Thread: Thailand : 2011 Budget

Budget debate adjourned, no vote
20/08/2010

House Speaker Chai Chidchob adjourned the House meeting to Tuesday, Aug 24, with the debate on the 2011 Budget Bill not finished and the expected vote delayed.

The meeting was adjourned after the House had gone through only 16 of the 32 articles of the budget bill, even though both government and opposition whips had earlier agreed to finish the debate by 2pm today. The vote was to be called after that.

"In the afternoon there will be a function at parliament. Therefore, following consultations with all concerned, it is agreed that the deliberation of the 2011 Budget Bill be adjourned to Aug 24, to resume at 9am," Mr Chai said.

bangkokpost.com

Budget must be passed by Aug 26
20/08/2010

The adjournment of the budget debate to Aug 24 will not affect the budgetary calendar because the constitution reruires its be passed into law within 105 days of being tabled to the House of Representatives, which is Aug 26, the government whip secretary Thanitpol Chaiyanant said on Friday.

Hiowever, said if the vote could not be called by Aug 26, then under the constitution the bill would be regarded as having been passed by the House of Representatives.

House Speaker Chai Chidchob at 1.30pm on Friday ordered the budget bill debate adjourned to Aug 24. The House had finished vetting the bill only as far as Article 16, which concerns a budget allocation for the Commerce Ministry. The bill has 32 articles.

He said there was a function to mark the beginning of Ramadan scheduled at parliament at 6pm.

Mr Thanitpol blamed the opposition. He said they had not made proper arrangements for their MPs to debate the budget even thought the government and opposition whips earlier agreed in the presence of the house speaker and two deputies that the debate would be completed by 2pm on Friday. The vote would then be called.

Warong Detkijwikrom, a Democrat MP for Phitsanulok and government whip, said there might not be a live broadcast on Channel 11 of the House meeting on Aug 24 as a consequence. It had previously been agreed the debate would be broadcast live on Aug 18 to 20 only.

bangkokpost.com

Originally Posted by Mid

Hiowever, said if the vote could not be called by Aug 26, then under the constitution the bill would be regarded as having been passed by the House of Representatives.

Comforting a budget will emerge. A few more parliamentary functions and the bill will pass without debate. Very convenient for those in favor of the current budget.

With such an increase in sticky money there's plenty for everyone. So good toys they will have, though the question of suitability may be influenced by who gets how much.

I hope they end up with waterproof subs.

"I'm sure we have sufficient weapons and armoured vehicles compared to our neighbours," said Puea Thai MP Plengmanee Rengsomboon.

Errrrrrrrrrr is he talking about neighbouring provinces in and around Bangkok or does he mean further North?

Puea Thai sizes budget bill targets
22/08/2010

INTERIOR MINISTRY ALLOCATIONS TO GO UNDER MICROSCOPE WHEN HOUSE RESUMES

The Interior Ministry will be the main target for grilling when the budget debate resumes next week, says the opposition Puea Thai Party.

The three-day debate on the 2011 budget bill which was supposed to end on Friday has been postponed to Tuesday after parliament was unable to finish voting on all sections of the bill by the deadline on Friday.

Puea Thai MP for Loei Preecha Rengsomboonsuk said parliament will resume deliberating the rest of the bill, particularly Section 17 regarding a proposal to allocate funds to the Interior Ministry.

Mr Preecha said substantial sums have been diverted to local administrative organisations under the Interior Ministry.

The ministry is controlled by the coalition Bhumjaithai Party, influenced by power broker Newin Chidchob.

Under decentralisation, the government must hand over 35% of its fiscal expenditure to help local bodies pay for the increased responsibilities they will take on.

Mr Preecha said the postponement of the debate was probably intended to allow Interior Minister and Bhumjaithai leader Chavarat Charnvirakul enough time to prepare an explanation for the next debate.

Mr Chavarat was confident the proposed allocation to the ministry should be approved by parliament because the budget has already passed scrutiny by a House vetting committee.

He rejected allegations that large sums have been set aside for provinces represented by MPs from Bhumjaithai.

Funds have also been fairly and evenly distributed in other provinces, Mr Chavarat said.

Deputy Interior Minister Boonjong Wongtrairat of Bhumjaithai said the postponement of the debate will give MPs an opportunity to express more diverse opinions on the budget bill.

Mr Boonjong said Bhumjaithai did not use the proposal to lease 4,000 natural gas buses for Bangkok as a bargaining chip for voting in favour of the bill.

Democrat Party spokesman Buranat Samuttharak slammed the opposition Puea Thai Party for fouling up the time arrangement of the debate leading to delays in passing the bill.

He said delays in passage of the budget bill would sap confidence in the government's budget management and the economy's recovery.

Friday's postponement was the first time that a budget debate has been suspended.

The budget deliberation is seen as a pointer of the country's healthy parliamentary procedures, Mr Buranat said.

bangkokpost.com

"He said delays in passage of the budget bill would sap confidence in the government's budget management and the economy's recovery"

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Opposition: Debate must be televised
22/08/2010

Opposition chief whip Witthaya Buranasiri demanded the government televise the lower house's debate on the 2.07 trillion baht budget bill for the next fiscal year.

The debate is postponed to next Tuesday by House Speaker Chai Chidchob after the parliament was unable to finish voting on all sections of the bill by the 2pm deadline on Friday.

"The government should not shut the eyes and ears of the public and I call on the government to televise the debate live," Mr Witthaya said on Sunday

The government announced that the debate would not be broadcast because it was afraid after the opposition had exposed the irregularities of its spending during the previous session, he said.

As for the government's claim that the opposition did not keep track of the debating time, he said it was the House Speaker's duty to do so.

Prime Minister's Office Minister Ong-art Klampaiboon said the state-run Channel 11 had no problems in broadcasting the budget bill debate but the station must wait for the parliament's response first.

bangkokpost.com

PM asks all MPs to complete debating budget bill within 26 Aug
Weeranuwat Saengsawang



BANGKOK, 22 August 2010 (NNT) - Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has sought co-operation from all members of House of Representatives to complete deliberating the 2011 Budget Bill by 26 August.

Speaking on his weekly talk show on Sunday, " Confidence in Thailand with PM Abhisit", the Prime Minister stated that all complaints and recommendations raised during the second and the third readings of the 2.07-trillion-THB fiscal 2011 Budget Bill were beneficial and would be taken into consideration in the government's budget allocation.

He said the government was ready for any investigations in the planned state projects in order to create transparency.

He added that the budget bill would be forwarded to the Senate for further consideration if approved by the Parliament.

The deliberation of the 2011 Budget Bill will begin where it left off, with Section 17 in regard to the Ministry of Interior’s budget, on August 24; the House will vote on it on August 26, 2110.

thainews.prd.go.th

Originally Posted by Thaihome

Thailand has the lowest spending per GDP of most of its neighbors. Vietnam and Malaysia are both over 2%, Singapore is over 4%. Only Laos and Cambodia are smaller.
Home - Facts on International Relations and Security Trends
TH

Do you ever do anything else on this board? Are you paid?

Originally Posted by Thaihome

Only Laos and Cambodia are smaller.

Burma isn't a neighbor ?

wot BB said .

Originally Posted by Mid

Originally Posted by Thaihome

Only Laos and Cambodia are smaller.

Burma isn't a neighbor ?

What is the point of bringing up Burma? You think Mynamar's miltiary spending as percent of GDP is samller then Thailand's? I left it off becuase good data is not available I assumed anyone with any knowledge would understand why.
http://www.fas.org/man/crs/RL32209.pdf

Estimate are that Maynamar spends about 5% of GDP on military spending. This excludes the 100+ million per year assistance from China.

Originally Posted by Mid

wot BB said .

So because I bring up that Thailand actually spends less on Military then either Malaysia or Singapore, I am spinning facts and I must be getting paid to post such things.

It is more likely that BB and others are on the Thaksin gravey train as it is proven that he is more then willing to buy off people to put spread his propaganda.

I strongly suspect that at least one poster here is an employee of Amsterdam & Peroff. But I guess that is ok with you all.

TH

Originally Posted by Thaihome

What is the point of bringing up Burma?

SLORC/ CRES. Distinct move away from Universal suffrage to Military calling the shots. Peoples will ignored, overturned. Not good news for Burma, sure not good news for Thailand. State institutions a discredited joke.

Thailand is only a quasi military dictatorship at this stage. Though an oligarchical dictatorship of sorts masquerading under the pretense of a democracy as long as the military can keep the majority of the populace subdued.

If the current trend of military oppression continues, the next step could well be a full on military dictatorship when you know who exits the stage.

Originally Posted by Norton

Ministries of Defense and Interior are the two most sought after. These are posts awarded to only the most "politically deserving". The size of their budgets provides a very lucrative income for those given the positions. This income is derived in the case of Interior by a trickle up process and in Defense by a trickle down methodology.

For the Interior Minister, the source of the income starts from the a huge number of individual police officer via "fines". Fine money trickles it's way upward through the police chain of command ending with the Interior Minister with each pocketing their prescribed percentage.

For Defense the source of the income is the seller of goods and services to the military. Income then trickles down from the Ministry to the Generals then down to individuals within the many "procurement committees" who award contracts to the most "deserving" company.

Originally Posted by keda

who gets how much.

Exact amounts of income to both Ministers, while I'm sure are well documented somewhere, are not listed as individual government budget line items.

Ooo, Arrrr...! Are you trying to say that Thailand is a politically corrupt country there Norton?

According to the likes of TH everything is on the up and up and wholesomely above board.

Originally Posted by The Bold Rodney

Errrrrrrrrrr is he talking about neighbouring provinces in and around Bangkok or does he mean further North?

Budgets typically justified based on external threat to national security but given the number of troops and nature of equipment, "internal" security is primary motive. A good portion of internal security is done by Thai police force with budget of around 65 billion baht. Between the military and police, we can rest assured we live in a very "secure" nation.

Originally Posted by Panda

Are you trying to say that Thailand is a politically corrupt country there Norton?

Not one mention of corruption in me post, Panda.

Originally Posted by Panda

According to the likes of TH everything is on the up and up and wholesomely above board.

Really? Can you show were I said there was no corruption?

All I did was post a link showing where Thailand stood amoung SEA countries in the amount of military spending.

TH

The funny thing is that every expat who has ever taken even more than a cursory look at the country knows the place is rotten with corruption from top to bottom. Even more so as the echelons of power escalate.

Yet, there are those farangs, for whatever reasons of their own, tend to back the status quo of the ruling oligarchy and insist they act ethically. Legally being a completely different thing in a country as ethically deeply flawed as Thailand.
The corruption of the Thai judicial system being the critical weak link in allowing the country to descend into a grossly corrupt political infrastructure that extends from everyday life for the poor, right up through the police force, the military and onto the very foundations of democracy, --- the Parliament.

Abhisit talks about the rule of law, but until the judiciary is allowed to function ethically and independently from the military and the Parliament, the Thai courts will remain corrupted and a key part of the problem.

Its a merry go round at the moment trying to figure out who is the most corrupt, but the only way to stop it is with an independent and ethical judicary.

Originally Posted by Thaihome

Originally Posted by Panda

According to the likes of TH everything is on the up and up and wholesomely above board.

Really? Can you show were I said there was no corruption?

All I did was post a link showing where Thailand stood amoung SEA countries in the amount of military spending.

TH

Search your own links. You have made many posts in support of the corrupt ruling oligarchy and their suppression of the Thai people. Most of which have been based on Thai laws corruptly managed and interpreted by the corrupt Thai judiciary.
On that score at least, you can never be wrong. Though normal people the world over would see it as a deception and a corruption of democracy.

Originally Posted by Panda

Originally Posted by Thaihome

Originally Posted by Panda

According to the likes of TH everything is on the up and up and wholesomely above board.

Really? Can you show were I said there was no corruption?

All I did was post a link showing where Thailand stood amoung SEA countries in the amount of military spending.

TH

Search your own links. You have made many posts in support of the corrupt ruling oligarchy and their suppression of the Thai people. Most of which have been based on Thai laws corruptly managed and interpreted by the corrupt Thai judiciary.
On that score at least, you can never be wrong. Though normal people the world over would see it as a deception and a corruption of democracy.

So, in other words, you can't and have resorted to putting words in my mouth again.

If you can show were I have ever said there was no corruption then post it.
TH

Originally Posted by Thaihome

So, in other words, you can't and have resorted to putting words in my mouth again.

Whats --- "in other words" supposed to mean?

"Search your own links" is what I said and what I meant. Try to understand that in straight up terms rather than your interpretation of --- "in other words".

You have made your position quite clear as a supporter of the present Thai government. A government that came to power through corrupt political decisions by the corrupt judiciary at the behest of the corrupt military. Lets not play games here mate. The whole system of law in Thailand is corrupt. Even you would not be so stupid as to deny that.

Originally Posted by Thaihome

It is more likely that BB and others are on the Thaksin gravey train as it is proven that he is more then willing to buy off people to put spread his propaganda.

By who. We all know that they are all corrupt. But, for some strange reason you choose to support the group that have proven themselves to be the most corrupt over many decades; proven by: their acts, respected international monitors and standards, not their own appointed and totally corrupted judiciary.

We know that MrT was actually the least corrupt PM over the last, well, very long time... The army, the Dems under Chuan and Abhisit have upped the corruption levels as inticated on EVERY international scale/corruption index, etc. Nonetheless, some folk, like TH, choose to believe and restste again and again 'facts' put up by an army installed and controlled government who have taken this country to a level of Orwellian/Maciavellian control never seen before... And you're not paid? Well, you must be fukin stupid then...

A moment of praise for Abhisit: the above post is a good thing. Accountability is a massive problem here, so visibility is a good step in the right direction; well done Abhisit on this one.