Regional News

Will Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha Turn Off Thailand’s Graft Pipeline

Renewed emphasis on mega-projects and counter-corruption needs renewed emphasis on public procurement law

BANGKOK – Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha has quickly embraced infrastructure development as the Kingdom’s economic salvation, and counter-corruption as the country’s political deliverance. But will the government’s sweet-sounding words and grandiose plans alone break the cycle of government officials and their cronies exploiting Thai public expenditure for personal gain? Absolutely not. Real change will only come through deep and comprehensive administrative and technical reforms to the way the government purchases goods, construction and services. For this, Thailand needs an overhaul of its public procurement system.

It is heartening to read that in response to recent mega-project mania, Thailand’s State Policy Office is seeking outside assistance in setting rules and regulations governing procurement by state-owned enterprises (“CoST help sought to set standards for procurement”, The Nation, August 28). Nevertheless, Thailand’s renewed emphasis on infrastructure development calls for a more ambitious plan for controlling corruption, enhancing competition for contract opportunities, and obtaining the best value for public expenditure. Thailand’s current political and economic context presents a unique opportunity to forego tinkering with lower-level rules and instead engineer broad-based reform of the Kingdom’s entire public purchasing regime. The Prayuth government must seize this opportunity by prioritising the passage of a national government procurement law covering purchasing by all Thai public agencies.

Development of Thailand’s modern procurement regime lags behind that of many other countries. Indeed, the key rules for Thai government purchasing derive from stale Prime Minister Regulations dating back to 1992.

And the absence of a national law serves the lesser urges of civilian agencies, as it perpetuates the Cabinet regulating itself on government purchasing with little outside oversight – a known recipe for corruption.

This is certainly no way to run a system valued at 10-20 per cent of GDP in most countries. Vietnam passed a new government procurement law last year. Thailand needs to do so this year – and before the money starts flooding to the mega-projects touted by the Prayuth government.

Among other things, public procurement law sets out strict rules for how governments plan projects, advertise project opportunities to the public, handle public biddings, award projects to bid winners, prevent conflicts of interest and corruption, and allow unsatisfied bidders to file complaints with the government and courts. It is an important tool for maintaining system transparency, fostering open competition for contract opportunities and ensuring that public monies are spent to gain maximum value for taxpayers. Properly-structured public procurement reform may also reduce the perils of Thai administrative decentralisation, limiting local officials’ capabilities to create self-enriching fiefdoms. Moreover, it ensures better project quality by preventing contractors from substituting inferior materials into critical infrastructure (with or without the conspiring of official inspectors) in an attempt to squeeze ever more profit from publicly funded projects. Best to avoid the recent fate of the Vietnamese badminton arena, the roof of which collapsed for lack of construction quality. (The arena was obviously built prior to the advent of Vietnam’s new government procurement law.)

A draft public procurement law has been collecting dust in the Office of Thai Council of State for some time now, its timely passage undermined by jostling of government departments who want to retain discretionary power over this very lucrative part of the administrative state. The delay is inexcusable, especially when one considers that government procurement corruption was cited as grounds for both the 1991 and 2006 military coups. The Prayuth government’s invigorated and combined focus on promoting good governance and speeding up infrastructure projects for the future economic health of the country creates the conditions to set Thailand’s procurement system on a new course with well drafted rules, good oversight, a properly trained procurement workforce and fair opportunity for (“unconnected”) suppliers to compete for public contracts. Thai civilian governments have long demonstrated that they are unwilling to limit (their own) opportunities for procurement corruption. Perhaps a military government can get this done.

Thailand cannot afford to squander any more public resources, nor endure the scourge of further repeated procurement scandals (for the latest allegations, see “Graft suspected in Buri Ram solar cell project”, The Nation, September 7). The forthcoming spending binge to transform Thailand’s infrastructure requires a stronger expenditure and procurement oversight regime, and it must come soon. The open competition afforded by technical reform of the country’s procurement methods will serve to lessen the gap between rich and poor, weakening the grip of vested interests over public contract opportunities.

Without serious public procurement reform now, the coming years will see a repeat of government insiders devising ways to gain personally from the expenditure of budgetary monies, if not the further outright diversion of public funds to their personal use without any public benefit. If properly seized, however, this may be one opportunity for a military-sponsored government to lay the foundations to constrain the behaviour of future civilian governments and ensure that public monies are spent only for public benefit. And importantly, when civilian government is restored, it can return the favour by expanding public procurement reform to set up proper controls over purchases by the Thai military.

Daniel J Mitterhoff teaches Comparative Government Procurement Law at Yunnan University (YNU) in Kunming, China. He is in charge of the Lancang-Mekong College of Law Project at the YNU Law School, a programme designed to bring together graduate-level students from throughout the Greater Mekong Subregion for the study of regional legal problems and their solutions. He can be reached at [email protected]

Regional News

Thai Immigration Police Detain Over 26,000 Illegal Migrant Workers

Thailand’s Immigration Police have detained approximately 26,000 illegal migrant workers from Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia during an eight-day operation in Bangkok and surrounding regions, according to a Royal Thai Police spokesperson.

Mr Adisorn Keudmeuangkhon of the Bangkok-based Migrant Working Group said the drive was in response to an increasing number of concerns about an influx of illegal migrant labor.

“Some Thai people see that many illegal workers are competing for their job positions in the past few months,” he told me. “That’s why the ministry has to take tougher action.”

Civil strife in Myanmar and the recent implementation of a military conscription have driven thousands of Burmese into Thailand, while severe inflation and limited job opportunities in Laos have also encouraged an influx of workers from that country.

Between June 5 and 12, officials detained and checked 20,111 Myanmar laborers, 1,659 Laotian migrant workers, and 3,971 Cambodian workers, according to the Ministry of Labor.

It marked the start of a 120-day campaign to audit workplaces and arrest unlawful migrant workers, according to the government.

Migrant Workers to be Deported

According to Keudmeuangkhon, undocumented workers face fines ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 Thai baht (US $136 to $1,365), deportation, and a two-year prohibition on re-entering Thailand.

Authorities did not intend to file criminal charges, he claimed.

Authorities raided 1,774 workplaces, according to Moe Gyo, chairman of the Joint Action Committee on Burmese Affairs, which advocates for Myanmar labor rights.

He stated that since the military junta activated conscription, there has been an upsurge in the number of arrests of Myanmar citizens in Thailand who do not have a work permit identity card.

All men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 must serve in the military for at least two years. The first group of 5,000 conscripts summoned by Myanmar’s junta will start duty at the end of this month, military sources told AFP on Monday.

According to Keudmeuangkhon, the bulk of Lao migrant workers in Thailand work as fresh market shopkeepers, restaurant servers, and mall salespeople.

Most people visit Thailand as part of ASEAN’s visa-free policy for tourists, but they stay longer than the 30-day restriction once they find job.

“Employers like to hire Lao migrant workers in the service sector because they can speak fluent Thai,” he told me.

Immigration Police Detain Illegal Migrant Workers

The Thai Cabinet may approve an enhanced program for Thai employers to register their unauthorized foreign workers in July or August. Keudmeuangkhon explained.

Last month, the Thai Ministry of Labor’s Foreign Workers Administration office announced that 268,465 Lao migrant workers were officially working in Thailand.

Baykham Kattiya, Lao Minister of Labor, told Radio Free Asia earlier this month that there are 415,956 migrant workers in other nations, the majority of whom work in Thailand.

According to her, the Lao government believes that over 203,000 persons working outside of the nation lack proper work documents.

However, a Lao official familiar with the labor industry informed Radio Free Asia, a BenarNews-affiliated news station, on June 20 that the number of illegal Lao migrant workers in Thailand and abroad is likely significantly greater.

“They go to other countries as illegal migrant workers through different types of methods – as tourists or students,” said the politician. “Thus, it is hard for the immigration police to collect data on these people.”

Government Officials Responsible for Smuggling in Migrant Workers

Government Officials Responsible for Smuggling in Migrant Workers

News

High School Student Dies After Being Electrocuted By School Water Dispenser

14-year-old boy was electrocuted by a water dispenser: File Image

Thailand’s Office of Basic Education Commission has initiated an investigation into the electrocution of a 14-year-old student by a water dispenser in a high school. The event happened at noon on Friday, during the high school’s sports day. The victim was a Grade 8 student.

According to local media in Trang Province, the incident occurred when a teacher instructed the pupil to turn off a water dispenser amid a heavy rain.

According to a witness, the child collapsed while strolling with his friend near a water station. The friend claimed he attempted to assist but was also shocked by electricity.

According to reports, the friend then recovered, left the site, and requested assistance from teachers. A teacher ran to the scene and used a towel to pull the boy away by the ankle. He was taken to the hospital, but it was too late, they claimed.

The event sparked criticism from parents and netizens over school safety, as well as the slow response to aid the young youngster.

Mr. Chainarong Changrua, head of Trang-Krabi’s Secondary Educational Service Area Office, told local media on Sunday that forensic officers from Trang Provincial Police had visited the area. They discovered the blown breaker switch behind the water dispenser, he explained.

The breaker was burned out, thus the authorities assumed the disaster was caused by a short circuit that allowed energy to spill to a neighboring power pole. The student also appeared wet and was not wearing shoes when electrocuted.

According to the Office of Basic Education Commission, a probe team will complete its investigation this week.

The student’s father, Mr Pornchai Thepsuwan, 53, claimed he was saddened when he saw his son’s body. The boy (Wayu), was the youngest of two boys, he explained. He stated that following the tragedy, the school director and staff gave financial assistance to the families.

Mr Pornchai also said he would not seek charges against the institution because he believed it was an accident.

Electrical accidents in Thailand

Electrocution instances in Thailand have increased alarmingly in recent years. Many mishaps occur as a result of improper wiring and inadequate maintenance of electrical systems.

Public locations, such as schools and markets, frequently lack adequate safety precautions, putting individuals in danger. In rural areas, antiquated infrastructure exacerbates the situation, resulting in more frequent and serious events.

Although several high-profile cases have brought these challenges to light, genuine progress has been gradual. Furthermore, the rainy season heightens the likelihood of electrical accidents, as water and exposed wires do not mix well.

The government has made steps to strengthen safety standards, but enforcement is patchy. More education on electrical safety could help to reduce these accidents.

Unfortunately, better infrastructure and tougher rules may have prevented many of these incidents. The loss and injuries caused by electrocution are avoidable, emphasizing the need for immediate action.

Over 200 High School Students Facing Sedition Charges in Thailand

Over 200 High School Students Facing Sedition Charges in Thailand

News

Thailand’s Tourist Police Crackdown on Tourist Scammers in Pattaya

Tourist Police Pattaya: File Image

Thailand’s Tourist Police said it is collaborating with embassies from five countries to combat tourist scams and ten criminal gangs in Pattaya. The Tourist Police Bureau, convened a meeting on Thursday Pol Lt Gen Saksira Phuek-am told a press briefing.

Pol Lt Gen Saksira Phuek-am, the Tourist Police bureau commissioner said the participants included ambassadors from South Korea, Ukraine, Russia, India, and Switzerland.

He told the briefing the he had ordered a crackdown on tourist frauds, such as fraudulent or low-quality tour operators and unfair sales of goods and services. Stepped-up operations began on June 19 and will continue until June 25.

He stated that the agency was working with numerous organisations to increase tourists’ confidence in visiting Pattaya.

Gen Saksira spent time on the famed Walking Street speaking with officers on duty and assigned them to seek for members of ten criminal groups known to operate in Pattaya.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin will visit Chon Buri on Saturday to assess the tourism situation. He intends to visit the site of a future Formula One racecourse near Khao Phra Tamnak in Bang Lamung District.

Prime Minister Srettha recently met with Formula One organisers in Italy to examine the potential of including Thailand on the race schedule in the future.

On Sunday, the Prime Minister will pay a visit to Rayong’s U-tapao airport to discuss development on the airport’s land, with the goal of encouraging investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor.

Police Chief Reinstated

In other police news, Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol has been reinstated as national police chief following the conclusion of an investigation into a highly publicised quarrel, according to Wissanu Krea-ngam, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s counsellor.

Mr Wissanu released the investigation’s findings on Thursday, after the prime minister formed a fact-finding committee chaired by Chatchai Promlert to investigate into the quarrel between Pol Gen Torsak and his deputy, Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn.

The four-month study revealed conflicts and disorder at all levels of the Royal Thai Police, but it was unclear whether these issues arose from a single cause or several causes, according to Mr Wissanu.

The findings revealed that both Pol Gen Torsak and Pol Gen Surachate were involved, with each team contributing to the tensions, he noted.

Mr Wissanu indicated that Pol Gen Surachate was reinstated as deputy national police head on 18 April following his relocation to the Prime Minister’s Office on 20 March. A disciplinary committee was formed to investigate Pol Gen Surachate, and he was ordered temporarily suspended from the police force.

Because there were no further difficulties to explore, it was decided to restore Pol Gen Torsak. He plans to retire on September 30.

On March 20, Mr Srettha abruptly transferred both top police officers to the Prime Minister’s Office in an effort to address the growing schism within the police service.

Kitrat Panphet, Deputy National Police Chief, was subsequently named Acting Police Chief. According to sources, Pol Gen Surachate could face money laundering charges related to online gaming networks.

Source: Bangkok Post