Samsen school director admits being in video

[webfact]

Samsen school director admits being in video
By THE NATION

 

Wiroj Samruan, director of Bangkok’s Samsen Wittayalai School, denies at a press conference that he demanded or took Bt400,000 in “tea money” in exchange for a parent’s Mathayom 1 child being accepted at the school.

 

But says he never received Bt400,000 for allowing student to enrol at school.

 

 

WIROJ Samruan, director of Samsen Wittayalai School in Bangkok, yesterday admitted being the person seen in a video clip that was posted recently on social media by a school alumni and parent, who accused him of demanding Bt400,000 in “tea money” in exchange for the parent’s Mathayom 1 child being accepted into the school. 

 

Wiroj insisted that he didn’t receive the Bt400,000 as alleged in the video, saying the seemingly well-planned clip might be doctored.

 

Wiroj said that the school’s student recruitment via a special quota was done as per Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) conditions. 

 

They include student applicants who obtained equal scores in entrance exams for the last eligible place, those accepted via a special agreement in establishing the school and those deemed as eligible underprivileged or disabled children. They also include children of people who sacrificed for the country, children of the school’s teachers or staff, students accepted via a quota as per agreement with partner schools and children of people who made continuous contributions to the school. This latter group was limited to 60 children per year.

 

“The student in the middle of this case won’t be affected because the child is innocent. This kid was announced as accepted to the school since April 5, while the clip in question was recorded on April 19, so I don’t understand why the clip was published now,” he said.

 

In a hand-written letter to Obec, Wiroj claimed that some alumni were unhappy with the fact the school could only take some of the Mathayom 1 and 4 students that sought places at the school. These alumni had verbally threatened him before. 

 

He said the clip seemed to be well-prepared to blackmail the school in all steps from photo-copying banknotes, making a phone call, and talking with Wiroj while he was signing papers at his office. But he said no brown envelope was submitted or accepted, as alleged.

 

Earlier, Wiroj filed a libel complaint at Bang Sue Police against his accuser and submitted the video clip as evidence. 

 

Wiroj said the incident tarnished his and the school’s reputation. He insisted that he had not demanded money in exchange for taking the |student at the school and said he had to exercise his legal right to defend his and the school’s name. 

 

Meanwhile, the Samsen Wittayalai School’s Alumni Association issued a statement yesterday saying they felt uneasy about news that had tarnished their beloved school’s reputation and expressed their opposition to all |forms of corruption and illegal benefit seeking.

 

They said they would cooperate with related agencies in gathering and verifying facts and taking legal action. The association said they would closely follow the case and keep the public informed.

 

On Monday Obec chief Karun Sakulpradit assigned Bangkok’s Secondary Educational Service Area Office 1 to set up a fact-finding panel to probe the case. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30318636

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-06-21

[Bluespunk]

5 minutes ago, webfact said:

children of people who made continuous contributions to the school.

400,000 of them. 

[Thaiwrath]

Thailand, the better you are at making excuses, the higher up you get !

 

[Chou Anou]

13 minutes ago, Thaiwrath said:

Thailand, the better you are at making excuses, the higher up you get !

 

The US too now, apparently. 

[ezzra]

This is to reaffirm what it has been known for ages in this country that if

you want something done quickly and properly of jump the queue

you gotta for out the brown bills, why is  it that everybody is acting like

this is something new I don't understand.. maybe because he's there

on camera doing it?....

[trogers]

An investigation into unusual wealth is in order...

[rkidlad]

There's a 'famous' school near me that's situated inside a top 5 university here that charges 1 million to get in for life. You still have to pay the fees every semester. The 1 million just keeps you in and then onto their university. 

 

The class sizes are 40+, there's no air con in the class and there's a pretty wealthy board. I know a guy who works there and he says the top dogs there are raking it in. The school is run down and very little is invested. 

 

It gets by on its reputation. People proudly tell others that their kid goes to this school and not one person says "that schools a dump".

 

A BS reputation + a need to show off + strong defamation laws = lots of money. 

[Dobredin Ghusputin]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

These alumni had verbally threatened him before.

 

If he doesn't have a tape, let's hope he kept handwritten memos.

[Jeremy50]

A lot of these school directors are only in school a couple of times a week, they are 'behind the scenes' pretending to do good, but every move is secretly intended for their own enrichment.  Students paying for places is only one tried and tested way to make money, new buildings in the school another big earner. Usually they move every two years, so there is a hierarchy within the 'director club', the senior directors getting the biggest schools with the biggest earning potential. Almost every damn one of them has their grubby fat fingers in the cookie jar.

[Get Real]

And then some.

[colinneil]

15 minutes ago, Jeremy50 said:

A lot of these school directors are only in school a couple of times a week, they are 'behind the scenes' pretending to do good, but every move is secretly intended for their own enrichment.  Students paying for places is only one tried and tested way to make money, new buildings in the school another big earner. Usually they move every two years, so there is a hierarchy within the 'director club', the senior directors getting the biggest schools with the biggest earning potential. Almost every damn one of them has their grubby fat fingers in the cookie jar.

You are talking rubbish, prove it or shut up.

[Juan B Tong]

[little mary sunshine]

Caught on video,  now, it might be "doctored"....

difficult to lie you way out of a video!

[mtls2005]

This chap better hope his bank accounts, humongous safe and assets can withstand even a cursory examination.

 

Or that he can scream "DEFAMATION" loud enough.

[mikebell]

Another unprincipled principal. My stepdaughter was asked for 400,000 to secure a teaching job at my local school.  After being co-erced into paying 55 K yesterday for being involved in an accident which was 100% not my fault, I say Thailand is rotten to the core.

[halloween]

He claimed "elsewhere" that this was a plot to get him. The word he was looking for was trap, and he put his big foot right in it.

[Sydebolle]

No fire = no smoke; why should anyone accuse a school big wig of accepting bribes if it did not take place? 

 

[Khun Tae]

It's been a tradition, contribute to make things easier. I can understand how much frustation among parents. It's not a defamation.

Take it or leave it. Which organisation  aren't aware of it and everyone knows among Thais ?

[Yann55]

1 hour ago, halloween said:

He claimed "elsewhere" that this was a plot to get him. The word he was looking for was trap, and he put his big foot right in it.

 

Well, when reading this thread for a start, he's obviousy considered guilty by almost everyone, until proven otherwise ...

 

Knowing what goes on in this country, it's difficult not to follow the crowd of course, but let me just say that if  this video is indeed  a forgery of some kind in order to bring him down (for whatever reason), then I wouldn't want to be in his shoes right now.

 

One post says it's hard to fight a video, implying apparently that this video can't lie or be doctored ... how naive, when it's common knowledge that videos can be doctored in every possible way, in this day and age, with relatively cheap equipment and know-how.

 

We live in an era where image reigns, even though it can be thoroughly manipulated, and the time span is considerably reduced, while real justice requires precisely the opposite.

 

Scary.

[JAG]

You are talking rubbish, prove it or shut up.

Sorry "Colinneil" but that is exactly what happens in many Government Schools. The amount of cash floating around, with no accounting involved, and drawn from all sorts of sources, is truly eye watering.

 

[halloween]

19 minutes ago, Yann55 said:

 

Well, when reading this thread for a start, he's obviousy considered guilty by almost everyone, until proven otherwise ...

 

Knowing what goes on in this country, it's difficult not to follow the crowd of course, but let me just say that if  this video is indeed  a forgery of some kind in order to bring him down (for whatever reason), then I wouldn't want to be in his shoes right now.

 

One post says it's hard to fight a video, implying apparently that this video can't lie or be doctored ... how naive, when it's common knowledge that videos can be doctored in every possible way, in this day and age, with relatively cheap equipment and know-how.

 

We live in an era where image reigns, even though it can be thoroughly manipulated, and the time span is considerably reduced, while real justice requires precisely the opposite.

 

Scary.

Apparently they taped the whole deal, including phone calls, as the price was nominated and the cash delivered. BP reports him saying there was no receipt, so it didn't happen. Right, that'll wash.

Having had the same sort of deal put to me by a Catholic nun in full habit, I don't find it hard to believe at all. The "donation" had to be doubled for my twins, which made it sound less like a donation and more like an entry buy. I politely declined, depite the urge to use words of 4 letters or less.

Edited June 21, 2017 by halloween

[colinneil]

6 minutes ago, JAG said:

Sorry "Colinneil" but that is exactly what happens in many Government Schools. The amount of cash floating around, with no accounting involved, and drawn from all sorts of sources, is truly eye watering.

 

Maybe it happens in many schools, but not all.

I was replying to a comment that said all schools.

Edited June 21, 2017 by colinneil

[Golden Triangle]

5 hours ago, mikebell said:

Another unprincipled principal. My stepdaughter was asked for 400,000 to secure a teaching job at my local school.  After being co-erced into paying 55 K yesterday for being involved in an accident which was 100% not my fault, I say Thailand is rotten to the core.

Sorry mods I know this is off thread, 

 

Mike I read your comment yesterday about the 55 K, why did you pay ?? I can assure that I would have told them to stick their claim where the sun don't shine. Thieving scummy toe rags,  anyway, back on post, I hope he gets caught out and feels the full force of the law, let the DSI check his bank accounts and personal safe at home, corrupt thieving git.  

[Moonmoon]

Well he is right, if you read the report thoroughly,  he claims still have not received the 400,000 THB he demanded lol. 

[Ulic]

Deny, deny, deny;. 555

[mikebell]

19 hours ago, Golden Triangle said:

Sorry mods I know this is off thread, 

 

Mike I read your comment yesterday about the 55 K, why did you pay ?? I can assure that I would have told them to stick their claim where the sun don't shine. Thieving scummy toe rags,  anyway, back on post, I hope he gets caught out and feels the full force of the law, let the DSI check his bank accounts and personal safe at home, corrupt thieving git.  

My Insurance company - Thannachart have been useless since day 1.  The bent cop has not even interviewed the boys for their side of the story (for all he knows they might have accepted responsibility!)  I paid because the bent cop told me a pending court case might scupper my plans for a UK trip in August + would impact on future visa applications.

[Cadbury]

22 hours ago, colinneil said:

Maybe it happens in many schools, but not all.

I was replying to a comment that said all schools.

Let's not split hairs over whether it was "all" or "many" or "one". From my own experience with ex gf working in a vocational school she told me the things that went on and how the directors were creaming the system for their own benefit. She shrugged it off claiming that it was normal practice.

I can't believe that was the only school in Thailand that was doing it. But it gave me a clue that it could be far more widespread.