Floating in the sea - swanky new Bangkok buses bobbing up and down on a ship as scandal deepens

[fruitman]

So if we buy online from Malaysia (or any other ASEAN-country) there's no importtax??

[wump]

This whole exercise is mega-stupid. It doesn't matter whether the tax is 0%, 40% or 200% because the government would just be paying themselves. Duh!

[Brer Fox]

6 hours ago, HarrySeaman said:

Please don't malign F1 drivers.  They do their best to avoid collisions because they know how fragile their cars are.

 

Thai bus drivers are more like Nascar drivers.

Raggedy ass Thai metropolitan bus drivers try to void collisions. But they are not much good at it.

[Artisi]

7 hours ago, PatOngo said:

 

Faces lost but no shame.

But more importantly, previous ill-gotten gains NOT lost.

[Artisi]

33 minutes ago, wump said:

This whole exercise is mega-stupid. It doesn't matter whether the tax is 0%, 40% or 200% because the government would just be paying themselves. Duh!

Come on now - please do not apply Western  logic to this argument , remember where you are.

[fruitman]

32 minutes ago, wump said:

This whole exercise is mega-stupid. It doesn't matter whether the tax is 0%, 40% or 200% because the government would just be paying themselves. Duh!

 

Probably not or they wouldn't make such an issue about it.

 

And to save Thailands name mr Prayuth could have called the immigration to let them pass but he didn't...Now the whole country looks stupid and big companies will suffer from it internationally.

 

 

[Artisi]

Just now, fruitman said:

 

Probably not or they wouldn't make such an issue about it.

 

And to save Thailands name mr Prayuth could have called the immigration to let them pass but he didn't...Now the whole country looks stupid and big companies will suffer from it internationally.

 

 

He could have called immigration and maybe he did, although customs department might have been more appropriate.

[fruitman]

Why isn't there a billionaire to rescue thailands name? He could just guarantee all payments and be the  big hero? Guess he would get the money back later anyway. The boss from CP has enough money in his pocket.

[billd766]

1 hour ago, Wilsonandson said:

Where is Prime Minister Prayuth? This is a disgrace. Let the vehicles in. You made the deal, you have to man up and honour it. Big woose!

 

Really? Do you have any idea what you are talking about at all? I suggest that you do a little research before you post.

 

Neither the PM nor the government had nothing to do with this deal at all. It is between the BMTA and the contractor who they went through to do the deal with.

[flyingdoc]

The real losers in all this are the public in Bangkok!

[Trouble]

If the government is procuring buses for the public transportation system, one would think the government would wave the import duties to begin with to save the taxpayers money. The way it stands whether the buses were made in China or Malaysia with differing duties the taxpayer still has to pay.  One has to suppose every time the government buys a aircraft carrier or submarine or military aircraft that taxpayer is also paying exorbitant customs duties on all these things.  Why did the BTMA need a go between to purchase the buses in the first place.  Couldn't they directly produce their specifications and order from the manufacturer direct.  Why are they paying a middle man?  No need to answer that.

[digibum]

11 hours ago, HarrySeaman said:

Please don't malign F1 drivers.  They do their best to avoid collisions because they know how fragile their cars are.

 

Thai bus drivers are more like Nascar drivers.

 

Don't malign NASCAR drivers.  NASCAR drivers understand that speed and intoxicants don't mix.  

 

Thai bus drivers are more like Thai mini-van drivers.  

 

[balo]

Why replace the buses? The 40 year old wooden floor buses are comfy enough...

 

[Basil B]

Anything to do with the shortage of brown envelopes...

[performance]

Import rorters and legal robbery this country. No one gives a toss. Thais just about money. Forget happiness that's a section that was not included lol.

[Thechook]

A total cluster by the military junta, take a bow Prayuth.

[jacko45k]

Send the army in to go get the buses, they seem to be the only people who can sort things out  around here.

 

[PatOngo]

7 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Send the army in to go get the buses, they seem to be the only people who can sort things out  around here.

 

 

Yes, they need to set a deadline! That will work!

[Americano555]

It's all about MONEY, everybody HAS TO BE PAID IN THAILAND. Before anything is approved.

[Keesters]

16 hours ago, PatOngo said:

 

Faces lost but no shame.

 

Agree. Temples can expect a lot of new short term recruits seeking forgiveness.

 

[Keesters]

15 hours ago, Jim walker said:

And all this fuss because the lack of enough brown envelopes to go round.

 

15 hours ago, Brigante7 said:

Just pay the bribe and move on.

Brigante7. 

 

Corruption greases the wheels and makes them turn faster. No brown envelopes and the wheels just lock solid. TIT

[greenchair]

I see a need for section 44 to smooth all this over. 

[spidermike007]

My guess is, that if Thailand were adhering to the rules of law, put forth in the past couple of ASEAN charters, there would be no tax due, whatsoever. It is Thailand's continued and adamant refusal to adhere to these agreements it signs, that may be at the root of these kinds of problems. The days of Thailand being the biggest tiger in the room are over. Yet, they do not understand this. They are still behaving as if they hold all of the cards, when that is so far from the truth. The world is changing, and they cannot see it. They are getting left behind, and they continue to behave like undeveloped children. 

[Beats56]

Another mess yi yi. wait till the rail road begins. ...

[kingalfred]

I was going to say "unbelievable" that these new buses desperately needed are held up for no justifiable reason But in LOS nothing is unbelievable


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[Lammbock]

On 08/12/2016 at 5:07 PM, cyberfarang said:

Describing all male Thais as Somchai is a racist term that I am seeing way too often on TV.

I don't agree. Somchai refers to the Average Joe.

[PatOngo]

"Describing all male Thais as Somchai is a racist term that I am seeing way too often on TV".

 

But referring to outsiders as Kek, Jek and Farang is ok.....Right???

[gemguy]

On Thursday, December 8, 2016 at 11:12 PM, Trouble said:

If the government is procuring buses for the public transportation system, one would think the government would wave the import duties to begin with to save the taxpayers money. The way it stands whether the buses were made in China or Malaysia with differing duties the taxpayer still has to pay.  One has to suppose every time the government buys a aircraft carrier or submarine or military aircraft that taxpayer is also paying exorbitant customs duties on all these things.  Why did the BTMA need a go between to purchase the buses in the first place.  Couldn't they directly produce their specifications and order from the manufacturer direct.  Why are they paying a middle man?  No need to answer that.

All of this is true...but on deals this big, along with the over inflated prices they agreed to pay there are numerous Government officials and business men and politicians wringing their hands in anticipation of how much money they will  personally obtain for doing their part in the scheme of things.

This is how it works in Thailand and has always worked that way while commonly there is one or several people involved that can and do often enough throw a monkey wrench into the affair and change the story and change their position and in effect demand to be included in the whole shady affair for more money than previously agreed upon or at least a confirmed percentage of the money or they will not cooperate and or sign off on it.

Often they will make like it is all official and legitimate and they are simply doing their Job while in reality they are dreaming large about the amount of money they can obtain from a multi billion baht trade deal that requires their participation while they are in a position to force other peoples hand.

If you were to research the subject of who is and or who was the head of the customs department, at present and years gone by, you will quickly learn the job and its position and the  "Title" involves far more than you would imagine and certainly far more than meets the eye...so to speak.

A Very, Very, Very "Lucrative Position" would be the words that come to mind.

Get it...Got it...Good....

Cheers

 

Edited December 10, 2016 by gemguy

[Artisi]

On ‎8‎/‎12‎/‎2016 at 7:58 PM, mrjohn said:

“Thailand is a democratic country and adheres to free trade.”

The Great Leader 3rd June 2016

I was so shocked when I heard this nonsense by “the self-appointed one”  on Thai TV  that I checked my dictionary  in case I had misunderstood the meaning of the phrase “free trade”

I had not!

Free trade is : “international buying and selling of goods, without limits on the amount of goods that one country can sell to another, and without special taxes on the goods bought from a foreign country.”

Which part of the words"free trade" do Thais not understand?

 

Free

[ratcatcher]

On 09/12/2016 at 10:37 AM, spidermike007 said:

My guess is, that if Thailand were adhering to the rules of law, put forth in the past couple of ASEAN charters, there would be no tax due, whatsoever. It is Thailand's continued and adamant refusal to adhere to these agreements it signs, that may be at the root of these kinds of problems. The days of Thailand being the biggest tiger in the room are over. Yet, they do not understand this. They are still behaving as if they hold all of the cards, when that is so far from the truth. The world is changing, and they cannot see it. They are getting left behind, and they continue to behave like undeveloped children. 

"My guess is, that if Thailand were adhering to the rules of law, put forth in the past couple of ASEAN charters, there would be no tax due, whatsoever. "

If I understand this correctly, if the buses had been made in Malaysia, then no tax would be due  but since they were manufactured in China then they are dutiable. Is that about right? Then the customs dep't has a case.