PHUKET: USING Phuket as the role-model for wiping out corruption in Thailand was welcomed yesterday by the man leading the push to make Phuket honest and transparent.
Pranai Suwanrath, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Interior Ministry, gave the idea his support as more than 20 business associations in Bangkok called for change at a seminar entitled Against Corruption: Turning Point in Thailand.
The private organisations announced a concerted pre-election drive to force political parties to treat corruption more seriously, warning that if necessary, they would take matters into their own hands.
Khun Pranai also had constructive thoughts. ''A Phuket model for getting rid of corruption would be good because Phuket is an international destination and very popular,'' he said.
''If people could see that one part of Thailand could do it, the image of Thailand would be improved. If the idea succeeded, it could be adapted and used in all provinces.''
Khun Pranai is video-conferencing regularly with Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha and Phuket's vice governors in seeking to spark a ''rip-off revolution'' and restore the reputation of the troubled tropical holiday island.
But he says that while the island's senior administrators are part of the Interior Ministry, other departments will need to join and act to defeat corruption.
''The message has to be 'Do Your Job,''' he said. ''The heads of the TAT, the Royal Thai Police, Immigration, the Marine Office - all department chiefs in Bangkok - need to be telling their officials in Phuket: Do Your Job.
''Only with co-operation across all branches of government in Bangkok will change be able to come in Phuket.''
His comments echo repeated calls for a crackdown by Phuket's honorary consuls. As a group they have urged ambassadors in Bangkok to press for reforms on troubled Phuket, where extortionate tuk-tuk and taxi fares, jet-ski scams, environmental degradation and institutionalised graft remain widespread.
A new source for the growing concern about corruption emerged yesterday as business leaders in Bangkok discussed the big issue at the Turning Point in Thailand seminar.
Dusit Nontanakorn, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Trade, said the anti-corruption coalition marked the first move by the Thai private sector to jointly fight the scourge of graft.
While the concern of business is that corruption is undermining the country's competitiveness - especially in tourism - other campaigners have made the point that the money that now goes in graft could be diverted to benefit education and health and alleviate poverty.
A survey found the total value of corruption in state projects in Thailand for the last fiscal year came to between 169 billion and 203 billion baht.
''We have to get started instead of doing nothing and letting corruption grow like a cancer that will eventually kill the country," Khun Dusit told the innovative business consortium.
Caretaker Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was at the gathering and gave the anti-corruption moves his tacit support. Phuketwan has previously called on the PM to put the Phuket anti-corruption role-model idea into action.
Khun Pranai now heads a continuing series of meetings of senior administrators from all Thai holiday destinations at the behest of Deputy PM Suthep Thaugsuban.
Phuket is seen as the destination most urgently in need of reform.
''There is no reason why corruption cannot be wiped out if people are willing to beat it,'' Khun Pranai said. ''Efforts to win reform won't happen overnight. It has to be worked at every day.
''My feeling is that Phuket people have the will to solve the problem. They don't want to have this rip-off reputation continue. Anti-corruption needs to be promoted non-stop until these things change.''
An extensive inquiry into corruption on Phuket has also been conducted recently by the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, interviewing leading figures on Phuket over two weeks. That investigation is expected to result in prosecutions.
Pranai Suwanrath, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Interior Ministry, gave the idea his support as more than 20 business associations in Bangkok called for change at a seminar entitled Against Corruption: Turning Point in Thailand.
The private organisations announced a concerted pre-election drive to force political parties to treat corruption more seriously, warning that if necessary, they would take matters into their own hands.
Khun Pranai also had constructive thoughts. ''A Phuket model for getting rid of corruption would be good because Phuket is an international destination and very popular,'' he said.
''If people could see that one part of Thailand could do it, the image of Thailand would be improved. If the idea succeeded, it could be adapted and used in all provinces.''
Khun Pranai is video-conferencing regularly with Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha and Phuket's vice governors in seeking to spark a ''rip-off revolution'' and restore the reputation of the troubled tropical holiday island.
But he says that while the island's senior administrators are part of the Interior Ministry, other departments will need to join and act to defeat corruption.
''The message has to be 'Do Your Job,''' he said. ''The heads of the TAT, the Royal Thai Police, Immigration, the Marine Office - all department chiefs in Bangkok - need to be telling their officials in Phuket: Do Your Job.
''Only with co-operation across all branches of government in Bangkok will change be able to come in Phuket.''
His comments echo repeated calls for a crackdown by Phuket's honorary consuls. As a group they have urged ambassadors in Bangkok to press for reforms on troubled Phuket, where extortionate tuk-tuk and taxi fares, jet-ski scams, environmental degradation and institutionalised graft remain widespread.
A new source for the growing concern about corruption emerged yesterday as business leaders in Bangkok discussed the big issue at the Turning Point in Thailand seminar.
Dusit Nontanakorn, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Trade, said the anti-corruption coalition marked the first move by the Thai private sector to jointly fight the scourge of graft.
While the concern of business is that corruption is undermining the country's competitiveness - especially in tourism - other campaigners have made the point that the money that now goes in graft could be diverted to benefit education and health and alleviate poverty.
A survey found the total value of corruption in state projects in Thailand for the last fiscal year came to between 169 billion and 203 billion baht.
''We have to get started instead of doing nothing and letting corruption grow like a cancer that will eventually kill the country," Khun Dusit told the innovative business consortium.
Caretaker Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was at the gathering and gave the anti-corruption moves his tacit support. Phuketwan has previously called on the PM to put the Phuket anti-corruption role-model idea into action.
Khun Pranai now heads a continuing series of meetings of senior administrators from all Thai holiday destinations at the behest of Deputy PM Suthep Thaugsuban.
Phuket is seen as the destination most urgently in need of reform.
''There is no reason why corruption cannot be wiped out if people are willing to beat it,'' Khun Pranai said. ''Efforts to win reform won't happen overnight. It has to be worked at every day.
''My feeling is that Phuket people have the will to solve the problem. They don't want to have this rip-off reputation continue. Anti-corruption needs to be promoted non-stop until these things change.''
An extensive inquiry into corruption on Phuket has also been conducted recently by the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, interviewing leading figures on Phuket over two weeks. That investigation is expected to result in prosecutions.
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Posted by Whistle-Blower on June 2, 2011 12:21