News Forum - 33 million baht budget for Bangkok train station sign smells like corruption

[Thaiger]

Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob smells corruption coming from a 33 million baht budget for a new sign at Bangkok‘s central train station, whose name is changing from “Bang Sue Junction” to “Bangkok Apiwat Central Station.” The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) allegedly signed a contract approving a budget of 33,169,726.39 baht for a new sign to reflect the train station’s new identity. The hefty sum left officials wondering if it really costs 33 million baht to replace a sign, even a big one. For comparison, 30 million baht could buy you a six-bedroom luxury pool villa in Phuket’s sought-after Rawai […]

The story 33 million baht budget for Bangkok train station sign smells like corruption as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Dom4Thai]

They think ? Why'd they only realise it is corruption? Because Thailand's ranked fourth? If ranking's so important to Thailand's integrity, then perhaps, more world  organisations should ranked Thailand high on their rankings. Thailand could 'Smile' with greater pride and honesty. 

[HolyCowCm]

And why is Anutin anywhere near this poking his nose in and fluffing and flapping his ugly feathers in this. Not a Health department issue. 

[KaptainRob]

8 hours ago, HolyCowCm said:

And why is Anutin anywhere near this poking his nose in and fluffing and flapping his ugly feathers in this. Not a Health department issue. 

But he sure knows corruption when he sees it. 

[Bluesofa]

1 hour ago, KaptainRob said:

But he sure knows corruption when he sees it. 

Were there some previous issues linked with him and corruption? I can't remember.

[gazmo16]

Maybe the contract is with the same people who made those wonderful street lamps last year ?

I seem to remember they were a tad expensive too 

[HolyCowCm]

4 hours ago, KaptainRob said:

But he sure knows corruption when he sees it. 

Too Funny! 

[Dedinbed]

19 hours ago, Thaiger said:

For comparison, 30 million baht could buy you a six-bedroom luxury pool villa in Phuket’s sought-after Rawai

where you could bang Sue .. 

[Pajapelto]

Where do you find this Numbers that Thailand is the 4 least corrupt country in Asia and 35 least corrupt in the world! In the year 2021 Thailand was on rank 110 according  to https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index

 

According to this Index Thailand got 35 Points  out of 100, and is on rank 110 in the world

 

Sorry for earlier spelling mistakes and writing 34  instead of 35

[Manu]

7 minutes ago, Pajapelto said:

Where do you find this Numbers that Thailandcis thec4 least corrupt countrybin Asia and 34 least corrupt in the world! In thevyear 2021 Thailand was on rank 110 according  to https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index

There was an article on thethaiger a few days ago (https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thailand-ranked-4th-least-corrupt-country-in-asia), those numbers are based on a report from an US Media called US News so basically it has no meaning whatsover (they even put Ukraine rank 38 and Qatar 42!!!???). Your link and rank 110 are correct.

[JohninDublin]

40 minutes ago, Manu said:

There was an article on thethaiger a few days ago (https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thailand-ranked-4th-least-corrupt-country-in-asia), those numbers are based on a report from an US Media called US News so basically it has no meaning whatsover (they even put Ukraine rank 38 and Qatar 42!!!???). Your link and rank 110 are correct.

Just to add to your post, I hd a look at https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2021 which publishes the Corruption Perception Index, and by my count, TH ranked as 16th least corrupt in Asia.

But outside of regular surveys, I find it necessary to question the methodology of these reports. I recall a few years ago, one of these surveys stating that TH, had the 6th best hospitals in the world. The methodology was based on several criteria for which users awarded marks out 100. TH scored very high marks for infrastructure, cleaniness, cost etc, but just 16 for the quality of doctors and in that cohort were near the bottom of the pile. If I recall, the survey was of about 50 countries. 

My takeaway on that was, "Welcome to TH healthcare. We have plenty of clean inexpensive hospitals, but we can't do a lot to help you get better".

As far as such surveys are concerned, there is a far simpler method to calculate the relative merits of of each country's healthcare system: Life expectancy.

[Manu]

18 minutes ago, JohninDublin said:

Just to add to your post, I hd a look at https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2021 which publishes the Corruption Perception Index, and by my count, TH ranked as 16th least corrupt in Asia.

Yeah, that makes more sense than 4th...

[Chatogaster]

23 hours ago, Thaiger said:

Just last week, Thailand was ranked the 4th least corrupt country in Asia and 35th least corrupt country in the world in the U.S. News‘ “Least Corrupt Countries” list.

Nonsense.

The U.S.News survey does not find Thailand to be the 35th least corrupt country in the world; according to that survey, Thailand is the 35th out of the 85 countries that were surveyed.

For comparison: the more established - but also controversial - Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International surveyed 185 countries in 2021 - which is just about every country in the world -- and there Thailand ranks 110.

That makes the raw rankings of 35 and 110 incomparable (idem 4 vs. 16). Yet some people compare the numbers anyway, just because Thaiger claims that U.S.News gave a world-ranking.  Some even reject one survey merely because other one is more established/better known.

Thaiger can't do much about the latter, but fixing the former isn't hard: either don't mention numbers, or more sure the correct context is supplied.

[Chatogaster]

1 hour ago, JohninDublin said:

Just to add to your post, I hd a look at https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2021 which publishes the Corruption Perception Index, and by my count, TH ranked as 16th least corrupt in Asia.

But outside of regular surveys, I find it necessary to question the methodology of these reports. I recall a few years ago, one of these surveys stating that TH, had the 6th best hospitals in the world. The methodology was based on several criteria for which users awarded marks out 100. TH scored very high marks for infrastructure, cleaniness, cost etc, but just 16 for the quality of doctors and in that cohort were near the bottom of the pile. If I recall, the survey was of about 50 countries. 

My takeaway on that was, "Welcome to TH healthcare. We have plenty of clean inexpensive hospitals, but we can't do a lot to help you get better".

As far as such surveys are concerned, there is a far simpler method to calculate the relative merits of of each country's healthcare system: Life expectancy.

"Such surveys" are only possible if there's a natural metric (like life expectancy  to  grade healthcare).

Unfortunately, to measure corruption there's no similar metric. The best that can be done is to ask people. Asking random people gives a huge bias because their opinions are mostly based on preconceived ideas / recent news and their actual weight may vary wildly between countries. Asking academics, corporations, etc. removes that particular bias to some extent but introduces an elite bias.

Any survey regarding (perceived) corruption should be taken with a large grain of salt.

[JohninDublin]

24 minutes ago, Chatogaster said:

"Such surveys" are only possible if there's a natural metric (like life expectancy  to  grade healthcare).

Unfortunately, to measure corruption there's no similar metric. The best that can be done is to ask people. Asking random people gives a huge bias because their opinions are mostly based on preconceived ideas / recent news and their actual weight may vary wildly between countries. Asking academics, corporations, etc. removes that particular bias to some extent but introduces an elite bias.

Any survey regarding (perceived) corruption should be taken with a large grain of salt.

There is some merit in what you say. I can only talk about the CPI methodology which has two sources to base it's findings on. 

The first is that they rely on reports from locals who will have had experiences both positive and negative. "Have you ever required to pay bribe to an official  in the past 12 months"? 

The second is they ask foreign businesses of their experiences. Regarding the latter, this is probably the more reliable. If a large number of countries say for example, that they were solicited by X to pay a bribe to do business, then that tends to show the level of corruption in the country based on univesal experience. The fewer such reports, the cleaner a country is.

Looking at the CPI, https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2021 I cannot say that there are any major surprises at either end of the table, so my limited knowledge suggests that it is probably a fairly reliable guide.