Employment chief to take responsibility for subordinate’s suicide

[Thaivisa News]

Bangkok: – Employment Department director general Sumet Mahosot has stepped forward to ask for job transfer in a gesture of taking responsibility for the work-related suicide of his subordinate.

On Friday, Kasem Suthirak, 51, killed himself by hanging at his apartment in Samut Sakhon, police said.

Kasem was the provincial employment chief. He left a suicide note voicing his regrets that he was incapable for work at Samut Sakhon Employment Office due to bureaucratic hurdles.

He headed Sa Kaeo office before moving to Samut Sakhon in November.

Before his death, he instructed an office driver to be on the standby to drive him to Bangkok. He then stepped out of office to get his belonging at the apartment.

The office staff and the driver found his body after checking on him at the apartment following a suspiciously-long absent from office.

Colleagues and friends said Kasem was stressful because he had to work under pressure from high-ranking provincial officials who wanted him to bend the rules related to migrant workers.

Samut Sakhon has a high concentration of migrant workers. And the job placement for them is seen as a lucrative opportunity to demand and receive kickbacks.

Sumet voiced his deepest regrets for the death of Kasem. He said he should have made a speedy decision which might have thwarted the suicide.

Before his death, Kasem had requested for job transfer citing heavy work pressure as reason.

Sumet said he tried to delay the transfer because he wanted Kasem to clean up the corruption related to the hiring of migrant workers.

[Credo]

It is tragic when corruption is so endemic and entrenched that suicide is one of the only ways out.

A lot of people commit suicide because they perceive something that they have done as being wrong. Here we have someone who committed suicide because it was such an uphill battle trying to be honest.

RIP

[Chang_paarp]

Wow a department head accepting responsibility for someone else!

It is tragic what happened to Kasem, but do not allow Sumet go to an inactive post, promote him! Thailand needs more like him to show them they way.

[geriatrickid]

What will Thailand's leading crusader against corruption do now?

I'm sure the usual twit brigade will be along to claim its a plot by Thaksin.

Poor chap. Working in corrupt surroundings kills the soul. Maybe the General will take notice, or as is more likely, he will not.

[LuckyLew]

He could have resigned

[JOC]

What a sad story.

An honest official commits suicide because he was considered a pariah, because he didn't want to partake in corruption.

His boss wants to transfer for the same reason.

And let behind are are all the corrupt ones, free to continue preying on the most vulnerable ones, migrant workers.

Thailand is in many respects, a failed state!!

[scorecard]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

What will Thailand's leading crusader against corruption do now?

I'm sure the usual twit brigade will be along to claim its a plot by Thaksin.

Poor chap. Working in corrupt surroundings kills the soul. Maybe the General will take notice, or as is more likely, he will not.

On many occasions g'kid who have attempted to scold people who post when the matter is unclear, no full details, etc.

Now you display your own double standards and go even one step further by saying rubbish which has no basis whatever.

A man had died, a little compassion for that fact is more to the point.

Edited April 12, 2015 by scorecard

[geriatrickid]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

What will Thailand's leading crusader against corruption do now?

I'm sure the usual twit brigade will be along to claim its a plot by Thaksin.

Poor chap. Working in corrupt surroundings kills the soul. Maybe the General will take notice, or as is more likely, he will not.

On many occasions g'kid who have attempted to scold people who post when the matter is unclear, no full details, etc.

Now you display your own double standards and go even one step further by saying rubbish which has no basis whatever.

A man had died, a little compassion for that fact is more to the point.

Oh my. Let's look at what I wrote and your nonsensical comment.

You write a little compassion for the fact that a man has died is more to the point.

Well, if you read what I wrote, you know, the part about poor chap and working in corrupt surroundings killing the soul, you would indeed see compassion. I do feel sorry for the man's predicament.

Perhaps, what irks you is that the deceased took his life due to his despair of working in a corrupt environment. The senior officials who are there were appointed by the military junta led by the self appointed PM and self described leader in the fight against corruption. In case you missed it, all senior positions had to be reaffirmed by the military administration. Are you irked because you cannot blame the bogeyman Thaksin and this sad event has landed in the lap of your beloved military administration? Weren't you one of the people blaming the deposed PM Yingluck when a farmer suicided? BTW, did you know farmers are still killing themselves? Unlike the situation with the farmer, we are not seeing the TVF Yingluck abuser brigade pointing their stubby digits at this administration. I wonder why that is?

Everyday, the military retains its suffocating grip on Thailand, you and your pals who belittled and denigrated the former PM as she endured the sabotage of the yellow shirt fifth column are shown to be wrong. Sadly, the nation suffers, including this man. Congratulations on being a part of the problem and not the solution.

[casualbiker]

GK. Where did you get this information?

" The senior officials who are there were appointed by the military junta"

[seajae]

a man dies and the typical redshirt apologists have to come in and try to attack the PM, then again what can we expect, would have been good to acknowledge the poor man rather than use this as a reason to stir sh*t.

[retarius]

An honourable man.....perhaps on eof the ones that could have cleaned up corruption....there are not enough good men and we cannot afford to lose any of them....RIP

[Gandtee]

I wonder why his boss did not give him more support? He says he wanted the unfortunate 'to stay and fight corruption'? I wonder?

[ggt]

Would be wonderful if someone would step forward and take responsibility for all the so-called farang suicides...

[Bignose]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

What will Thailand's leading crusader against corruption do now?

I'm sure the usual twit brigade will be along to claim its a plot by Thaksin.

Poor chap. Working in corrupt surroundings kills the soul. Maybe the General will take notice, or as is more likely, he will not.

On many occasions g'kid who have attempted to scold people who post when the matter is unclear, no full details, etc.

Now you display your own double standards and go even one step further by saying rubbish which has no basis whatever.

A man had died, a little compassion for that fact is more to the point.

Oh my. Let's look at what I wrote and your nonsensical comment.

You write a little compassion for the fact that a man has died is more to the point.

Well, if you read what I wrote, you know, the part about poor chap and working in corrupt surroundings killing the soul, you would indeed see compassion. I do feel sorry for the man's predicament.

Perhaps, what irks you is that the deceased took his life due to his despair of working in a corrupt environment. The senior officials who are there were appointed by the military junta led by the self appointed PM and self described leader in the fight against corruption. In case you missed it, all senior positions had to be reaffirmed by the military administration. Are you irked because you cannot blame the bogeyman Thaksin and this sad event has landed in the lap of your beloved military administration? Weren't you one of the people blaming the deposed PM Yingluck when a farmer suicided? BTW, did you know farmers are still killing themselves? Unlike the situation with the farmer, we are not seeing the TVF Yingluck abuser brigade pointing their stubby digits at this administration. I wonder why that is?

Everyday, the military retains its suffocating grip on Thailand, you and your pals who belittled and denigrated the former PM as she endured the sabotage of the yellow shirt fifth column are shown to be wrong. Sadly, the nation suffers, including this man. Congratulations on being a part of the problem and not the solution.

How on earth you can manage to twist this sad and tragic story round to a defense of YS is truly astounding, you indeed are a wasted talent!

The only thing that was suffocating Thailand was the rampant and endemic corruption and nepotism that was not only tolerated by the Shin clan, but was actively encouraged by the greedy elite.

This present government may not be perfect but they are fighting the good fight, they have a huge task in front of them, that is to right the wrongs of the past from previous governments of BOTH sides of the political fence.

Hopefully if this present government are successful then tragedies like the one in this thread will become a thing of the past...

[kennw]

geriatrickid, I am appalled at your lack of compassion, are you so blinded by your red glasses that you twist the action of an honorable man to suit your political leaning. Shame on you.

[geriatrickid]

GK. Where did you get this information?

" The senior officials who are there were appointed by the military junta"

As I stated, all senior positions had to be reaffirmed by the government.

This isn't something new or specific to the current administration. The past administrations did the same. Many of the positions are discretionary.

If someone is in a senior position, he/she is there with the tacit agreement of the minister.

This doesn't mean the minister is necessarily responsible, but as we are seeing from the rice pledging review, the minister is held responsible for the behaviour and conduct of the senior officials in the department. I didn't make up the rules, but am applying the same approach as the current administration.

[geriatrickid]

geriatrickid, I am appalled at your lack of compassion, are you so blinded by your red glasses that you twist the action of an honorable man to suit your political leaning. Shame on you.

LOL cute. You either have the reading comprehension skills of a 5 year old or are just trying to stir the pot.

I'm not taking the bait. I offered understanding and compassion for the deceased. I have reaffirmed that position.

[casualbiker]

GK. Where did you get this information?

" The senior officials who are there were appointed by the military junta"

As I stated, all senior positions had to be reaffirmed by the government.

This isn't something new or specific to the current administration. The past administrations did the same. Many of the positions are discretionary.

If someone is in a senior position, he/she is there with the tacit agreement of the minister.

This doesn't mean the minister is necessarily responsible, but as we are seeing from the rice pledging review, the minister is held responsible for the behaviour and conduct of the senior officials in the department. I didn't make up the rules, but am applying the same approach as the current administration.

So in fact you don't actually have ANY PROOF for your statement

" The senior officials who are there were appointed by the military junta"

Appointed and reaffirmed are very different!

[geriatrickid]

GK. Where did you get this information?

" The senior officials who are there were appointed by the military junta"

As I stated, all senior positions had to be reaffirmed by the government.

This isn't something new or specific to the current administration. The past administrations did the same. Many of the positions are discretionary.

If someone is in a senior position, he/she is there with the tacit agreement of the minister.

This doesn't mean the minister is necessarily responsible, but as we are seeing from the rice pledging review, the minister is held responsible for the behaviour and conduct of the senior officials in the department. I didn't make up the rules, but am applying the same approach as the current administration.

So in fact you don't actually have ANY PROOF for your statement

" The senior officials who are there were appointed by the military junta"

Appointed and reaffirmed are very different!

You are nitpicking. Many officials were moved out of their jobs following the coup. Others had their positions reaffirmed and were left where they were.

It is a process that was similar to that used in the Yingluck and Abhisit administrations. As you well know, there was a hue and cry when some up country officials were transferred. However, in the Nahkon Si Thammarat -Surat Thani - Phuket zone of deceit and corruption, no big changes were made. The most egregious examples are in Phuket where the Marine 5 police commander long associated with allowing the jet ski thugs to illegally operate was untouched, as were the key officials in the land titles office, the office which has long been associated with the encroachments on the national parks and improper development of the beach zones. the land office which refused to co-operate with the investigators. The reality is that corruption continues as it did. Is it a coincidence that the region is where the greatest support for the military coup lies? It's Suthep country and his political group still holds sway. This region is a law unto itself and no one has been able to make a dent.

[jackanapes]

terrible situation a tragedy which should never have happened again corruption rears its ugly head a man commits suicide it goes to show honesty is not always the best policy if it leads to suicide I think his immediate superiors should be brought to account .

[billd766]

What will Thailand's leading crusader against corruption do now?

I'm sure the usual twit brigade will be along to claim its a plot by Thaksin.

Poor chap. Working in corrupt surroundings kills the soul. Maybe the General will take notice, or as is more likely, he will not.

What would the previous PM crusader against corruption have done? Probably go shopping and claim there was no corruption anyway.