Corruption name list to be carefully screened

[paulchiangmai]

Would you buy a used car from this man?

[soalbundy]

As anticipated, nothing more than a selective payback. It makes the junta look very foolish in the eyes of foreign observers and is not going to help what they are pleased to call 'reconciliation'

I would have thought prosecuting corrupt politicians makes those who voted for them look foolish. A matter of perspective, I suppose.

About as foolish as those who gave their support to the PDRC thinking it would lead to an improved democracy.

It's called work in progress. Could the result lead to a worse democracy than one where corrupt politicians are paid to vote to the orders of a criminal?

I'm not sure what country you are writing about, there's lots to choose from

[bikerbri]

A few token crumbs.

If the junta really went after the corrupt, including the military, in Thailand, the country would stop dead in its tracks.

Full stop.

Not dead yet,but getting there. The Thai economy is built on corruption.

[fareastguy]

What's with all this "transfer" S**t" !!

If they're guilty publicly name them, shame them, sack them & charge them... end of story

[soalbundy]

What's with all this "transfer" S**t" !!

If they're guilty publicly name them, shame them, sack them & charge them... end of story

you don't know Thainess

[Denim]

As anticipated, nothing more than a selective payback. It makes the junta look very foolish in the eyes of foreign observers and is not going to help what they are pleased to call 'reconciliation'

I would have thought prosecuting corrupt politicians makes those who voted for them look foolish. A matter of perspective, I suppose.

About as foolish as those who gave their support to the PDRC thinking it would lead to an improved democracy.

It's called work in progress. Could the result lead to a worse democracy than one where corrupt politicians are paid to vote to the orders of a criminal?

Well , not so much a work in progress , more of a demolition job in progress with democracy being reduced to pile of rubble. Even Abhisit has expressed his alarm at the way things are going ..... not what he would have expected.

As for whether anything could be worse than what Thailand had before ...... it already is ! Corruption has not gone away and nepotism is actually getting worse. Many of the military men appointed to high government office have already been caught employing one or more relatives as secretaries or assistants. In fact many of the appointed people have not resisted to pressure to give up their military rank since it would mean they would have to give up the salary that went with it.

The difference is that now no criticism of the government is allowed and those that do so are swiftly summoned to have their opinions adjusted. If things were actually getting better that would be a straw to cling to but the economy is still depressed and despite the upbeat government forecasts the business sector has also expressed its concern.

As for corruption , many posters here talk about it as if it were something exclusive to Thailand whereas a quick look at other countries in the region quickly shows that corruption is very widespread.

What is interesting about corruption is that it seems the better educated a person is the better opportunities they have of being corrupt.

All the Shinawatras , Sutheps , Banharns and top generals are proud to point out the fact they are educated and have a university degree. A pity they couldn't have majored in morality or integrity instead of Lining their pockets. A poor peasant farmer ir rubber planter does not have the same opportunity to be corrupt . They are lampooned for being paid to vote or protest for one side or the other but who can blame them when their peers set such a poor example.

[Local Drunk]

Corrupt names have to be carefully seleted. The witch hunt continues.

Sent from my c64

If they are guilty, then they are guilty.

[Local Drunk]

As anticipated, nothing more than a selective payback. It makes the junta look very foolish in the eyes of foreign observers and is not going to help what they are pleased to call 'reconciliation'

I like the way that you think, bit I haven't a clue whose name is on the list, so I couldn't really call it selective. It could be they are accruing evidence and that they are waiting until they are are sure that they have one hundred politicians nailed with indisputable evidence. I suppose that by not releasing the names of the targets they, the targets are kept wondering. Look at the way that Tarit moved funds after he was dismissed from office.

Honestly I'd call it a short list, and I'd love to hear your feedback.

[butch333]

corruption is at all level of the thai population , all the level . and when i read that they have a list of 115 corrupted , i had to smile . is that a joke . ask to farangs financials officers to help them , they will find more then 100.000 corrupted in 3 months . not difficult to drive your car outside the cities and look the big houses with many cars - take a picture , go to land office and look who is the owner , if it's a policeman or the family of a policeman , let them prove from where come the money . anyway , i think that they many others thinks to do before like the aviation and the problems with the fishers , now they lose so much money with the aviation and soon a lot with the fisching export . i know that PM try to do a good work , i agree for what he do and i hope he ll do it to the end for the corruption but for all the corrupted and not just some . for me , he's very brave cause it's not easy to change the mentality after 100 years of corruption , and quite impossible to change the mentality of the thai population .

[aussieinthailand]

screen the names, ok screen for why? get ya mates name off the list, saw that one coming a long way off

fake disaster's, now that creative faking a disaster and getting disaster relief cash, Did't see that one at all.

corruption mostly in the north east. That was decided before the list was put together.

Having lived in the N/E, N/W, BKK and in the south, Most of the corruption I have encountered and know of is very much BKK and South, but that's not to say there plenty if it going on in the north.

But hey don't believe me have a look at (Bribespot)

[manhood]

They screen and screen up to nobody is on that list

well new lists are comeing on the table and always there will be the same procedure as Thailand not want to ger rid of corruption: its genetic here and in their blood!

[plachon]

So what are the "fake disasters" referred to? A bit hard to fake an earthquake or a volcano in Isaan, or a plane crash for that matter, but there is one "disaster" that never fails to ensure a shower of baht from Bangkok to the bank accounts of dodgy officials and their politician chums, and that is a drought. It's a dead cert way of opening the floodgates of central funds, as everyone knows how arid and drought-prone Isaan is, right? Now, there doesn't actually have to be a drought by any standard definition of the term, but all one needs is a normal dry season spell of 2 or 3 months of no or little rain, rally up enough headmen and Or-Bor-Tor officials to send in a form saying "drought" at the top and a few photos of withered rice plants and cracked soil to accompany it, and before you know it......it's declared a "disaster" and BINGO!

In recent years, the usual suspects in the Ministry of Agriculture have been joined by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (formed Boxing Day post-tsunami) in the Min of Interior, to form a formidable cabal of officials and politicians who can cash in big time, when they declare a "drought" disaster. And they have learned to also shout "disaster" every time it rains heavily and a river overtops its banks, like it would normally and naturally in the rainy season or the wind blows hard and a few trees topple and the odd roof is blown off. You can always exagerrate by a factor of 10 or 100 the damage done, and nobody in Bangkok is going to know......perhaps until now, when there are a few old political scores to settle and the scale of the fund skimming has become ridiculous.

The "best" or worst climate-related "disaster" I came across, however, was one cool season a few years ago and the temperature got down to 19 C minimum at night in the hills of Phu Phan. That is the coolest area of Sakhon Nakhon province and I was there to witness it, yet a day or two later, I read in the B Post that a "cold disaster" had been declared in upper Isaan, including Sakhon Nakhon. This was code to request millions of baht from Bangkok to be spent on a few blankets and coats to distribute to villagers (who incidentally, get given the same stuff year in year out) as an act of caring by the government. But who checks how the money is spent, who it is give to and whether it represents good value for the taxpayer? And since when is 19 C a "cold disaster" in any country of the world, anyway? Only in Thailand I suspect.......

Anyway, this is only speculation as maybe there were some other fake "disasters" I hadn't considered. Suggestions?

[MaxLee]

Corrupt names have to be carefully seleted. The witch hunt continues.

Sent from my c64

You mean certain influential personalities should be carefully removed FROM the list

[rubl]

So what are the "fake disasters" referred to? A bit hard to fake an earthquake or a volcano in Isaan, or a plane crash for that matter, but there is one "disaster" that never fails to ensure a shower of baht from Bangkok to the bank accounts of dodgy officials and their politician chums, and that is a drought. It's a dead cert way of opening the floodgates of central funds, as everyone knows how arid and drought-prone Isaan is, right? Now, there doesn't actually have to be a drought by any standard definition of the term, but all one needs is a normal dry season spell of 2 or 3 months of no or little rain, rally up enough headmen and Or-Bor-Tor officials to send in a form saying "drought" at the top and a few photos of withered rice plants and cracked soil to accompany it, and before you know it......it's declared a "disaster" and BINGO!

In recent years, the usual suspects in the Ministry of Agriculture have been joined by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (formed Boxing Day post-tsunami) in the Min of Interior, to form a formidable cabal of officials and politicians who can cash in big time, when they declare a "drought" disaster. And they have learned to also shout "disaster" every time it rains heavily and a river overtops its banks, like it would normally and naturally in the rainy season or the wind blows hard and a few trees topple and the odd roof is blown off. You can always exagerrate by a factor of 10 or 100 the damage done, and nobody in Bangkok is going to know......perhaps until now, when there are a few old political scores to settle and the scale of the fund skimming has become ridiculous.

The "best" or worst climate-related "disaster" I came across, however, was one cool season a few years ago and the temperature got down to 19 C minimum at night in the hills of Phu Phan. That is the coolest area of Sakhon Nakhon province and I was there to witness it, yet a day or two later, I read in the B Post that a "cold disaster" had been declared in upper Isaan, including Sakhon Nakhon. This was code to request millions of baht from Bangkok to be spent on a few blankets and coats to distribute to villagers (who incidentally, get given the same stuff year in year out) as an act of caring by the government. But who checks how the money is spent, who it is give to and whether it represents good value for the taxpayer? And since when is 19 C a "cold disaster" in any country of the world, anyway? Only in Thailand I suspect.......

Anyway, this is only speculation as maybe there were some other fake "disasters" I hadn't considered. Suggestions?

The English in theNation article is not always intelligeble (and I'm friendly phrasing it as such).

A cool spell, an earth shake, a bit of flooding is called a disaster. Ingenious as Thai are more people like to claim support than are really entitled to. At times government officials (i.e. bureaucrats) are easily induced to support claims especially when the 'right' inducement in provided.

At least that's my interpretation.

[Johnny S]

Show the "shame-list" to the public - do anything to these traitors to their own country but we all know NOTHING will happen