Shoddy palace upgrade upsets Surapong

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Shoddy palace upgrade upsets Surapong

Published: 5 Oct 2012 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul expressed disappointment over repairs to Saranrom Palace, which used to house the Foreign Ministry.

Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul points at flaws on a wall inside Saranrom Palace. The old palace, which used to house the Foreign Ministry, has been renovated to serve as the ministry’s museum and reception facility.

The minister on Wednesday led a team of ministry officials and members of the press to inspect the work inside Saranrom Palace built during the reign of King Rama IV.

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mitrapaap
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Discussion 9 : 05 Oct 2012 at 07.179
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When corruption is standard, workmanship is substandard.

With 480 million Baht others (than the governmentt) build a whole housing estate. And with 74 million Land & House (and some others) builds you some top quality houses, not just a bit inner renovation.

Every time the government is in charge, the numbers and amounts of Baht seem to come from another galaxy.
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khunbj
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Discussion 8 : 05 Oct 2012 at 06.108
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Well, somebody must have made a contract with this company in 2008, should not be that difficult to establish the paper trail and sort out the problem, but it does not really look very good at the photo.
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wyle
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Discussion 7 : 05 Oct 2012 at 06.027
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Given the rampant corruption in all aspects of life in Thailand, can one really be surprised with the outcome. 480 Baht budgeted for the project. One third for corruption. Why were unskilled workers hired in the first place? At the end of the day, the government will put in more money to be wasted on FOG (Friends of Government.
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lookmoo
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Discussion 6 : 05 Oct 2012 at 05.396
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From Wikpedia:
The Christiani & Nielsen company was listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand in 1991. In December 1992 it completed a reverse takeover of its publicly listed Danish parent company – the first such transaction in Thai business history. The Thai management succeeded in taking over the mother company without paying the full price by claiming bankruptcy in the process. The result of this is that the company today uses the lucrative brand of Christiani & Nielsen without having paid the families of the founders.

.... a rip of from start.
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amazed
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Discussion 5 : 05 Oct 2012 at 05.225
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If the contractor discovered problems that would prevent completion of the project with an appearance and functionality that could reasonably be expected for the usage and money provided, then it should have immediately disclosed that fact when it became known. Such a notification should have an ample paper trail to verify their concerns as well as a rejection of such concerns. In absence of that, it is simply excuse making for poor work.
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Merlin
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Discussion 4 : 05 Oct 2012 at 05.224
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Have a look around any large new department store, especially the bits at the back or under something and you will see exactly the same sort of shoddy construction as shown here.
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naomi
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Discussion 3 : 05 Oct 2012 at 05.053
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Why is this news? Does the government have a facility department that takes care of these things? Is there a team of people that managed this project? Project manager? Wasn't a contract written? Warranties? etc. Why is this newsworthy for the public to read?
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musashi
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Discussion 2 : 05 Oct 2012 at 04.452
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The government can only blame itself for appointing CNT and overpaying them for the expensive renovation. Investors stay away from companies such as CNT because of the "character" of the key executives and major shareholders. Likewise, the government should have been more prudent before appointing contractors.

In the early 1990s, the Thai management team of Christiani & Nielsen Thai (CNT) ran the company to the ground, cited bankruptcy and did a reverse takeover of the publicly listed Danish parent company on the cheap (more like an MBO). They shamelessly continued using the lucrative brand of Christiani & Nielsen without having paid the families of the founders a single cent. And in the 1997 economic crisis, the same management team disposed of numerous business entities and failed investments at the expense of the banks. CNT is basically a shell making money for certain key shareholders (not the public shareholders) who in the first place became shareholders because they had earlier bankrupted the company.
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Aussie John
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Discussion 1 : 05 Oct 2012 at 04.411
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Sounds like someones taken more than the unofficial 30% cut...
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