Probe suggests graft in digital clock project

[BSJ]

"USD385K for Thai documentation?" I think I can hand that job on Google Translate!

[Rancid]

Yes another priceless Thai story, sort of up there withe the Museum of Corruption.

Anyway, who said crime doesn't pay? White collar crime pays very well, its just the blue collar stuff that ends up in prison. That applies worldwide of course. Just wish I'd studied banking or politics at uni, that is where the real money is due to the huge amount available for stealing. Even better no jail time if caught.

[tomacht8]

These digital master time systems are quite expensive. I developed a cost estimate for a 100 clock system. All prices are US Dollars.

1) Master Clock with wireless and network interfaces - $1,000

2) 100 Slave clocks, digital, 4 inch letters, $300 per unit - $30,000

3) 10 2.4 ghz plug-in repeaters for reliable wireless coverage, $150 per unit - $1,500

4) Miscellaneous cables and fittings - $500

Subtotal, Equipment - $33,000

5) Installation, 10 days, 2 man crew at $1,000 per day - $10,000

Subtotal, Labor - $10,000

6) Thai language system documentation (see note 1) - $385,000

Total Cost - $428,000 (THB 15,000,000)

*Note 1: The manufacturer has arranged for translation of the system documentation from English to Thai language. Upon recommendation of a qualified Translator by customer's Procurement Officer, the services of a Translator have been secured. It is estimated the translation service will take one week.

USD385K for Thai documentation? Are you serious?

Unfortunately, the Thai news reports on corruption rarely describe the specific corrupt acts. That means, one is never sure what law was broken.

So I have posted a "tongue in cheek" example. In my ridiculous example, the corruption is a thinly disguised contract kickback, in which an item that is invoiced on the contract contains a payment, typically to a subcontractor (the "translator" !!) , who then splits the payment with the corrupt official.

There are many types of corruption related to contracting:

1) Payment of bribes to secure a favorable position or an actual award of contract

2) Contract kickbacks, in which contract revenue is channeled back to a corrupt official

3) Conflict of interest, the most egregious being an official having a financial interest in a contractor that does business with the official's agency

I would guess that all of these schemes are endemic in Thailand.

Not forgetting to mention the award of contracts to companies were family members or friends are the owners.

I guess that 75% of all locally awarded public projects (roads, buildings, infrastructure, purchases of plant, machinery, vehicles, consumables, and repairs) are awarded by this family & friends trail.

[brabo2180]

14 million - 15 million - 50 million - 60 million.

Peanuts really, compared to the big boys.

But, yes, at least it's a start.

[tomacht8]

The biggest problem is the current method of allocation without concomitant controls.

example:

The local mayor submits a request for funds to build a road, repair a school or whatever.
The application is then forwarded to the state (djangwat) administration, then to the authority in Bangkok.
The money is then approved and provided.
The money is then passed through the local administration filter.
From 20 million then, only 16 million actually come to the mayor in the village.
The mayor then instructed his brother in law (who has coincidentally a construction business) to build the road.
Are installed then maybe 10-12 million.
The road is then, rather than 20 cm thick, of only 8 cm concrete.
Then beautiful images from the new road were sent as evidence to Bangkok.
The road is scrap.
After 2 years follow the repair request.

It is a system error that there are no reasonable return checks.
The cheat and steal is made for the persons in charge really easy here.

Alone the number of paperless expenditure, - there is no project feedback -,
is in excess of 71,386 !!!!
This is a pure self-service shop.

Administratively a disaster. For the taxpayer, it would be cheaper to burn the money without following costs.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/844325-nacc-plans-to-blacklist-over-1000-companies/

[bheard]

Commit a crime, while holding a government position, even a minor one, let alone corruption, and you should be out of a job, and in gaol.

2% pay cut??? That is a joke. It reflects the entire government attitude towards corruption, nepotism, and face-saving.

Yes it's a joke. But this is Thailand where jokes of this type appear daily.

How about the latest joke I read yesterday: The PM is suggesting his cops watch Blue Blood - an American tv show apparently, to pick up tips, techniques and insights.

Apparently he doesn't have training programs for the Thai police.

Doesn't he realise that tv shows are played by actors and say things written by writers - for the purpose of entertainment? Apparently he has trouble differentiating between fact and fiction. So infantile!

[NongKhaiKid]

Commit a crime, while holding a government position, even a minor one, let alone corruption, and you should be out of a job, and in gaol.

2% pay cut??? That is a joke. It reflects the entire government attitude towards corruption, nepotism, and face-saving.

Yes it's a joke. But this is Thailand where jokes of this type appear daily.

How about the latest joke I read yesterday: The PM is suggesting his cops watch Blue Blood - an American tv show apparently, to pick up tips, techniques and insights.

Apparently he doesn't have training programs for the Thai police.

Doesn't he realise that tv shows are played by actors and say things written by writers - for the purpose of entertainment? Apparently he has trouble differentiating between fact and fiction. So infantile!

Not the first time a national leader has said something like this.

Many years ago when Boeing engineers showed the explosion on a domestic flight Mr. T was due to take was not a bomb just an engineer ignoring the maintenance manual for an air con and taking a shortcut Mr T then suggested the BIB should start watching the CSI series for tips on forensic examinations.

I'm not going to say anything about the handling of the recent bomb scene.

[BlindMagician]

Things will only change when a large enough % of the public have at least a sufficient level of the right kind of quality of education. The power of a unified public voice is a well proven and necessary mechanism.

The change necessary, to bring about such education, requires other upstream changes, that in turn most effectively come about by having officials who, amongst other things, are not corrupt.

Its a change management problem - the system needs change, but the system prevents the system from being changed.

Wholesale change won't happen as long as the self reinforcing system is too strong. It needs a microcrack advanced at a "micro m" at a time.

So be a micro mechanism, a bit here, a bit there, for positive change.

It may not happen in our lifetimes, but be a contributor, keep an eye out for the good cracks appearing in the system, and enjoy living the history.

[bendejo]

US$400,000 for a bunch of clocks?