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Corruption eats the land in Thailand


Bruce551
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POST BAG Corruption eats the land

Published: 17/06/2009 at 12:00 AM

Newspaper section: News

The real danger facing citizens of the Kingdom of Thailand regarding land ownership does not come from foreigners wishing to own property for retirement purposes. It comes from corporate interests, both foreign and domestic, seeking large tracts of land for industrial and agricultural purposes; from developers of resorts and condominiums, and from those who would profit from these interests through corrupt means.

District land departments throughout Thailand are reportedly riddled with corruption.

Thousands of rai of land are stolen on an almost daily basis by the very people entrusted with its protection. Fearing no scrutiny, land officials are known to receive their bribe monies in public view.

Poor farmers in Isan will never be displaced by farangs dreaming of growing rice in their old age; rather it is the money lenders, middlemen and ''influential persons'' who regularly remove families from their land. This situation is an unmitigated disgrace.

If the government wishes to protect both public and private land for the benefit of the Thai people, I suggest a comprehensive effort be undertaken to establish the rule of law.

Restricting foreign ownership is just a smokescreen put up to cloak the machinations of those whose callous greed undermines this nation's greatness.

MICHAEL SETTER

Sattahip

This kind Thai Government corruption is a cancer that robs thousands, if not millions of Thai people the chance of leading a rewarding productive life.

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just like "two hands clapping"....while the average Thai knowingly allows their brothers/sister/sons and daughters to rape their country and childrens future through chronic corruption and unchecked greed, then it will always continue.

I believe most Thai people know about all of this (and many other forms of corruption), but typically (and pathetically) they remain in denial. Self analysis and self critique and not strong Thai traits.

Arai kor dai. Mai pen rai.

(or should one say "som nam na"?)

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As foreign guests in this country, who are we to complain about it's internal affairs? Surely it's for the Thai people to deal with in their own unique way.

I agree but the xpats who live there have a more intimate understanding of the situation.

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As foreign guests in this country, who are we to complain about it's internal affairs? Surely it's for the Thai people to deal with in their own unique way.

that's kind of silly. nothing stops foreigners from complaining about the internal affairs of the USA even when they don't live there. as for complaining when you live here, well... um... it affects you, see?

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As foreign guests in this country, who are we to complain about it's internal affairs? Surely it's for the Thai people to deal with in their own unique way.

I agree but the xpats who live there have a more intimate understanding of the situation.

Do you think it benefits xpats or foreigners in general to appear to ctiticize the country? And if so, in what way?

I suspect the immigration authorities take this intio consideration when revising their foreign visa criteria.

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One of the major problems that face many foreigners when they come to our shores is simply that they have trouble understanding that for most Thais, there is no such thing as positive criticism - to them, ALL criticism is bad. As a result many Thai's hate to criticise or be seen to be critical (a few very obvious exceptions on TF of course...hehe). The problem with that basic attitude is that few people will allow themselves to openly recognise and criticise policies or methodologies that they can see are either counterproductive or downright corrupt or wrong. Turn a blind eye and "mai pen rai... if I complain, how will it help?" So nothing gets done and the entrenched systems keep on keeping on!

I dearly love this country and I want change in many things, but if I raise my voice to complain, the locals, even though agreeing, refuse to do anything... there are thousands of examples we see every day, but the basic attitude is the problem. In the west (no, not Kanchanaburi..!) people complain, they achieve changes, not all for the best admittedly, but then the system can kick in again and have things put right (we hope). At least there is a chance...here, there will not be a chance for that approach until thinking and attitudes change. We can only hope, and keep trying...but carefully...

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As foreign guests in this country, who are we to complain about it's internal affairs? Surely it's for the Thai people to deal with in their own unique way.

I agree but the xpats who live there have a more intimate understanding of the situation.

Do you think it benefits xpats or foreigners in general to appear to ctiticize the country? And if so, in what way?

I suspect the immigration authorities take this intio consideration when revising their foreign visa criteria.

Rather than urging the Thai immigration authorities to take up your suggestion on what to consider in revising their foreign visa criteria [sic], I would suggest you move to a country where the authorities already hold views similar to yours on matters of freedom of expression, like say, North Korea or Burma.

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One of the major problems that face many foreigners when they come to our shores is simply that they have trouble understanding that for most Thais, there is no such thing as positive criticism - to them, ALL criticism is bad. As a result many Thai's hate to criticise or be seen to be critical (a few very obvious exceptions on TF of course...hehe). The problem with that basic attitude is that few people will allow themselves to openly recognise and criticise policies or methodologies that they can see are either counterproductive or downright corrupt or wrong. Turn a blind eye and "mai pen rai... if I complain, how will it help?" So nothing gets done and the entrenched systems keep on keeping on!

Very well written mate.

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I suspect the immigration authorities take this intio consideration when revising their foreign visa criteria.

Yes, every time I get a stamp in my passport I notice the guy quickly logs onto TF to check my posts for anti-Thai-culture attitude.

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As foreign guests in this country, who are we to complain about it's internal affairs? Surely it's for the Thai people to deal with in their own unique way.

I agree but the xpats who live there have a more intimate understanding of the situation.

Do you think it benefits xpats or foreigners in general to appear to ctiticize the country? And if so, in what way?

I suspect the immigration authorities take this intio consideration when revising their foreign visa criteria.

Do you think anyone involved with the Thai government gives a rat ass about what "guests" post on a "dating" website or anything else that's focussed on foreigners talking to each other? Look at the amount of Thai guys who signed up for this site for example, if there are any at all at the moment they're surely not interested in what the geezers here have to say.

They care less about foreigners than you might think,there is a difference in pretending to be interested and actually being interested,...trust me on that one because I do the pretending part more than I wish for myself.

As long as you're ..."guests" that is.... don't appear on the regular talkshows on National tv or any significant newspaper... don't worry, you're voce isn't heard. If it is, they won't bother to log into their servers after finding out who you really are and also recovering your passport number and then keep you from getting back in... it's not gonna happen, they don't give a **** ans also they're not scared of us foreigners.

Sometimes I wonder how much you can pull and getting away with it at the embassies for example, but that's a different story, mayhap one that offers a topic someday... but not now because I'm feeling the same as the government right now if you catch my drift

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As foreign guests in this country, who are we to complain about it's internal affairs? Surely it's for the Thai people to deal with in their own unique way.

I agree but the xpats who live there have a more intimate understanding of the situation.

Do you think it benefits xpats or foreigners in general to appear to ctiticize the country? And if so, in what way?

I suspect the immigration authorities take this intio consideration when revising their foreign visa criteria.

Rather than urging the Thai immigration authorities to take up your suggestion on what to consider in revising their foreign visa criteria [sic], I would suggest you move to a country where the authorities already hold views similar to yours on matters of freedom of expression, like say, North Korea or Burma.

:P

touche'

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Do you think anyone involved with the Thai government gives a rat a*s about what "guests" post on a "dating" website or anything else that's focussed on foreigners talking to each other?

Yes, I believe the Thai Internet censors spend a good portion of their time monitoring Thai-Foreign websites (as well as Thai-Thai websites).

My question was referring to foreigners comments re Thailand generally, and not specifically TF.

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Do you think anyone involved with the Thai government gives a rat a*s about what "guests" post on a "dating" website or anything else that's focussed on foreigners talking to each other?

Yes, I believe the Thai Internet censors spend a good portion of their time monitoring Thai-Foreign websites (as well as Thai-Thai websites).

My question was referring to foreigners comments re Thailand generally, and not specifically TF.

...in that case you should read again

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Yes, I believe the Thai Internet censors spend a good portion of their time monitoring Thai-Foreign websites (as well as Thai-Thai websites).

So the red light above the immigraion desk will light up when someone called Gavin666 hands over his passport? Of course, silly me, there's a big database matching passport numbers to online names. How could I forget about that :wink:

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Yes, I believe the Thai Internet censors spend a good portion of their time monitoring Thai-Foreign websites (as well as Thai-Thai websites).

So the red light above the immigraion desk will light up when someone called Gavin666 hands over his passport? Of course, silly me, there's a big database matching passport numbers to online names. How could I forget about that :wink:

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

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Guest TheEnglishman
Sorry, no sympathy here anymore. I almost get the feeling the people sadistically enjoy being f*cked on a daily basis by the government and police.

But doesnt the way Thais are willing to get off their ass and protest show this isn't so? they cant all be doing it for a few hundred baht a day.

The MP's fraudulent expenses claims in the UK, shows theyve been caught red handed with their snouts stuck deep in the trough and all Brits do is write as few sentences saying theyre all corrupt and should be put in prison on the Times/ Guardian/ Mail/ Express/ Sun/ Mirror websites, hardly power to the people.

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Sorry, no sympathy here anymore. I almost get the feeling the people sadistically enjoy being f*cked on a daily basis by the government and police.

But doesnt the way Thais are willing to get off their a*s and protest show this isn't so? they cant all be doing it for a few hundred baht a day.

The MP's fraudulent expenses claims in the UK, shows theyve been caught red handed with their snouts stuck deep in the trough and all Brits do is write as few sentences saying theyre all corrupt and should be put in prison on the Times/ Guardian/ Mail/ Express/ Sun/ Mirror websites, hardly power to the people.

I agree to an extent, and find some of the repayments (of a few hundred pounds at a time) laughable and repulsive.

What I find hilarious is that, as a qualified social worker, I have to sign up to the GSCC/SSSC code of conduct. This code covers a whole raft of conditions and professional working practices that, should I breach any of them, I would face disciplinary action and possible disbarment from the social work register.

Yet these elected representatives who make out laws, decide our taxes etc etc have no such code and, as has been shown with the expenses debacle, utterly take the piss out the electorate.

However, I do think there has been more reaction than mere letter writing. Plenty have now been forced to resign or stand down at the next election; not enough by far.

The only party at Westminster who has come out of this with any dignity are the Lib dems; just a shame they have no chance of ever being elected.

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Guest TheEnglishman

The only party at Westminster who has come out of this with any dignity are the Lib dems; just a shame they have no chance of ever being elected.

I like Vince Cable, but its not a shame they wish to take the Britain without a referendum even further into what must be the most despicable, non transparent, utterly corrupt form of governance outside of China. With Tony Bliar aready lined up as its unelected dictator, a position he'll stay in forever as he will never die!

Vote Independent, or stay in bed on election day next May! :wink:

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The only party at Westminster who has come out of this with any dignity are the Lib dems; just a shame they have no chance of ever being elected.

I like Vince Cable, but its not a shame they wish to take the Britain without a referendum even further into what must be the most despicable, non transparent, utterly corrupt form of governance outside of China. With Tony Bliar aready lined up as its unelected dictator, a position he'll stay in forever as he will never die!

Vote Independent, or stay in bed on election day next May! :wink:

Yes, Cable is that rare creature; an honest man in politics. Not that I need to worry too much; we will soon jettison everything south of Gretna, reclaim our oil and sit sipping a single malt as the sun sets.

:D:)

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Guest TheEnglishman
Not that I need to worry too much; we will soon jettison everything south of Gretna, reclaim our oil and sit sipping a single malt as the sun sets.

:D:)

If thats all you want for taking Gordon, Tony, Alistair and the gang back home then we've got the better part of the deal. We'll throw in Wales aswell if you want them, they need washing once every week or 2 and putting in prison everynow and then for TWOKING so they can see their family.

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Not that I need to worry too much; we will soon jettison everything south of Gretna, reclaim our oil and sit sipping a single malt as the sun sets.

:D:)

If thats all you want for taking Gordon, Tony, Alistair and the gang back home then we've got the better part of the deal. We'll throw in Wales aswell if you want them, they need washing once every week or 2 and putting in prison everynow and then for TWOKING so they can see their family.

Hmmm, considering the worst TWOCing (C not K) sites are in England, I don't think that's fair on Wales. Then again, it's Wales, so who cares.

Tony is yours anyway, but we will exchange Gordon and Alasdair for a yearly whisky allowance. You keep em, we send you booze.

We are prepared to negotiate for the inclusion of Cornwall and/or the Isle of Man. In return we will offer an English enclave in Edinburgh (enough of you sad soothern pansies there anyway).

We also demand the public execution of James Blunt in a quid pro quo move that sees all of Travis publicly beheaded in George Square, Glasgow (live on TV of course)

:D

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