Bangkok: Sujint Chaiyachumsak accepted the royal decree appointing him as the new Ombudsman. He emphasized the importance of collaborative work, preparing to push for a unified nationwide complaint system, and planning discussions with government agencies to analyze 5,000 complaints and develop quick-win solutions.
According to Thai News Agency, the Office of the Ombudsman held a ceremony to acknowledge the Royal Decree appointing Mr. Sujint Chaiyachumsak as the Ombudsman. The ceremony was attended by Mr. Songsak Saichue, Chairman of the Ombudsman, and Police General Sarayut Sanguanphokai, Ombudsman, along with executives and officials from the Office of the Ombudsman.
Ms. Komkwan Kanjanagunchorn, Deputy Secretary-General of the Office of the Ombudsman, acting as the Secretary-General of the Office of the Ombudsman, placed the Royal Decree before the portrait of His Majesty the King, and Mr. Methee Mankong, Deputy Secretary-General of the Office of the Ombudsman, read the Royal Decree of Appointment. Following this, Mr. Sujin offered a floral arrangement as a tribute and bowed before the portrait of His Majesty the King, before proceeding to pay respects to the Brahma shrine, the sacred site of the Government Center, for good fortune before commencing work.
Mr. Sujint emphasized the Ombudsman's approach to work, stressing neutrality, fairness, impartiality, and transparency. He stressed a systemic, proactive, and integrated approach, as addressing the grievances of citizens affected by government officials and laws is a core responsibility. Solving these problems requires teamwork among all three Ombudsmen and the office, fostering unity, a shared vision, and aligned goals. Regarding grievance resolution, relevant government agencies must adapt their complaint channels and mechanisms to make them easily accessible to the public, ensuring understanding and utilizing AI to standardize complaint processes.
While addressing the problem requires a systemic approach, it's necessary to analyze the powers and responsibilities of government agencies under Article 5 of the Constitution and to identify specific problems through complaint analysis. This can significantly reduce the severity of the issue. As a former provincial governor, I observed that a major complaint from residents of housing developments concerned collapsing garages due to the lack of proper piling, resulting in high repair costs. Therefore, I discussed with relevant agencies the enactment of legislation to regulate and enforce regulations on home construction companies nationwide to prevent recurrence. However, this systemic approach requires analyzing over 5,000 complaints to identify those that can be addressed as "quick wins." The Ombudsman, who oversees regulations, can discuss this with relevant government agencies and develop a collaborative approach. I will be discussing this collaboration with two other Ombudsmen in the future.
Another systemic problem is the issue of nominees, where foreigners hold land and agricultural areas. Regarding the approach to addressing this, Mr. Sujin stated that the nominee problem involves several laws, such as those concerning citizenship and land ownership. He mentioned a meeting with the Ministry of Interior yesterday, where an investigation into land ownership revealed that the naturalization had been done legally. Therefore, it's necessary to examine the processes and mechanisms of all relevant agencies. He believes this is a significant problem and that addressing its root causes requires cooperation from multiple agencies. The Ombudsman will coordinate with various government departments, analyze complaints received, and recommend systemic legal changes to prevent land ownership or nominee arrangements, making such practices difficult to implement and avoiding remediation later.
Speaking in his capacity as a collaborator with local authorities, Mr. Sujint explained how to coordinate efforts to bridge the gaps in the system. He stated that the first step is to examine the process of obtaining citizenship, specifically the registration offices, which already have established regulations. However, he emphasized the need to identify any weaknesses in the law, as citizenship grants access to land and real estate ownership, and may even relate to marriage. He acknowledged that while the issue isn't overly complex, it requires detailed discussion with relevant agencies. He stressed the importance of reaching a swift resolution, including amending regulations to reduce land ownership restrictions.
Regarding cooperation with the government, it is believed that once coordination and understanding are established, and the government has positive aspects in caring for the people, the Ombudsman will be able to complement and discuss these matters. This will allow the government to see the overall picture of complaints occurring nationwide, enabling more effective problem-solving.