EDITORIAL
Tarit is a sad reflection of Thai bureaucracy
The Nation

Victim or otherwise, the former DSI chief represents many flaws of our political and justice systems

BANGKOK: -- In a recent interview, controversial chameleon Tarit Pengdit described himself as a victim. The former chief of the Department of Special Investigation has been on his way down after the coup in May, facing investigation and court cases and receiving little sympathy from the public.

"I was just a bureaucrat who followed orders," he said.

It was a tell-tale statement, whether one feels for the guy or not.

Many think he's getting what he justly deserves. Tarit pulled no punches against the red shirts when the Democrats were in power, spearheading the crackdown on "terrorists".

There were videos of him denouncing the red shirts' activities.

His agency was instrumental in criminalising some activists and chasing the sources of red shirts' funding. When the Pheu Thai Party came to power, Tarit's DSI turned against the Democrats in the most audacious manner. Old cases were ignored, and he became the man leading the hunt for the "hunters" of the red shirts.

That Tarit is blaming politicians for his plight tells a lot about him. In his interview, he said he had no choice. In fact, he did. He could have defied his political bosses, who could have, at worst, seen him sacked.

But Tarit was is one of the conservative bureaucrats who cannot stand being fired under whatever circumstances.

He could have chosen to follow his true conscience and leave the job with his head held high. Instead, he opted to stay on and became one of the high-profile chameleons in the Thai political crisis.

In the interview, he implied that the nature of his agency's work forced him to change colours, depending on who turned out to be his boss. This reflected his mentality or how he perceived the Department of Special Investigation.

By suggesting the agency was nothing but a political tool, he probably should blame himself for deciding to work as a political tool. By suggesting the agency was a political tool after having decided to keep on working in it, and then complaining, doesn't make sense.

Whether or how the DSI should be reformed is an entirely different question. This is about a man and his honour or dignity. Tarit chose to be the "victim" to say the least. There were times when he could have told the public the truth. He could have leaked truthful information to the media. He could have openly defied either the Democrat government or the Yingluck administration, doing what his heart told him. He could have just said "Sack me. I didn't sign up for this". Tarit did none of those.

We don't know how many bureaucrats are like him, but we cannot be optimistic. Many people love to go with the flow, but Tarit's former agency has no room for that. The DSI is supposed to uphold justice - pure and simple. Being a political tool is the last thing it should be, because it's simply a Gestapo otherwise.

The reputation of the DSI has been left in tatters. Its credibility has almost totally evaporated.

Tarit has blamed politicians but he of all people should know who else are at fault. If he sincerely does not know, and if many top bureaucrats are like him and think like him, the long, hard road of Thailand's bureaucracy is a lot longer and harder than we thought.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Tarit-is-a-sad-reflection-of-Thai-bureaucracy-30243263.html


-- The Nation 2014-09-15

"We don't know how many bureaucrats are like him, but we cannot be optimistic."

That's got to be the understatement of the year.

"I was just a bureaucrat who followed orders," he said.

AKA the Nuremburg Defence; didn't work there/then either.

This is a warning for those blinding follow orders, especially fro thaksin and or prayuth.

This is a warning for those blinding follow orders, especially fro thaksin and or prayuth.

No, it's not. It is a warning to corrupt officials to start using their moral compasses rather than chasing under the table envelopes a la Tarit. This man is an utter disgrace, and still trying to weasel out of having any culpability for the total mess that he and his cohorts have left the country in.

Any investigative merit he may have once had, evaporated for good when it turned out that somebody had built a road right through his families gated compound and built a mansion in the national park a few centimeters from chez Tarit and the guy didn't even notice?

Being a lickspittle to politicians shows a distinct lack of moral rectitude. Here is a man who definitely is not a role model. You lay with the dogs, you get fleas. Sorry, Tarit, but you are toast, and deservedly so.

The work of the DSI forced him to change colours depending on who was boss !

Bamboo bending in the wind as long as it benefited him, no question of morality and i won't even suggest honour which is in short supply at the best of times.

Let's hope the NCPO does a little more than just demolishing his illegally built house and maybe, just maybe, let all the other Tarits out there see what they can expect.

Tarit is a sad reflection of Thai bureaucracy Society

I had to fix that up.

Many of us who have lived here long enough have said it repeatedly that it is NOT just Thai politicians afflicted with this sickness of will/right and wrong. It is a core flaw of Thai society.

In the interview, he implied that the nature of his agency's work forced him to change colours, depending on who turned out to be his boss. This reflected his mentality or how he perceived the Department of Special Investigation.

Yes, this is exactly how much of Thai social hierarchy works. It matters not what the laws say or what ethics might suggest or what is indeed right or wrong. What matters to most Thais is strict adherence to the boss whoever he/she may be on a particular day. They are "yes, krap phom" robots, largely, throughout the society. Social harmony over all else, right?

I think it's cute that people continue to think this is somehow a problem of politics. It' mostly not. The same thing happens throughout Thai society on a daily basis.

Kinda hard to feel sympathy for this guy. As I remember, he was very enthusiastic in his determination to see Abhisit in jail.

Creep is a word which suits him perfectly

"I was just a bureaucrat who followed orders," he said.

The reputation of the DSI has been left in tatters. Its credibility has almost totally evaporated.

By suggesting the agency was nothing but a political tool, he probably should blame himself for deciding to work as a political tool. By suggesting the agency was a political tool after having decided to keep on working in it, and then complaining, doesn't make sense.

Poor Tarit, misunderstood, unappreciated and scorned for being the lapdog he is. I feel that I should try to help in some way, anyone who wants to helpcan call 1-800-who gives a shit.

I do recalled a few top bureaucrats did refuse to bend with the wind and they have kept their reputations intact.

So don't blame circumstances, and instead look within your heart and see your immorality. A whore sells her body for money, but you sold your soul.

If you flip flop from one to another you are going to get burnt , you are neither any good to either camp because you are disloyal Tarit, a shoddy dodgy figure who cannot be trusted, you, if you had any qualms about working under the PTP should have resigned, you supported the Democrats and then seen fit to desert, truly a mongrel among men and should be sent to direct traffic at the river Kwai bridge.

An off topic post has been removed. This is not about Iraq nor the US.

Morals, ethics, the concept of "right and wrong" and personal responsibility in Thailand don't exist at any level of society on the whole, so he's just another fine upstanding citizen of this country who doesn't see anything wrong in doing things wrong, and of course, when called to account, it's always someone else's fault.

But hey, you reap what you sow . . . if they don't make some serious changes from the grass roots upwards, nothing changes, it just gets swept under the rug for another decade until there's yet another coup and the clock gets reset once again and the merry-go-round continues.

It's always amazing to see other countries in the immediate vicinity of Thailand make huge strides to change and improve themselves/their countries so quickly whilst Thailand seems to just go backwards more and more. If I didn't live and work here for such a long time, it'd be laughable.

It's a reflection of the Thai patronage and Thai class systems.

A minion defers to his boss, expecting directions and protection from above.

If I'm higher on the society hierarchy, I expect to lord it over those beneath me - I can even slap them in the face in public.

And don't you dare make me lose face - I know someone who knows your boss's boss.

Cry me a river!!

What does the military does best.

Obey orders without questioning.

Tarit should be a soldier, not police.

An off topic post has been removed. This is not about Iraq nor the US.

Amazing how the topic is used for other feelings, have to laugh sometimes.

Yellow Toad Mr Tarit Toad Red Toad

toady noun

1.

a person who behaves obsequiously to someone important.

sycophant, brown-noser, lickspittle, flatterer, flunky, lackey.

There, that just about covers the job description.

"victim or otherwise,the former DSI chief represent many flaws of our political and justice system".

I rise and salute this profound statement acknowledging that the judiciary and the independent agencies are all flawed by political patronage and needs massive reform.

What is the swearing of "The Oath-of-Allegiance" really worth then, in Thailand ? ? ? ?

What is the swearing of "The Oath-of-Allegiance" really worth then, in Thailand ? ? ? ?

Worth nothing much, really, for many (most?). It's window dressing or something to "show that we (Thailand) are up to international standards" which they love to boast of so frequently.

As most of us know, Thais are not dumb and have much potential (just as every single group of people on the planet), but they do have a culture problem. And, the their problem (like those of many cultures) is that some of the ways in which they define themselves and define Thainess are indeed the very things most wrong with their society. This blind, unquestioning, slavish deference to authority is one of those mechanisms so wrong with Thai culture and is near or at the root of so much exploitation in Thailand. But, hey, it's "not Thai" to question authority figures. That's what those "outsiders", those "farangs" do. Not us, we are Thai.

even more reason why the police should have no political affiliation, they have to be independent so that the real truth is always put first, not simply what their political masters tell them. It should not matter what side of the fence the bosses are, the police need to be able to do their jobs with no interference from anyone. What tarit did was criminal at best and he should now face the full penalty of the law as should anyone else that does the same. The4se people are supposed to represent the people of this country not their paymasters, we can only hope that he is fully investigated and made to pay dearly for his corrupt practices.

Morals, ethics, the concept of "right and wrong" and personal responsibility in Thailand don't exist at any level of society on the whole, so he's just another fine upstanding citizen of this country who doesn't see anything wrong in doing things wrong, and of course, when called to account, it's always someone else's fault.

But hey, you reap what you sow . . . if they don't make some serious changes from the grass roots upwards, nothing changes, it just gets swept under the rug for another decade until there's yet another coup and the clock gets reset once again and the merry-go-round continues.

It's always amazing to see other countries in the immediate vicinity of Thailand make huge strides to change and improve themselves/their countries so quickly whilst Thailand seems to just go backwards more and more. If I didn't live and work here for such a long time, it'd be laughable.

Don't generalise, because you can easily be proven wrong. Having Thai friends going back to the 80's in both the UK and Thailand I can assure you your assertion is completely wrong. I have many Thai friends, not to mention my wife who take exception to people who tar everyone with the same brush and so do I. I'm also sure that many on TVF take exception to your view that their spouses or partners are of the same ilk.

It's a reflection of the Thai patronage and Thai class systems.

A minion defers to his boss, expecting directions and protection from above.

If I'm higher on the society hierarchy, I expect to lord it over those beneath me - I can even slap them in the face in public.

And don't you dare make me lose face - I know someone who knows your boss's boss.

Agreed it is part of the Thai system, however, not everyone abides by it. My wife is not cowed by her boss or the Director and has on more than one occasion taken them to task and not always privately. However, she is a Civil Servant so they have no power to move her, they tried it once and had to reinstate her.

even more reason why the police should have no political affiliation, they have to be independent so that the real truth is always put first, not simply what their political masters tell them. It should not matter what side of the fence the bosses are, the police need to be able to do their jobs with no interference from anyone. What tarit did was criminal at best and he should now face the full penalty of the law as should anyone else that does the same. The4se people are supposed to represent the people of this country not their paymasters, we can only hope that he is fully investigated and made to pay dearly for his corrupt practices.

Hi, as some of us have said earlier in this thread, it is simply not only select people who are perpetuating this problem. It is a core feature of Thai society from poor babies in Issan all the way up to the most important people in government in Bangkok. Thais are slaves to their relationships as those relationships form the foundation of their ability to live an prosper in the society. Patronage system. Or, tribal system, if you will. You can blame the politicians or police etc., but we should NOT expect the problem to be resolved by replacing this politician with that politician or this police officer with that police officer.

The ENTIRE SOCIETY needs to change, and Thais need to start addressing this fact. It's ridiculous to expect these public figures to do differently than 99% of the country do less publicly. A true waste of time and one reason the country has not progressed much in 100 years. For all intents and purposes, there simply are not many "better" people in this regard. Their kids and grandkids and parents and grandparents, poor and wealth, beautiful and not, ethnic Chinese, Thai, Lanna, Malay, Cambodian or Burmese -- all were reared in the SAME SYSTEM. 50 shades of grey.

even more reason why the police should have no political affiliation, they have to be independent so that the real truth is always put first, not simply what their political masters tell them. It should not matter what side of the fence the bosses are, the police need to be able to do their jobs with no interference from anyone. What tarit did was criminal at best and he should now face the full penalty of the law as should anyone else that does the same. The4se people are supposed to represent the people of this country not their paymasters, we can only hope that he is fully investigated and made to pay dearly for his corrupt practices.

Hi, as some of us have said earlier in this thread, it is simply not only select people who are perpetuating this problem. It is a core feature of Thai society from poor babies in Issan all the way up to the most important people in government in Bangkok. Thais are slaves to their relationships as those relationships form the foundation of their ability to live an prosper in the society. Patronage system. Or, tribal system, if you will. You can blame the politicians or police etc., but we should NOT expect the problem to be resolved by replacing this politician with that politician or this police officer with that police officer.

The ENTIRE SOCIETY needs to change, and Thais need to start addressing this fact. It's ridiculous to expect these public figures to do differently than 99% of the country do less publicly. A true waste of time and one reason the country has not progressed much in 100 years. For all intents and purposes, there simply are not many "better" people in this regard. Their kids and grandkids and parents and grandparents, poor and wealth, beautiful and not, ethnic Chinese, Thai, Lanna, Malay, Cambodian or Burmese -- all were reared in the SAME SYSTEM. 50 shades of grey.

Good OP on Tarit and the rest of the system that allows the like to flourish and also good post PaullyW. Agree in regards patronage. Some go on and on about corruption but in Thailand it is a byproduct of patronage and until patronage is dead and buried and especially away from the wrong hands of mafia like political families and government agencies the deeper issues that destroy democracy in Thailand will never be completely resolved.

 

Morals, ethics, the concept of "right and wrong" and personal responsibility in Thailand don't exist at any level of society on the whole, so he's just another fine upstanding citizen of this country who doesn't see anything wrong in doing things wrong, and of course, when called to account, it's always someone else's fault.

But hey, you reap what you sow . . . if they don't make some serious changes from the grass roots upwards, nothing changes, it just gets swept under the rug for another decade until there's yet another coup and the clock gets reset once again and the merry-go-round continues.

It's always amazing to see other countries in the immediate vicinity of Thailand make huge strides to change and improve themselves/their countries so quickly whilst Thailand seems to just go backwards more and more. If I didn't live and work here for such a long time, it'd be laughable.

Don't generalise, because you can easily be proven wrong. Having Thai friends going back to the 80's in both the UK and Thailand I can assure you your assertion is completely wrong. I have many Thai friends, not to mention my wife who take exception to people who tar everyone with the same brush and so do I. I'm also sure that many on TVF take exception to your view that their spouses or partners are of the same ilk.

Making any statement can be viewed as right or wrong based on an individuals own personal experiences, and of course I was "generalising" and there are always exceptions. However, a large proportion of the people I've met over the years here (and most especially in the last 5 years or so) on a personal, business or one-off in the street basis, I would stand by what I stated. If you or others don't agree, that's up to you, I write/post what I see and have experienced.

You yourself are taking the opposite point of view which is fair enough, but you are also generalising yourself by using your own experiences and interactions and stating that I'm wrong (implying that everyone or the majority here) are actually fine upstanding citizens that always do the right thing, and that are not corrupt in any way shape or form, but I just don't see it.

Perhaps your wife and your Thai friends or acquaintances have managed to change their mindsets away from what they call "Thainess" . . . and I have also met some like this . . . but the vast majority, no, I personally don't think so.

I do recalled a few top bureaucrats did refuse to bend with the wind and they have kept their reputations intact.

Yes and they were removed from office (sacked), and of course there was one who decided to take action to defend his honour an act that eventually brought down the government

Tarit is the lowest slime of them all, no backbone to stand up for what was just and right, from his actions under the instructions of Thaksin he has created a group of that think the blame for the deaths in 2010 are with the DEM government when in fact Thaksin and the red terrorist leaders are were they should be looking

I hope this rat gets exactly what he desereves

Morals, ethics, the concept of "right and wrong" and personal responsibility in Thailand don't exist at any level of society on the whole, so he's just another fine upstanding citizen of this country who doesn't see anything wrong in doing things wrong, and of course, when called to account, it's always someone else's fault.

But hey, you reap what you sow . . . if they don't make some serious changes from the grass roots upwards, nothing changes, it just gets swept under the rug for another decade until there's yet another coup and the clock gets reset once again and the merry-go-round continues.

It's always amazing to see other countries in the immediate vicinity of Thailand make huge strides to change and improve themselves/their countries so quickly whilst Thailand seems to just go backwards more and more. If I didn't live and work here for such a long time, it'd be laughable.

It's a fine example of why democracy doesn't work here and highlights the mammoth task the current administration has taken on, the rules infrastructure laws and penalties must be so water tight that it is maybe an impossible task and why election coup reform has failed time after time, maybe the truth of the matter is that democracy just doesn't work here and never will.