If the officialdom is the interface between the government and the populace, its archaic system urgently needs an overhaul. Comparing the Thai bureaucracy to the human-computer interface system, TDRI Senior Research Fellow Dr Kannika Thampanishvong said the officialdom is the obsolete 1.0 version, unable to meet user needs and ridden with inefficiency. “Because the interface […]
Tippatrai Saelawong Most people in Thailand, be they business people, foreign investors or the public, would agree that the country urgently needs to invest in building, extending and upgrading its public infrastructure. At the same time, they would also cast doubt over the administrative transparency of infrastructure projects. For many years, political instability resulted in […]
DEUNDEN NIKOMBORIRAK TIPPATRAI SAELAWONG The food industry is one of the most important business sectors of the Thai economy. This is because it is “home grown” rather than “imported”. Its long domestic value chain from farms to the food processing industry and then on to food transportation and export businesses means a large part of […]
TIPPATRAI SAELAWONG THANAPAT CHATINAKROB Ask Thais which state agency needs to undergo reforms first, and most would have no hesitation in suggesting the police service. This is because policing affects people’s everyday lives while the police force has long been criticised for its inefficiency, influence peddling and corruption. According to a survey in 2014 by […]
DEUNDEN NIKOMBORIRAK TIPPATRAI SAELAWONG Corruption has, once again, become the main discussion point in Thai society following the publication of two corruption indexes: Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) and the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce’s 2015 Corruption Situation Index (CSI). Transparency International’s CPI does not reveal a big change to the situation […]
Tippatrai Saelawong Fighting against corruption does not mean only fighting against the embezzlement of public funds or the lack of public governance. It also means fighting against the lack of governance and corruption in the private sector. This is important because the private sector is pivotal to the economic development of the country. Corruption in […]
Tippatrai Saelawong Many readers will have seen images of politicians or public servants displayed on gigantic billboards beside the country’s roads. Not everyone will know that we, taxpayers, pay for these images and the messages they convey. They are an example of wasteful spending by the government on advertising and other communications. Mostly the interests […]
Deunden Nikomborirak, Tippatrai Saelawong Political interference in the media has long been a worrying issue for society. In Thailand, the government still holds a tight grip over free television channels as well as radio stations. Most public television channels are either state-owned (Channels 5, 9 and 11) or under government concessions (Channels 3 and 7). Only […]
Experts have called for transparency in government advertising and public relations spending, and urged new legislation to ensure this. Speaking at a seminar on “Laws to Control State PR” yesterday, Thailand Development Research Institute researcher Tippatrai Saelawong urged the state to hold fair tenders for its public relations projects, and he proposed laws focusing on […]
Transparency ‘will avoid abuse of funds’ A law to regulate state spending on advertising and public relations is needed to ensure transparency and fair play, a seminar has been told. Tippatrai Saelawong, Thailand Development Research Institute researcher, said the amount the state has spent on PR projects is “insignificant” compared with other sectors but there […]
Deunden Nikomborirak, Peeradej Tanruangporn One core aspect of the Thai state that annoys people of all political stripes is its secrecy. Despite the promulgation of the Official Information Act in 1997 aimed at promoting the “right to know”, state organisations in Thailand remain riddled with secrecy. A prime example is the rice-pledging scheme. Most developed countries […]
Nanchanok Wongsamuth Calls for reform of public records law Access to information should be the top priority for Thailand to undergo a reform to tackle corruption, said a researcher at a Bangkok seminar. Deunden Nikomborirak, the research director for economic governance at the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), said the public should use information as […]
