Thai Anti-Graft Agency petitioned to investigate govt’s LINE stickers

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Anti-Graft Agency Petitioned To Investigate Junta's LINE Stickers
By Khaosod English


Srisuwan Chanya, chairman of Society for Defense of Thai Constitutions, met with NACC officials today to submit a letter accusing the junta of violating national budget procedures and "ethics" when it spent taxpayer money on the production of the virtual “stickers.”

BANGKOK — Activists have asked the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to launch an inquiry into the Thai junta's seven million baht project to produce a set of "stickers" for the mobile chat application LINE.

Srisuwan Chanya, chairman of Society for Defense of Thai Constitutions, met with NACC officials today to submit a letter accusing the junta of violating national budget procedures and "ethics" when it spent taxpayer money on the production of the virtual "stickers."

The Ministry of Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) produced twelve stickers for LINE in December 2014, with each image depicting one of the "Twelve Values" that junta leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has urged all Thais to practice.

According to documents on the ICT’s website, the Thai government approved a payment of 7,117,400 baht to the Japan-based company to make the stickers available free of charge on 30 December as a "New Year’s present" for the public.

Today, Srisuwan raised questions about the high price of the stickers and the details of their production, which he said were kept from the public eye.

"I think it may violate the laws. Their cost is not worth the result," Srisuwan told reporters. "I'd like the NACC to investigate the background of the price, and find out whether the money spent on the production was more expensive than the normal practice in the private sector."

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1420462835&typecate=06&section=


-- Khaosod English 2015-01-06

[BSJ]

What a joke! 555

[hanuman2543]

Isn't this against one of the core values, obedience against your superiors? Good Thai people don't do something like this. I hope for him that he will not be punished with "Attitude Adjustment".

Edited January 6, 2015 by hanuman2543

[chainarong]

Propaganda, of what they want you to comply with and obey to, this crowd are becoming more bizarre by the day , one can't guess what next they will come up with, I am now beginning to think greener pastures might be a good idea.

[chooka]

Here is one guy who is in deep poop. You have to love and adore the dear leader and not go against him with actions that threaten national security. Others may take his side and he who must be obeyed may drop in popularity. Silence this guy now in the interest of dear leaders popularity.

[RickBradford]

A campaign specifically to promote "national core values" gets itself mired in a multi-million baht corruption scandal.

How very Thai.

[NongKhaiKid]

This is an interesting petition given the fact that so far the govt has been very reluctant to look at corruption etc when it's close to home.

Openness and transparency is for others to obey.

[CantSpell]

7 M to make some LINE's stickers?

Man, I got the wrong job

[BigBadGeordie]

I like Srisuwan Chanya's title, chairman of Society for Defence of Thai Constitutions. Clearly covering all options here, buy which one is he defending at the minute?

[gandalf12]

7 M to make some LINE's stickers?

Man, I got the wrong job

You and me both

[nullx8]

i was actually suprised they so proudly told the cost of 7.1 Million so openly ...

but i also noticed every time i meantion that i can find a freelancer to do this 16 stickers in extremly good quality for as little as 3000 Baht, all thais arround me had a very blank reaction to it (even the red ones) ... not sure what that means.

bottom line: its about time someone does ask this question out loud.

[iReason]

Bravo Srisuwan Chanya!

[Eric Loh]

We waiting for the brave and fearless NACC to take up the case. They have two current precedents to quickly investigate and submit their case to the Attorney General. Don't dissappoint the common people.

[starky]

7 M to make some LINE's stickers?

Man, I got the wrong job

+1 so all the restaurants (Fuji, MK etc) places like Lavazza and instituitions like Thai Tourist Police are paying in the region of 7 million baht to put a few free stickers up in LINE.... Really? fuk me not a bad earn for a half day programming job.

[Mango Bob]

What ever happen with the investigation into the cost of the microphones at government house. Another case push under the carpet. Government motto should be "Do as we say, Not as we do"

[alocacoc]

It sounds funny. But actually. it's very sad. There is no hope for Thailand. Nothing will change. It is what it is. Not more, not less. I'm sorry for the honest righteous Thai people. They deserve something better, We know, not all are corrupt. There are some Thais who really live the good values..

[rickirs]

Instead of the NACC investigating possible corruption with LINE stickers, I'd rather they spend their energies investigating the possible abuse of power by the military in its unconstitutional overthrow of the government, and the alleged murder of PTP protesters in 2010 by the Democrat regime. But at least the LINE investigation is a small step in the right direction.

[rubl]

"According to documents on the ICT’s website, the Thai government approved a payment of 7,117,400 baht to the Japan-based company to make the stickers available free of charge on 30 December as a "New Year’s present" for the public."

7m Baht is paid to a Japanese company. I assume the Japanese company gave a receipt, inclusion tax number, etc.? Not sure though where the alleged corruption comes in.

[rubl]

Instead of the NACC investigating possible corruption with LINE stickers, I'd rather they spend their energies investigating the possible abuse of power by the military in its unconstitutional overthrow of the government, and the alleged murder of PTP protesters in 2010 by the Democrat regime. But at least the LINE investigation is a small step in the right direction.

If your goal is diverting attention you succeeded.

Who would have thought that all those red-shirt protesters were actually PTP protesters, the "Thaksin thinks, Pheu Thai party acts" type of protesters. Furthermore you seem to have slipped in a 'regime' where obviously you meant a government.

[Prbkk]

"According to documents on the ICTs website, the Thai government approved a payment of 7,117,400 baht to the Japan-based company to make the stickers available free of charge on 30 December as a "New Years present" for the public."

7m Baht is paid to a Japanese company. I assume the Japanese company gave a receipt, inclusion tax number, etc.? Not sure though where the alleged corruption comes in.

But this was announced as a New Year gift from the PM to the Thai people. I assumed that meant he would be paying for it as the rest of us do when we gift something. So now it transpires that this 'gift' is actually being paid for, at an inflated price, by the taxpayers..whether they want it or not. Some 'gift'.

[rubl]

"According to documents on the ICTs website, the Thai government approved a payment of 7,117,400 baht to the Japan-based company to make the stickers available free of charge on 30 December as a "New Years present" for the public."

7m Baht is paid to a Japanese company. I assume the Japanese company gave a receipt, inclusion tax number, etc.? Not sure though where the alleged corruption comes in.

But this was announced as a New Year gift from the PM to the Thai people. I assumed that meant he would be paying for it as the rest of us do when we gift something. So now it transpires that this 'gift' is actually being paid for, at an inflated price, by the taxpayers..whether they want it or not. Some 'gift'.

It was announced as a New Years gift from the government.

BTW I found what looks like a request for budget form, or the approval. Posted on the 17th of December already.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/784767-prayuths-12-values-coming-to-line-in-sticker-form/#entry8815028

Also on the 25th we had

"Dated December 18, a letter from the Office required the ICT Ministry to explain the project in writing and submit related documents for examination.

The ICT Ministry, which held a press conference to unveil the designs of the Line stickers on Monday, has already responded to the Office demand and is now waiting to hear the state prosecutors' decision.

If the Office does not object, the ministry plans to go ahead with signing the contract with Thai TV Pool."

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/786755-auditor-general-to-probe-thai-tv-pool-deal-for-sticker-project

[candide]

"The Ministry of Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) produced twelve stickers for LINE in December 2014, with each image depicting one of the "Twelve Values" that junta leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has urged all Thais to practice."

The modernity of the 1950's combined with the technologies of the 2010's!