Are you ready for change?

Written by changthai11 on Tuesday, October 7th, 2008

KORN CHATIKAVANIJ

I went to Singapore last weekend. This was not the most dramatic thing I’ve ever done, but this most recent visit to the island state made a real impression on many levels. The reason I went was to witness the first Formula One Grand Prix race in Singapore and the first one anywhere to be held at night. Hats off to Singapore, they really put on a good show.

There were plenty of Thais amongst the 40,000 international visitors who flew in specifically for the event, and we saw Singapore at its best. My wife and I flew on Singapore Airlines and it is worth noting that accessing the plane at our own Suvarnabhumi Airport was easier than the long walks we usually have to make to catch our Thai Airways flights. Furthermore - and dammit - the inflight food and pretty much everything else on board was also better.

Once in Singapore, it was notable that the entire country was geared towards the event - it was truly a national project, one that invited all Singaporeans to be proud of. The race itself was a public-private partnership and Singapore Inc was very evident - without the need for there to be a Singaporean team in the competition.

Of course, there was hype - posters and press gave the impression that the race was going to be held in pitch-black darkness, but in fact the track was so well-lit that drivers almost needed to wear sunglasses. There is no denying, however, that it was one of the most intriguing F1 race tracks on the annual rota and, certainly at least from a spectator’s perspective, it was very well run. Admittedly, it was helpful that the two world championship contenders qualified first and second on the grid and that some spectacular accidents occurred to liven things up.

Singapore is also in the process of building two large casinos, both to be managed by foreign companies, one from Las Vegas and one Malaysian. Its nightlife, once a laughing stock for Bangkokians, is also thriving, with bars open and packed till almost dawn.

Now, we don’t have to like any of this. We can argue, and it is true, that Singapore needs managed “events” to create interest that does not naturally exist in their country. We might even try to argue that they have no soul, no culture and, anyway, their country is so small that it can be managed by anyone.

And with that attitude, we can decide to do nothing, smug in our conviction that our capital city, if not our country, will always be superior.

I believe that would be a mistake.

I also think that most Thais agree with me - judging by the tone of the recent Bangkok governor campaign, all of which called for “change” of some kind. Similarly, at the national level, “change” is all the rage - in politics, economics and philosophy (now I know why they put these three subjects together in my Oxford degree course!).

The question is, though, are we ready for change? In any case, do we know what it is we want to change into? The efficiency and high standards attained in Singapore would come at a price. I noticed that the Singapore Airlines pilot on my flight was Western and they have no qualms about hiring foreigners in key positions. The approach is similar to that used by the Formula 1 teams - amazingly, the entire crew supporting each and every F1 team were ones that travelled with them around the world. This included limousine drivers who took care of team owners and their guests; they were sent two weeks ahead to each race location so that they could familiarise themselves with routes. Likewise, staff serving meals in the hospitality tents also travelled with the team. All this signifies a commitment to excellence. The message is, they play to win and they will make no compromise.

Are we ready for that? We all complain about the state of our state enterprises but no one seems willing to commit to a debate about what to do about it. Privatisation remains a dirty word and yet we provide no real alternative to the current system that allows for inefficient state enterprises that continue to be a burden on taxpayers’ money. Thais are no longer proud of their national airline but would we countenance the airline being managed for us by foreigners (bearing in mind that it was co-founded by SAS in the first place)? We talk about a “green Bangkok” but there are vast plots of empty government land all over the place (including the military), left desolate and inaccessible.

We talk of solving the traffic problem but we do not enforce traffic regulations and we procrastinate on mass transit construction.

We talk of wanting this and that and yet no one seems willing to make any sacrifice. We talk about wanting a world-class healthcare industry but we won’t allow foreign doctors to work here. We talk about wanting to cut crime but we cringe at legalising the two- and three-digit lottery (yes, we Democrats, too), etc, etc.

In spite of his sleaziness and questionable morality, I thought Chuwit Kamolvisit, the maverick candidate for Bangkok governor, was on the right track on the one time I heard him talk about policy. He kept it simple by saying that he envisioned Bangkok to be the Capital for Tourism. He said that all we had to do was commit to that - everything else would follow. I get this.

What would we need to do to make that vision come true? Well, for Bangkok to be a true haven of tourism it would need to be safe, clean, efficient, fun and affordable. That would mean us tackling crime and traffic as well as improve on infrastructure such as street lighting and footpaths that humans can actually walk on. Cleanliness would include proper garbage collecting procedures and one that does not include rubbish being piled up on sidewalks of Sukhumvit awaiting collection. It would also mean a continuation of Governor Apirak’s excellent record of cleaning up the canals. Efficiency would mean a commitment to mass transit and stringent application of traffic laws.

Fun might include zoning so that nightclubs could remain open till late while the police would take seriously the laws on age limits. Cultural and international sporting events should be encouraged and no-car zones similar to the experiment on Silom road a few years ago, attempted. Affordability is already an advantage for us - but is there still room to reduce taxes on luxury items and wines so that we could also become even more of a shopping and dining paradise? It is clearly not difficult to think of what needs to be done, but every decision will have its opponents and no one seems to have the commitment to push for change.

In addition, how can we compromise with the ongoing existence of the slums in Bangkok? I certainly do not support ex-prime minister Samak’s idea of simply moving every slum dweller out of town, but we must set aggressive and realistic targets as to when and how we can improve their living conditions so that they would no longer be called “slums”.

Solutions are possible, given the existence of government land in districts such as Klong Toey, but a commitment on policy remains lacking.

Most importantly, what are we going to do with the police? Without reform, improvement in almost every field would be hard.

As a start, I am a strong advocate of transferring the metropolitan police to the governor’s office. At least that would make them directly accountable to an elected official. This would make them more accountable to the public they supposedly serve.

As a final note, it was striking how at Singapore’s Changi Airport there was no evidence of police or even customs officers. Yet Singapore has fewer drug trafficking problems than most countries. Why? It is because everybody is clear on the consequences of being caught. It is this clear and consistent policy that in the end allows the country to be efficient and hassle-free.

We don’t have to be like the Singaporeans, but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn a thing or two from them.

Korn Chatikavanij is deputy leader of the Democrat party.

Email: korn.chatikavanij@gmail.com