Auditor General Office probing Prawit trip to Hawaii

[webfact]

CONTROVERSIAL TRIP

Auditor General Office probing Prawit trip to Hawaii

JUTHATHIP LUCKSANAWONG, 
ANAPAT DEECHUAY
THE NATION 

 

 

Auditor reviewing Bt21 million cost of charter flight to US security conference.

 

BANGKOK: -- THE Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) is investigating controversy over Deputy Premier Prawit Wongsuwan's trip to Hawaii last week to attend an international security meeting, Auditor-General Pisit Leelavachiropas told The Nation |yesterday.

The cost of the trip involving flights to and from Bangkok was Bt20.9 million, which critics described as too high.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday said he saw no need for his government to set up a committee to investigate the matter. He said he saw nothing irregular about the expenditure, as the trip was for the purposes of work, and not for pleasure.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Auditor-General-Office-probing-Prawit-trip-to-Hawa-30296817.html

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2016-10-04

[webfact]

General Prawit defends his delegation’s Hawaii visit did not overspend

 

 

BANGKOK: -- Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan defended on Monday that his delegation to Hawaii for Asean and US defence ministers’ meet during September 29-October 1 did not overspent as widely criticised.

 

He, however, admitted that delegation used a chartered flight of Thai Airways International for the trip to Hawaii and back because there is no direct flight to Hawaii from Bangkok and it will normally take several connected flights in order to arrive in Hawaii which is not convenient at all.

 

He said THAI offered the chartered flight at discount which was not as high as 20 million baht as reported in the social and mainstream media. Also, he added that using THAI’s service was helping the national flag carrier.

 

The deputy prime minister dismissed the report that the delegation spent about 600,000 baht for food costs alone as exaggerated, saying that he and the other members of the delegation ate ordinary in-flight Thai food such as noodles and were not feted with specially-cooked food.

 

He said that he had no details about the delegation’s spending but Maj-Gen Kongcheep Tantrawanich, the defence spokesman, would have already given details to the media.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/general-prawit-defends-delegations-hawaii-visit-not-overspend/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-10-04

[Thechook]

Auditor general who works for the junta,  Article 44 orders him to make this go away in the name of national security.  Everything else has been wiped away so why not this?  They also have a blanket amnesty clearing them of all wrongs.

[Denim]

Nothing to see here. Everything above board . Move on and stop fault finding . Just great guys going about their business in the usual way.

[HoboKay]

Perhaps this is an attempt to appear accountable by responding to social criticism? Feeble but an attempt nonetheless.

 

 

[NongKhaiKid]

Another so called ' investigation ' that will go nowhere.

The PM has, surprise surprise,  said all was above board so who is going to argue with that ?

Another less than shinning example of this lot having absolutely no shame as befits how they see themselves and their position.

[sharecropper]

Disgusting, hypocritical and shameless (again).

[Thechook]

 he and the other members of the delegation ate ordinary in-flight Thai food such as noodles and were not feted with specially-cooked food.

 

Do they only serve noodles in 1st and business class?  I see your lies and raise with bull crap.  Did you only eat noodles at your backpacker's accommodation also?

 

 

 

[HoboKay]

5 minutes ago, Thechook said:

 he and the other members of the delegation ate ordinary in-flight Thai food such as noodles and were not feted with specially-cooked food.

 

Do they only serve noodles in 1st and business class?  I see your lies and raise with bull crap.  Did you only eat noodles at your backpacker's accommodation also?

 

I'll see to that and raise it with codswallop. 

 

How was the public transport system, did the subway impress?

[Alive]

I'm sure the generals could chip in a million baht each and pay the 20 million baht bill. Prayuth himself made 600 million baht in that land deal just one year prior to the coup so there is probably no shortage of money in the generals' pockets. And they raised the pay of all the regime members who joined the NLA if I remember right. These folks can put their own personal wealth up when they waste taxpayer money.

Edited October 3, 2016 by Alive

[Chris Lawrence]

Come on they were helping the national carrier (sorry helping themselves to the national carrier). The food costs were not the one's he ate on the plane, but the cost of the big booze up in the hotel. How was the mini bar tab? $23,000 Aus. for food is a bit high. On top of that what was the discount from Thai Air. These guys would have gone first class, as can you imagine the embarrassment of being slotted in business class. Sounds like there are still some of those nasty reds in the ranks causing trouble. Another purge due soon?

[colinneil]

Auditor - General can investigate whatever they want.

We do not care, we do what we want, spend what we want.

 We are unaccountable/ untouchable.

They peasants are revolting...so... no matter. Let them, maybe we will throw them a few scraps just to shut them up.

[NongKhaiKid]

12 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Auditor - General can investigate whatever they want.

We do not care, we do what we want, spend what we want.

 We are unaccountable/ untouchable.

They peasants are revolting...so... no matter. Let them, maybe we will throw them a few scraps just to shut them up.

Prime Minister, General, breaking news, the peasants are revolting !

Oh pleaasse, tell me something I don't know.

[z42]

Shameless, hypocritical, immoral scum   have been seeing a LOT of anger on Thai social media about this, but the population at large still won't do anything, and the auditor general won't either as he'll be pacified anyways to bring a favourable outcome to the "delegation".

CSI LA is hot on this topic at the moment. Hope some more nasty leaks are made, this rotten bunch need to be inundated with them for it to have an effect

[NongKhaiKid]

2 hours ago, HoboKay said:

Perhaps this is an attempt to appear accountable by responding to social criticism? Feeble but an attempt nonetheless.

 

 

At the very, very best there may be some vague statement that it could have been done better but no major problem, no loss to the taxpayer and no one is at fault.

The junta' s procurement dept is ordering more whitewash to deal with all the spurious allegations that have surfaced recently.

[jerojero]

Purpose for work not pleasure........ Indeed. Bet if it was for pleasure paid by the participants, the bill would have been half. But when it's the public purse paying, political pigs at the trough double down their comfort.

[cougar52]

So there was 38 people on board to a round trip to Hawaii, at a cost of over $16,000.,, per person.

And I fly to the east cost in America for a cost of $2,000 so I guess it is not overspending considering it includes for food and lodging at a cost of $14,000 a piece.

 

Ha,ha how gullible do they think we are

[hansnl]

3 hours ago, Denim said:

Nothing to see here. Everything above board . Move on and stop fault finding . Just great guys going about their business in the usual way.

Compared to former governments?

Peanuts!

Good you don't know about spending of other governments in the world, including your own.

[worgeordie]

600,000 baht for food costs alone as exaggerated, saying that he and the other members of the delegation ate ordinary in-flight Thai food such as noodles and were not feted with specially-cooked food.

But what  about when they got off the plane,into hotel restaurants, and room service. Lobsters

and wine are not cheap.

regards worgeordie

[garywim]

Disgusting, hypocritical and shameless (again  and again) as usual.

[webfact]

DPM Prawit confirms expenditure plan for charter flight service to Hawaii

  

BANGKOK, 4 October 2016 (NNT) - The deputy prime minister in charge of national security has confirmed that an expenditure plan involving a charter flight service to the ASEAN-US meeting in Hawaii was transparently planned and disbursed. 

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Gen. Prawit Wongsuwon said on Monday that the Thai delegation had to arrange a charter flight service to the ASEAN-US Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, because there is no direct flight service from Bangkok to that destination. 

Accordingly, he said that Thai Airways International Public Company Limited was asked to submit a quotation for the ministry to consider. 

The DPM added that there was quite a big group of participants from Thailand because the US had suggested many topics of discussion to be raised at the meeting, which ranged from terrorism to transnational crimes, maritime security and ISIS-related violence. 

Gen. Prawit went on to say that the details of the trip were disclosed because he has confidence in the transparency of the expenditure. He brushed aside any concerns about criticism, which he claimed were made by those who wanted to attack him.

 

-- nnt 2016-10-04

[HoboKay]

10 minutes ago, webfact said:

The DPM added that there was quite a big group of participants from Thailand because the US had suggested many topics of discussion to be raised at the meeting, which ranged from terrorism to transnational crimes, maritime security and ISIS-related violence. 

 

So each topic is handled by one of the delegates hence the need for a huge delegation?

 

Don't want to strain the minds of those delegates, best for them to focus on just one issue at a time.

[gk10002000]

20 million baht at 35 baht to the USD comes out to about $571,000 USD for three days.  That is a lot for a round trip flight, even first class, for him and lets' say 2 or 3 staffers or how big was the Thai delegation?  Hawaii hotels are extremely expensive but still!  And which charter service did they use?  Was it the winner of a government bid?  Wait.  Did I read in another post that the Thai delegation numbered 38!?!?  Sheesh.  You don't bring all the "experts".  You keep them online and network back to them for details or answers, etc.

[mtls2005]

Auditor General's report issued on investigation into __________________________ (fill in the latest instance) found that everything was done according to legal principles. 

 

In other news, the Junta sends out bids on more brooms, and carpets. (Niece of Junta honcho gets the contract.)

 

And, Junta applying laws equally in seeking reparations from anyone named Shinwatra.

[eliotness]

I saw him on the morning news.  Is it only me that thinks a little fat man in his 70s wearing a uniform looks ridiculous and trying to defend his expensive jaunt makes him look doubly ridiculous.  Robert Burns had a saying along the lines of "oh would some power god give us, to see ourselves as others see us".

[baboon]

3 hours ago, hansnl said:

Compared to former governments?

Peanuts!

Good you don't know about spending of other governments in the world, including your own.

Ah yes. The 'Two wrongs make a right' defence as favoured by the fanbois...

[balance45]

3 hours ago, worgeordie said:

600,000 baht for food costs alone as exaggerated, saying that he and the other members of the delegation ate ordinary in-flight Thai food such as noodles and were not feted with specially-cooked food.

But what  about when they got off the plane,into hotel restaurants, and room service. Lobsters

and wine are not cheap.

regards worgeordie

 

We can only imagine how lavish this trip actually was.

 

But if the refusal to investigate the general's son is any indication... we should know the outcome of this one.

[Retiredandhappyhere]

Their scorn for the ordinsry people of Thailand, who they theoretically represent (without being asked) is boundless.

[wandasloan]

2 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

20 million baht at 35 baht to the USD comes out to about $571,000 USD for three days.  That is a lot for a round trip flight, even first class, for him and lets' say 2 or 3 staffers or how big was the Thai delegation?  Hawaii hotels are extremely expensive but still!  And which charter service did they use?  Was it the winner of a government bid?  Wait.  Did I read in another post that the Thai delegation numbered 38!?!?  Sheesh.  You don't bring all the "experts".  You keep them online and network back to them for details or answers, etc.

 

Wrong. The 20 million  (actually  20.95 million) baht is ONLY for the airplane charter (including eggs Benedict, caviar and other simple Thai  food.) It does not include, say, hotels in Hawaii or per-diem pocket money to eat $1 hamburgers at McDonald's.

 

[eliotness]

As Wandasloan states, the stated cost was only related to the flight   -  so what sort of noodles were they eating to create such a huge catering bill ? !   From the news report it seems this was just a weekend trip, but there was no mention of how many nights they spent in Hawaii, also no real meat on the bones regarding the big issues discussed at the meetings,  if any.  I doubt if any of them went to the local KFC or MacDonalds, fine dining would have been the order of the day(s).