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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40024167

BOT, credit bureau warn against scrapping debtor blacklist

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2023

The Bank of Thailand and the National Credit Bureau (NCB) on Thursday said they would oppose any political party’s plan to scrap the NCB’s credit blacklist.

Opposition from a senior BOT official and the NCB chief came after the Chart Pattana Kla Party issued election posters with a photo of party leader Korn Chatikavanij accompanied by the slogan “To abolish bureau blacklist, to overhaul credit system”.

However, Korn had previously explained that his party’s policy is for banks to use a “credit score” system instead of the NCB blacklist when assessing customers who apply for loans.

Korn, a former finance minister himself, explained that new loan criteria are required because millions of Thais have been blacklisted by the bureau after failing to make debt repayments amid the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis.

Korn said the credit bureau has begun collecting credit-score data but financial institutions still prefer the blacklist when considering loan requests.

The credit score system should include data on debtors’ incomes and expenses, he added. For example, a Grab Food rider who works 10 hours per day every day should receive a higher credit score to reflect his/her diligence in seeking income.

Apparently based on a misunderstanding of the campaign signs, Tharit Punpiamrat, BOT assistant governor, said the BOT disagreed with scrapping the NCB credit blacklist.

Tharit said the NCB’s credit information acted as a grade book for debtors that directly reflected their performance.

He said wiping the blacklist would also undermine the credibility of the Thai banking system while borrowers would find it harder to obtain loans if credit information disappeared from the system.

Surapol Opassatien, managing director of the NCB, said the finance system would be affected if the blacklist was wiped as banks would lack information for considering loans.

Related story:

Thailand needs credit-score system as millions blacklisted for loans: Korn

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40024165

Second reading of cannabis bill stalled as large numbers of MPs skip meeting

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2023

The House of Secretariat on Thursday released figures that showed MPs of Pheu Thai, Palang Pracharath and Democrat parties topped the list of those skipping a meeting on Wednesday, leading to disruption in the second reading of the cannabis bill.

The meeting on Wednesday on the second reading of the marijuana and hemp bill lasted for only 22 minutes and was adjourned because there were only 203 MPs present, less than the quorum.

The bill has been proposed by the Public Health Ministry, controlled by the Bhumjaithai Party, but both the Pheu Thai and Democrat parties are opposed to it.

On Thursday, the House Secretariat disclosed that 86 out of 121 Pheu Thai MPs were absent from the meeting and the missing MPs constituted 71.07% of the party’s lawmakers.

Those missing included party leader Cholnan Srikaew, party secretary-general Prasert Chanruangthong and deputy party leader Sutin Klungsang.

The House Secretariat said 35 out of 79 PPRP MPs, or 44.3%, were absent from the meeting. They included chief coalition whip Nirote Sunthornlekha, Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin, Deputy Finance Minister Santi Promphat, Education Minister Trinuch Thienthong, and Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit.

A total of 32 out of 50 Democrat MPs, or 64%, were absent from the meeting. They included party leader Jurin Laksanawisit and Deputy Public Health Minister Satit Pitutacha.

Twenty-two out of 45 Move Forward Party MPs, or 48.88%, were absent, including party leader Pita Limjaroenrat.

Six or half of 12 Chart Thai Pattana Party were absent, including party leader and Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa.

Even nine of 62 Bhumjaithai Party MPs were absent. Ironically, party leader Anutin, who was supposed to push for the bill, was absent.

Other parties whose MPs were absent included Settakij Thai (7 out of 11 missing), and Seri Ruam Thai (5 out of 10 missing). MPs of most micro parties also skipped the meeting, including the Chart Pattana Kla Party.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40024146

Bhumjaithai Party tops political donations amid Thai election countdown

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2023

The Bhumjaithai Party headed by Deputy PM and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul topped the list of party donations in November, as the countdown to a general election began.

Bhumjaithai received 26 million baht from 85 donors, outshining the opposition-leading Pheu Thai as well as the United Thai Nation Party of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

According to Election Commission data, the top donors to Bhumjaithai in November were:

– Nam Kam Construction Ltd Part with 10 million baht

– Narathep Amarangkura (3 million baht)

– Thasanee Photaros (2 million baht)

– Kamphol Asavachoke (2 million baht)

– Supattha Sontaeng (2 million baht)

– Thawat Benjapolchai (2 million baht)

– BSC Operations Group (1 million baht)

– Tanavis 2020 Co Ltd (1 million baht)

– Boonsong Sirimaskasem (1 million baht)

Anutin has announced he will be Bhumjainthai’s sole prime ministerial candidate for the election, which is tentatively scheduled for May 7.

Pheu Thai meanwhile received donations to the tune of 16 million baht in November.

Its top nine donors were:

– Pongsak Raktapongpaisarn, a Pheu Thai core member, with 4 million baht

– Jutharat Menasvet, a close friend of Khunying Pojaman Damapong (3 million baht)

– Puangphet Chunla-iad, Pheu Thai’s Bangkok election director (2 million baht)

– Sermsak Pongpanit, former Pheu Thai minister (1 million baht)

United Thai Nation, which Prayut joined recently to seek another term, received three million baht from three donors:

– Chaicharn Upaphan, managing director of TPS Glass Coating Co, 1 million baht

– AYW Corporation Co Ltd (1 million baht)

– EN Soft Co Ltd (1 million baht)

Other parties that received donations in November included:

– Kla Party (800,000 baht)

– Democrat Party (598,000 baht)

– Move Forward Party (251,591 baht)

– Thai Civilized Party (250,000 baht)

– New Path Party (200,000 baht)

– Prachachart Party (50,000 baht)

Palang Pracharath led by Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan is banned from receiving donations due to its status as the ruling party.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40024128

Democrat Party cries foul over late-fine exemption for Sino-Thai

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2023

The Democrat Party on Wednesday cried foul over the House Secretariat’s amendment of a construction contract to exempt the contractor from all late construction fines, instead of exempting it only for the Covid-19 pandemic period.

Democrat secretary-general Tawee Sodsong said the Secretariat for the House of Representatives should have isolated the Covid-19 pandemic period from the number of days Sino-Thai Engineering & Construction Plc failed to complete construction of the Parliament Complex.

Instead, the secretariat freed the company from paying any late completion fine.

Tawee noted that the original contract set the completion date for construction of the complex on December 31, 2020.

The original contract stipulated that if Sino-Thai failed to finish by the deadline, it would be fined on a daily basis at the rate of 0.10% of the project’s value, or about 12.28 million a day, plus the cost of hiring foremen and project advisors for 332,140 baht (about 12.61 million baht) per day.

Tawee said the fines should be counted from January 1, 2021.

On July 1, 2022, Sino-Thai asked the House Secretariat to check and approve its construction work. The committee in charge of the project, however, refused to certify completion of the project, saying there were still defects the contractor needed to fix.

Tawee said as of Wednesday, Sino-Thai could not declare the project completed, so the total delay was 778 days.

Tawee said Sino-Thai refused to pay late completion fines on the grounds that it had sought and received exemption from fines in accordance with a Cabinet resolution made on August 3, 2021. The resolution stated that the contractors affected by the Covid-19 pandemic should be fined at the “zero rate”.

Instead of restricting Sino-Thai’s exemption from fines to the pandemic period, Tawee said, the House Secretariat amended the contract to extend the “zero rate” past the pandemic period.