Bangkok: Anucha Burapachaisri, the Democrat Party's candidate for Bangkok Governor, has disclosed significant irregularities in the city's procurement process during his recent visits to the Sai Mai and Don Mueang areas. He emphasized that his revelations were not intended as an attack but as a safeguard for taxpayers' money.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Anucha, who is candidate number 5, conducted his campaign at AC Sai Mai Market and Fang Khong Market in Don Mueang District. During his campaign, he addressed key concerns from residents in outer Bangkok, highlighting transportation as the primary issue. He pointed out that many residents face challenges accessing public transportation due to a shortage of buses and lengthy waiting times, often extending for hours. To address this, he proposed a feeder bus system to link smaller streets and alleys to main routes, utilizing smaller buses or minibuses under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's (BMA) supervision. Additionally, he stressed the need to enhance the healthcare system by expanding public health center roles and collaborating with local clinics, along with integrating telemedicine and AI technology for quicker treatment access.
In Don Mueang District, Mr. Anucha presented his strategy for tackling persistent flooding issues, suggesting the implementation of a technology-driven management system for floodgates and pumping stations to ensure efficient water drainage into canals, the Chao Phraya River, and the Gulf of Thailand.
Focusing on political transparency, Mr. Anucha reiterated the Democrat Party's commitment to using their "Scrutinizing the Government" platform to examine Bangkok's procurement projects. He revealed that over 93% of projects, amounting to more than 50 billion baht, were procured through "specific selection" methods, which lacked competitive pricing. He also discovered numerous instances of companies receiving over 500 duplicate contracts and connections between project committee members and the private companies awarded the contracts. Mr. Anucha emphasized that uncovering these irregularities was a responsibility to protect public funds.