Thailand - Plan to give MPs iPads and smart phones comes under fire in Thailand

A government plan to give MPs and senators Tablet PCs and smart phones have been heavily criticised by social media users and some parliamentarians.

Senator Rosana Tositrakul, was one who opposes the idea. "Our country already has much debt so we should save the money," she said.

Rosana said the notebook computer that MPs and senators get should be enough for their work. "No need for tablets or mobile phones."

Deputy Senate Speaker Nikom Wairatpanij revealed the plan to buy tablet computers for senators and MPs to a Senate committee last Wednesday and the meeting had no comment on it, Rosana said. She is a member of the Senate panel on preventing corruption and promoting good governance.

On Twitter, many users questioned whether the parliamentarians will utilise the devices.

@paenewfolder said: "I think it is more or less surely about commission. Are (the gadgets) necessary for them? No. But they will take them if they are given. But what they are going to use the gadget for?"

@Bodee said: "It is important who started this, and what the prime minister thinks about it. The public should now."

@kidousenshi posted: "What kind of an iPhone costs over Bt70,000? NACC should investigate."

Deputy House Speaker Charoen Jankomol yesterday confirmed the Bt50-million plan, saying that with such a budget they could purchase handsets and licensed programmes. Some 700 sets of equipment would be procured and the next step was to identify equipment specifications.

Tablets and smart phones would be provided to MPs, senators and senior officers of the Parliament (director level and upper).

Charoen said earlier the Parliament secretariat had identified the "best" available equipment.

Democrat MP Boonyod Suktinthai, a member of the House Affairs committee, said the panel had not officially discussed the issue but there had been talk that a survey should be conducted to learn about parliamentarians' needs and necessities.

He explained that the House Speaker had authority to decide what to do with funds remaining from last year. In this case, Deputy House Speaker Charoen was in charge of the project.

Boonyod said he only knew about plans to give out iPad tablet PCs, but not iPhones as well.

"Some MPs are used to the laptop they are using, and they don't want to learn to use the touch screen. I still see some MPs carrying the Toshiba laptops nowadays," he said.

Boonyod was referring to Toshiba laptops bought by the Parliament and given to the previous group of House MPs to work on. They signed forms noting that they had been given the laptops on loan and some were still using them.

Meanwhile, some new MPs had received Lenovo laptops, allegedly donated by the Chinese government, instead of Toshiba laptops, which some former MPs had failed to return to the Parliament.

Boonyod gave an example of the air-card Internet-connection device that Parliament provided to MPs, as a problem in the past. While many members did not use it, Parliament needed to pay a monthly fee for this.

However, Boonyod said he did not think any MP would complain if they were given iPADs or tablets.

"It is human nature. When something is given for free, we accept without complaining. If any MP doesn’t use it, (he or she) can let their secretary or assistant use it. MPs won't complain about getting free items. They will complain only if they don't get it or they don't get it equally to what other MPs get."

Boonyod said a concern was that Parliament might buy the products at higher prices than it should pay. And applications would make the cost more, so applications should be provided only if necessary.

Government chief whip Udomdej Ratanasathien said the project was Parliament's plan for human resource development and to use the equipment for communication and coordination. It was no problem that some parliamentarians already had such equipment as it was for the welfare of MPs and he believed they would utilise it to some extent.

A key Pheu Thai member, who asked not to be named, said that in the latter period of the Abhisit Vejjajiva government, Pheu Thai Party gave each MP an iPhone 4 handset so they could talk to former premier Thaksin Shinawatra via Skype - so they could see each other's faces and hear their voices. Thaksin also had phone numbers of all MPs and followed their popularity.

The giving away of mobile phones was due to thinking about the next election, he said. Many MPs were not familiar with the use of smart phone or learning new programmes. They asked their children to teach them how to use them and thought it was their burden having to carry another phone besides their own.

Bangkok Council chairman Suthichai Weerakulsoonthorn, meanwhile, said yesterday the council also planned to give Tablet PC to its members, so they can receive complaints from people via Facebook and email. The council would use its own budget, as Tablet PCs were no longer very costly. He insisted the project would happen.

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