A majority of people believe news reports about “ghost recruits” – which involve government officials being on record as having been recruited to work in a state agency in three southern border provinces (Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat) but do not actually work there – are true, according to an opinion survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll.
The poll was conducted on Aug 30-Sept 1 by telephone interviews with 1,102 people aged 18 and over of various levels of education, occupations and incomes in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat provinces to compile their opinions on the reports of such practice.
In public focus is a case of Pol Cpl Kornsasi Buayaem, 43, who was recruited into the police force allegedly through a high-level connection despite being unqualified for the job, sent to the far South to fill a non-existent work assignment at the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc)’s Region 4 Forward Command of the Royal Thai Army.
Asked whether they believed the reports were true, a majority, 66.24%, said “yes” – with 40.29% thought they were highly credible and 25.95% fairly credible. On the other side, 19.33% believed the reports were totally untrue and 14.07% could hardly believe they were true.
The rest, 0.36%, had no answer or were not interested.
Asked to comment on the practice of having “ghost recruits”, with a respondent could chose more than one answer, the replied varied:
– 43.32% believed there were some hidden interests behind the practice;
– 41.55% said the practice was unfair to officials who actually worked in the far South;
– 30.65% said the fake assignment was only for future career advancement;
– 30.38% said it involved use of official and political connections;
– 27.38% said the practice was common in the Thai bureaucracy;
– 17.57% said the central administration paid no intention on solving the problem of “ghost recruits” in the far South;
– 14.58% said the practice indicated there were loopholes in the bureaucracy; and
– 1.91% had no answer or were not interested.
As for the respondents who believed the reports on “ghost recruits” in the far South were true (734), when asked whether the problem could be solved, 57.08% said “yes”, via strict examination and heavy penalties on wrongdoers; 40.47% said there were no ways of solving the problem as the practice involved power abuse, interests and use of connections; and 2.18% had no answer or were not interested.