OPINION

Graft won't go away

An old friend of mine, a reformed addict, used to tell me that "denial" wasn't just a river in Africa.

I bring this up because I have an awful feeling the Thai people are in one of the most serious cases of denial any country has ever suffered.

They appear to have the misguided belief that corruption is not a big problem and will go away if you don't talk about it. Sadly, corruption here is not just part of the system, it is the system, and everyone from the village headman up in local government is working on ways to transfer funds into their personal bank accounts.

The military, police and government have far too many individuals who could never explain the source of wealth that has brought them multiple houses and cars, but that's OK because they will never have to do so. Banning open discussion is the government's way of solving the problem leaving little chance that any real proactive agency will ever be initiated to fight corruption.

It has taken a bunch of students and a few elderly activists just to get this subject aired and only then after threats of arrest and incarceration.

Is Thailand really so short of citizens that permanently fail to see the elephant stampeding through the china shop or has the threat of jail been enough to silence the honest?

Foreign authors that have been here a few months write far more honest versions of what goes on here than anything I read locally. Deny it all you like but Thai officials and corruption are presently so closely joined they could be called Siamese twins.

While many Thais and expats are whining about the corruption of the junta and its refusal to give up power, how many times have I written: "Once you give up your freedom there is no guarantee you're going to get it back?"

How many of these people who are now complaining are the same people who said after the coup that democracy would be restored in six months?

There is an old saying: "History repeats itself because man never learns from his mistakes."

Re: "Thailand 'least miserable'", (BP, Feb 16).

The headline was a pleasant surprise but somewhat unbelievable when read at breakfast on Chinese New Year.

Turning to the window, the haze of dust that is dangerous to Bangkokians was still there. The pathetic news on watches, Thungyai's poaching and land grabs, City Hall's supposed efforts on haze, 300 million baht "borrowed" by an ex-police chief from a dubious character, and many other shenanigans in Thailand cause me to ask whether Bloomberg's survey is a joke.

This is a joke especially when the rest of the world has been sprinkled with the resignations or sackings of leaders such as South Africa's Jacob Zuma, Brazil's Dilma Rousself, corruption charges against Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu and plenty of other moral and governance cases.

One wonders whether Thailand is living on a different planet or others are outside the planet of Thailand.

Also, the news report "Thaksin casts wild theories on NCPO's fate" invites me to wonder whether Thaksin and his sister are least miserable. For me, it must be most miserable thing, not being able to come home to your motherland even though you have enough money to buy Thailand. In any quiet moment, both must be miserable and likely to be the most miserable Thais in the world.

Bloomberg's survey is based on unemployment and inflation data and it is a double pleasure for Thailand to be named so, after having edged that enviable island state, Singapore, to second place.

I declare that I will always love Thailand, no matter what!

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