Corruption and history of the Thai ID cards

Here's an interesting article from today's The Nation which covers the current corruption in developing a new Thai ID card and it's history.

After eight years of delay and the outlay of billions of baht, the "Smart Card" project to provide all Thais with a modern ID card has become bogged down in a corruption-plagued scandal.
The project was started by the Thaksin Shinawatra government in 2004, but no investigation has ever been ordered into why Bt7.91 billion was approved for 64 million identity cards for all Thais, which were wracked with problems and divided into three lots over the past five to six years.

Only the first 12 million cards were issued completely in the first lot in 2004, after Bt888 million out of a total Bt1.67 billion was approved. These cards cost Bt74 apiece after two other bid lots were abolished following allegations of corruption.

No details are immediately available as to where the remaining half of this initial government outlay has gone.

Of a total of 26 million cards sought in the second lot at a bidding price of Bt962 million, half were awarded to IRC HST Joint Venture for Bt486.8 million, or Bt37.45 apiece. However, a complaint was lodged with the ICT Ministry, which later aborted the bid, and reopened it in 2007.

The 2007 auction sought a full 26 million cards, and ended in a Bt920-million deal awarded to VSK Joint Venture in July that year, which priced the cards at Bt35 apiece.

Of these Thai ID cards, I know the last 3 versions, not including the smart card

Bidding for a third lot - 26 million cards -was opened in June 2009. VK Joint Venture won the Bt902-million contract, which required new conditions set up by the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA). These included new designs and harder-to-crack anti-forgery features.

The third-lot cards, called IE model, were embedded with IC Chip NXP (Model P5CD080), which offers 80kb of memory. That was greater than that issued in first and second lots. This version also featured a Card Operating System - Model JCOP V 2.4.1, which complied with Global Platform version 2.1.1 requirements.

Five days after Cabinet approved the deal, on December 11 last year, then DOPA director-general Wongsak Sawasdiphanich received an Interior Ministry document asking DOPA to reconsider the contract it had just awarded.

Wongsak set up two panels to study the ministry directive. They concluded that the project should proceed further with the IE model - or for the current "partly-smart" version to be dusted off. But the vote by both panels to use a "non-smart" version was not unanimous.

On March 9 this year, the ICT ministry questioned the DOPA decision and asked for it to re-approve the IE model.

DOPA later backtracked and approved the IE model. But all agencies never explained their decisions or the reasons for their about-turns.

The inaction of all agencies involved over the issue means that anyone applying for ID cards is given a "yellow paper" permit as a temporary substitute for actual cards, like in the old days when the normal procedure for issuing an ID card took 15 days.

People seeking to obtain ID cards are not even issued the third-generation "non-smart" cards, because district officers are not sure what cards they should issue if people apply for a new card or seek to renew one that has expired.

After DOPA approved the IE model, the ICT Ministry handed 600,000 cards to the department. But days after receiving the first million cards from the ministry, DOPA rejected them all on June 14. It said the IE model violated two conditions - the front of the cards has red microtext laid across it, and the back of the card does not feature the map of Thailand.

This type of technical problem occurred previously when DOPA rejected the first six million cards many years ago - because they could not be used by the department's computer. The problem ended when Thaksin ordered DOPA to accept all cards.

It remains to be seen how the problem will be tackled this time. It may eventually be dealt with by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who needs to resolve problems between the Interior Ministry and the ICT Ministry.

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Number transferral takes off

Mobile number portability (MNP) is popular with local consumers based on demand the first three days of a pilot project, even though changes are limited to 500 numbers per day at 25 designated service locations in Bangkok.

Thailand has 69 million mobile phone subscribers, 90% of whom are prepaid users.
Initially, each of the five private and state telecom firms - AIS, DTAC, True Move, TOT and CAT Telecom - are limiting MNP to 100 customers per day at five locations in Bangkok.
MNP allows mobile phone customers to switch operators without changing their number.
But customers must stay with the new operator for at least three months before making another change.
Customers are charged 99 baht to transfer their old number to new operators and the switch should be completed within three working days.
Prepaid customers have to register with their old network providers before applying the prescribed application form to their new service provider. Postpaid customers have to ensure they have paid all their fees.
Premon Pinskul, chairman of Clearing House for Number Portability Co, said the company found no technical problems on the first day of operation yesterday after receiving 1,500 MNP requests since Sunday.
The firm will start the evaluation of successful MNP transfers tomorrow, said Mr Premon, who is also the deputy chief financial officer of DTAC.
The clearinghouse was jointly established by the five operators. It plans to provide MNP service for at least 500 numbers per firm per day by Dec 15.
Mobile operators do not expect a significant shift by subscribers from one operator to another as a result of MNP because quality of service and cost are not key differentiators in the market. But industry analysts said MNP is expected to be a big hit in the country based on many surveys that customers, postpaid in particular, want to switch their networks but don't want to change their numbers.
Demand in the first three days indicates some customers really wanted to change their networks, said one analyst.

Workers set to enjoy 6.7% wage boost

The National Wage Committee has agreed to raise the daily minimum wage around the country by between 8 and 17 baht.

Supporters of the Labour Congress of Thailand rally yesterday in front of the Labour Ministry topressure the Central WageCommittee to increase the minimumdailywage by at least 10 baht. APICHART JINAKUL

The raise, which amounts to an increase of 6.7% on average, is considered a big jump.
The increase takes the average minimum wage to 176.3 baht a day, said Somkiat Chayasriwong, the permanent secretary for labour and chairman of the wage committee.
Mr Somkiat attributed the raise to the government's policy to reduce disparity in society.
The Social Security Office says about 2 million Thai workers and 2 million migrant workers will benefit from the increase.
The raise for Thai workers adds more than 6.92 billion baht to the national payroll, while the increase for migrant workers adds up to more than 7.78 billion baht.
The increase will boost the purchasing power of the 4 million workers by 14.69 billion baht.
The increase of 17 baht in the minimum wage in Phuket, from 204 baht to 221 baht, is the highest in the country.
The minimum wages in Bangkok and nearby provinces were put on an equal footing of 215 baht a day.
The minimum wage in Bangkok and Samut Prakan was raised by nine baht from 206 baht. In Nakhon Pathom, Pathum Thani, Samut Sakhon and Nonthaburi, it was increased by 10 baht from 205 baht.
Workers in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Songkhla received the second-highest raise of 15 baht.
Workers in seven provinces - Phayao, Si Sa Ket, Amnat Charoen, Nakhon Sawan, Phetchabun, Uthai Thani and Prachuap Khiri Khan - received the lowest raise of eight baht.
The minimum wage in Phayao, at 159 baht a day, remains the lowest in the country.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva earlier suggested that the minimum wage be raised to a flat rate of 250 baht across the country.
Mr Somkiat said it would take time to raise the figure to 250 baht nationwide as any increase must be made gradually. It would affect employers' ability to pay wages and workers could suffer if it was done at once.
Pannaphong It-atthanan, an employer representative on the wage committee, said the government should offer direct subsidies to low-income workers instead of pushing for minimum wage raises.
He suggested the government control the rise in commodity prices that often follows the minimum wage increase, otherwise workers would not benefit from their pay raises.
Employees' Labour Development Council of Thailand chairman Manas Kosol said he was quite satisfied by the wage committee's decision.
However, he still wanted the committee to review the raise for provinces where the pay increase was less than 10 baht.
Workers' living conditions in those provinces are still below general living standards, he said.

Cha Yen from Thailand

What is the recipe for Thai Tea?
Lots of people ask us this question. How do you make the milky-sweet Thai tea common in Thai restaurants around the world?
In Thailand this tea is called Cha Yen and it’s important that you order it that way in-country as there or many other kinds of tea served in here. Cha Yen literally translates as Tea Cool - Chilled Tea.

Traditional Thai Iced Tea Recipe – Cha Yen from Thailand

1 cup Thai Tea (Cha Thai)
6 cups Water
1 cup Sugar
1 can Evaporative Milk
Half-and-Half cream (a western touch)

1. Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan.
2. Add the tea and remove the pan from heat.
3. Stir to submerge all the tea leaves in the water.
4. Steep for about 5 minutes.
5. Pour the brew through a coffee filter or a fine-mesh strainer into a large pitcher.
6. Add the sugar to the hot tea and stir to dissolve.
7. Cool to room temperature.
8. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
9. Fill tall glasses with crushed ice.
10. Add enough of the tea to fill the glasses to within 1 inch from the top.
11. Then float 3 to 4 tablespoons of evaporated milk over the ice in each glass.
12. For a taste of the west, include a half-and-half creamer with, or instead of, evaporative milk

Traditionally the tea used to make Cha Yen is a low-quality black tea grown in the northern hills of Thailand. The tea is placed in a strainer and boiling water is poured over it 4 or 5 times. The tea becomes a muddy red color and is VERY strong. The tea is poured into a plastic bag over lots of ice, sugar-water syrup is added, evaporative milk is poured over the top, a straw is inserted into the baggy and you are handed your personal package of yummy Cha Yen.

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Sirocco

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D'Sens

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Vertigo

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RR & B Bar

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Horizon Sky Lounge and Karaoke

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Contact: 0-2236-0400

The Baiyoke Sky

The tallest hotel in Thailand which has 3 restaurants on the top floor for you to choose and enjoy the breathtaking view of Bangkok.

Bangkok Sky Restaurant on 76 and 78 floor: International Buffet and Seafood



Open daily : International Buffet Breakfast from 06.00 – 10.00 hrs.
International Seafood Buffet Lunch from 11.00 – 14.30 hrs.
International Seafood Buffet Dinner from 17.30 – 22.30 hrs.

Crystal Grill on 82 floor: Grilled and Seafood Buffet Restaurant
Open daily for dinner from 17.30 - 24.00 hrs.

Roof Top Bar & Music on 83 floor: The highest entertainment in Thailand
Open daily from 10.00-01.00 hrs.

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