Relief aid rife with graft

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PACC report finds cost to state is over B50m

Published: 8/09/2010 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

Corruption plaguing disaster relief projects across the country is costing the state more than 50 million baht, the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission says.

An aerial photograph shows the Chao Phraya dam in Chainat releasing water into the Chao Phraya River. The dam is close to over-flowing with water pouring in from the North. Residents downstream in Chainat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong and Ayutthaya have been warned to prepare for possible flooding. SUNTHORN PONGPAO

A recent PACC field inspection of disaster relief budget spending for this year found that 274 of 373 randomly checked flood relief projects worth more than 92 million baht were tainted with irregularities costing the state over 50 million baht.

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Writer: King-Oua Laohong, Sunthorn Pongpao and Apinya Wipatayotin

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Your comments

Frank

Discussion 32 : 09/09/2010 at 01:02 PM32
At least under Thaksin the entire country was doing well !!!!
Bubba

Discussion 31 : 09/09/2010 at 09:58 AM31
LAGH #30: Sad but true
Laghable

Discussion 30 : 08/09/2010 at 04:52 PM30
FACT: Corruption in Thailand had already become acceptable, and a "way of life" in Thailand before Thaksin was even born, and it will be here long after he's dead and buried.

Show me any other democratic country where Generals retire as millionaires? Or where the son of a politician can literally execute a police officer in a public place, and not be arrested for it.

The coup was to get rid of Thaksin and HIS corruption, because it was making the pie smaller for all the Generals and Elites. And now Thailand is rated as even MORE corrupt than when Thaksin was PM.

But this story, like all the others about corruption, will have a "shelf life" of about 48 hours and then be forgotten about. The patten is well established, and no one will ever be punished for it.
Bubba

Discussion 29 : 08/09/2010 at 01:05 PM29
A bit of analysis is in order.

If we look at places like the USA or Europe, many of those countries dealt with the same things. Through the democratic process, the mafias and ruthless gangsters or politicians became integrated in society. Many of todays successful businessmen and women, and many politicians at all levels stem from families with dubious pasts.

Basically what happens is that corruption becomes less tolerated as people become more informed within the context of a free speech democracy.

In Thailand democracy is not allowed to develop. One reason is those that hold the wealth an power fear losing it. They have not yet learned how to integrate into a democracy. They rely on brute force which cannot work when the flow of information becomes impossible to control.
freedomfighter

Discussion 28 : 08/09/2010 at 12:34 PM28
What is the point in having a military dictatorship when the corruption is worse than ever before
ct

Discussion 27 : 08/09/2010 at 12:34 PM27
This has nothing to do with Thaksin or Mark. It is so deeply rooted in Thai culture that is just accepted. As a PM, Mark seems much better than Thaksin with regards to corruption. No way to argue with that. But he is not in a powerful position to do anything about corruption that is literally in every place he looks...

It's up to the Thais themselves to deal with this. Don't rely on the government to fix this...
Krid

Discussion 26 : 08/09/2010 at 12:04 PM26
50 million? The horror! Would this cover the stamp duty of all generals in inactive posts or replacement tires for undelivered APVs?
P Lee

Discussion 25 : 08/09/2010 at 11:39 AM25
The question was missed, NOt if a currupt prime minister, BUT who was the best Corrupt prime minister for Thailand?>>wait for it>>>>>THAKSIN was the best corrupt Prime minister for Thailand,
He could have changed thailand given 10 years,but those above would loose thier power of course coup, nuf said.
Betty

Discussion 24 : 08/09/2010 at 11:35 AM24
Why did everybody blame Thaksin's government and Thaksin last time?

In fact, Thaksin is much better.

Look what happened under Abhisit's government.
engineblock

Discussion 23 : 08/09/2010 at 11:17 AM23
Same old story. Someone gets richer; nothing happens; someone gets seriously affected; nothing happens.

People are getting screwed...nothing happens.

Is this administration different?

NO.

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Relief aid rife with graft | Bangkok Post: news