The public are about to receive a bill for tens of billions of baht for goods they didn't order. It says right on the bill itself that people don't even want most of the items. But unless there is a major change in business demands, agency recommendations and government attitude the bill will come due within weeks. The payment will save digital TV operators and mobile phone company executives who made terrible decisions, and now want the country to bail them out.
The worst part of this already bad deal is that there is to be no accountability. Officially, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha can still kill an agreement made by one of his deputy prime ministers and the lame-duck head of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).
Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said last week that it seems certain Gen Prayut will use his Section 44 powers to provide the needed money to save the companies, by delaying huge licence fees due soon. The digital TV operators, along with mobile phone giants AIS and True Move, say they must be allowed years of grace -- or their operations will go broke. Provided the prime minister signs the necessary Section 44 orders, there will be no penalty for the men who put the country in this position, secretary-general Takorn Tantasith and his NBTC commissioners.
