Mega-projects look like big payola for a de-facto leader

There is a man who has demonstrated his self-interest whilst in government on several occasions.  He has only been found guilty for one small infraction, but in a land where nobody of rank gets sent to prison for anything at all, that is significant.

This man is quite openly running the government of the country. The pseudo-government is carrying out policies that stink of corruption and self-interest at his behest and presumably for his benefit. It has bought the rank and file in the country to ensure the government can stay in place for a while. 

The big payola is the mega-projects, which will be financed “locally” “without impacting on the liquidity of the country”. Who has that sort of money hidden under their mattress? If the interest rate is 5 per cent fixed, the money-lenders will rake in Bt3 trillion, but who would be fool enough to lend the money for 50 years at a 5-per cent fixed rate, particularly when the baht price is high? The government does not want “foreign investment”, saying that local money will be used to pay, so that “we (you are supposed to believe ‘we’ is Thailand) can reap the benefit”. But is “we” an overseas investor?

Richard Bowler

Bangkok