).

[Maggusoil]

Corruption has not stopped in Phuket. This is a huge undertaking for him and it may be too big for him to tackle. Just sayin'.

Corruption is an acute stage of opportunism. Something we all share in various measures.

Who is going to change human nature?

One of the things that makes Thailand so interesting for me, is the tenacious tooth and claw spirit, savage and as hard as they come,

counterpoised by things we associate with Buddhism at its best. For those of us aware of this interesting contrast, it makes life here fascinating.

As a faring it is always tempting to figure out how the future should play out. What elements of democracy should be emphasised and so forth.

However democracy is stumbling about in what we shall call the west, and who of us that think we can tackle these problems, in Thailand, are better to hand it to an Asian mind.

I hope in all this, that the pressure being put on corruption will be equaled by total freedom of speech and the press. The pressures on freedom of speech are not only being applied here, but also in Western countries.

[climbertrev1]

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Corruption has not stopped in Phuket. This is a huge undertaking for him and it may be too big for him to tackle. Just sayin'. alt=coffee1.gif width=32 height=24>

I want to know what his definition of corruption is. Does it include army officers and police officers buying their commissions because if it doesn't then the core will remain rotten. Anyone buying in to anything wants to see a return on their investment. In Pattaya and elsewhere the authorities believe they have the absolute right to skim from everyone in their power.

[sz1a]

No more corruption, yet every single decision is at the discretion of a single man. Is nepotism considered corruption in this country? Because the huge amount of military in the cabinet indicates that merit isn't enough to get you a seat.

[MediaWatcher]

Somtamnication, on 30 Aug 2014 - 06:44, said:

Corruption has not stopped in Phuket. This is a huge undertaking for him and it may be too big for him to tackle. Just sayin'.

He should start with the governor, then work down, this will surely cause a lot of rethinking in the way the police and government officials think and behave.

[ginjag]

Yes and Yingluck said much the same thing

WHO ?? she only said it--this is different---he means it. do you understand it will take years, but were on the way.

Prayuth does not need a makeover and a photo op with cronies alongside .

[sz1a]

Chok Dee.

I think any stamping out of corruption obviously starts by appointing ones friends and patrons to most senior government positions. This approach coupled with the removal of all checks and balances is exactly the way one removes corruption.

Some might argue it centralises power and creates an environment for corruption albeit amongst a smaller more powerful group. But I don't agree. These are the good people.

Preach! This exactly.

[Toscano]

Rome wasn't built in a day !

[Yann55]

'There is no place for corruption in Thailand'

I'm sure the 2 politicians and the 1.5 business men who never put their finger in the Thai pie wholeheartedly agree with the good General on this one.

Edited August 30, 2014 by Yann55

[hgarwood]

He has already done more than all previous governments have done in years. To wipe out all corruption is a goal. Not all goals are achievable but starting at the top is the way to go. Every country in the world has corruption whether they admit it or not. Thailand has run on it for years, and if anybody can change that then I think he is the man to do it. Western democracies may not be happy with an unelected government, but fail to recognise that previous governments have been elected on the back of corruption. He should ignore Western protests and focus on taking Thailand forwards which was the main theme of his speech last night.

That he has done more than all previous governments have done in years......I could not agree more! The general has a worthy goal and from what I have seen so far he has made admirable progress toward that. But we all should recognize that it is a long, long-term project that will at times be slow and difficult, but everyone should be willing to support his efforts if they want to restore Thailand to good governance.

We hear many critics shouting for a "return to democracy for Thailand", without much thought into what they are asking for. Read the following link very, very carefully:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/In-Thailand-democracy-is-just-a-fig-leaf-for-klept-30228458.html

Then, when you have finished, ask yourself "Is this the kind of democracy I want Thailand to return to?" Give the man a chance.

[marcusd]

Yes and Yingluck said much the same thing

she was full of words only. And spearheaded the corruption to dazzling levels never seen before.

Off with her head