Red faces as tablet bidding reopens (updated)

Opps, the government panel members said as they realised the winning Scope tablets for primary students were not as cheap as they thought they were. A new round of bidding has been ordered.

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Teachers and students are still waiting to find out what brand of tablets they will be using when the school year opens. APICHIT JINAKUL

Wednesday update: Shenzhen Scope Scientific has won the bid to supply 900,000 tablet computers for school first-graders for a second time. The company raised its price by US$1 (30.6 baht) to $82 to cover the insurance and freight charges which were not included in the first offer.

The selection of the Scope tablets should be finalised today – unless there is another change of mind.

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Red-faced govt calls new PC bid

Panel didn't spot Scope tablets' hidden charges

Suchit Leesa-nguansuk

The government's plan to acquire 900,000 tablets for school pupils looks like turning into a fiasco after a panel re-opened bidding on the scheme despite having already selected a winner last week.

The move has raised suspicions of possible political interference and graft in the bidding process.

But Information and Communication Technology Minister Anudith Nakornthap denied any irregularities, saying new bids have been called because it was found the price quoted by the previously selected Chinese computer maker was not as cheap as it was thought to be.

Shenzhen Scope Scientific Development, offered a price of US$81 (about 2,400 baht) apiece which was based on free-on-board terms, meaning there can be an extra charge for the transport cost of each tablet.

As a result, Thai authorities last week decided to ask all four potential suppliers – Scope, TCL Cooperation, Haier Information Technology (Shenzhen) Co, and Huawei Technologies Co, which were recommended by the Chinese government, to resubmit their bids.

"The committee working on the tablet policy is due to open bid envelopes either today or tomorrow," said Gp Capt Anudith.

In the original bidding, Scope was selected on March 5 by a government panel to supply 900,000 tablet computers for first-graders in primary schools at the price of $81.

The other companies in the reckoning had offered to supply the tablets at higher prices. TCL offered $89, Haier offered $105 and Huawei proposed $135.

The selection of a winner this time will not be based solely on the price, but will include transportation costs, extra product specifications, after sales services, warranty, insurance costs, manufacturing capacity, supplier's credibility and other special offers, the minister said.

Scope was considered the dark horse when it was named as the winner in the first bidding contest amid rumours that an influential figure in the ruling Pheu Thai Party preferred Huawei as the supplier.

The reopening of the bidding contest has sparked speculation the move might be politically motivated.

But Gp Capt Anudith denied this, saying politics had nothing to do with the bidding process.

He also said Monday Huawei's first bid was simply too high.

He said the bidders might offer higher tablet specifications than those required in the new bid. Gp Capt Anudith also scoffed at rumours working the rounds on social-networking websites that Scope sells tablets on the retail market in China at only 1,000 baht a unit – less than half the price it offered the Thai government. He said Scope's retail price is actually 8,000 baht and its quote to the Thai government was a special rate under a government-to-government agreement.

The government's specifications for the tablet include requirements that it must have a seven-inch touch screen, a main storage unit of 16GB, 1GHz single core CPU or higher, 512MB RAM or higher and an Android 3.2 operating system compatible with Android 4.0.

After the new bids are opened, the ICT Ministry will propose the winning bid be sent for cabinet approval on March 20. He said the development of content in eight subjects is complete so tablet distribution would be on schedule for the next semester in May. Of the 900,000 tablets the government will purchase, 860,000 will be distributed to all of the country's Prathom 1 (Grade 1) students and the rest will be earmarked for teachers or kept in reserve.

brand – a type of product made by a particular company ตรา, ยี่ห้อ
red-faced – with a red face, especially because you are embarrassed (or angry)  ซึ่งมีหน้าแดงเพราะอาย
tablet computer – a small light-weight computer device shaped like a book; e.g,  iPad, Galaxy Tab, etc.
bidding – offering to buy/sell something at a specific price การยื่นเสนอราคา
panel – a group of people who make decisions or judgments คณะกรรมการ
spot – to see or notice สังเกตเห็น
fiasco – something planned that goes wrong and is a complete failure, usually in an embarrassing way ความล้มเหลวอย่างสิ้นเชิง
scheme – a plan that is developed by a government or large organisation in order to provide a particular service for people  แผนการ โครงการ
suspicion – a belief that a crime has been committed ความสงสัย
interference – the process of deliberately becoming involved in a situation and trying to influence the way that it develops การเข้าแทรกแซง
graft – corruption การฉ้อโกง
process – a series of actions that you take in order to achieve a result แนวทางปฏิบัติ, กระบวน, วิธีการ
deny – to say that something is not true ปฏิเสธ
irregularity – a situation in which the rules, laws, or usual ways of doing things have not been followed การปฏิบัติที่ไม่เป็นไปตามระเบียบปกติ
quote – to tell a customer how much money you will charge them for a job, service or product แจ้งราคา
transport – to move people or things from one place to another   ขนส่ง
authorities – people who have the power to make decisions or enforce the law เจ้าหน้าที่ผู้มีอำนาจ
potential – possible ความเป็นไปได้
supplier – a person or company that supplies goods  ผู้จัดหาสิ่งของให้,  ผู้ผลิตสินค้าและวัตถุดิบ
recommend – to advise someone that they should do something  แนะนำ
resubmit – to submit again ยื่นใหม่
bid – an offer to buy or provide something at a specific price การประมูล, การให้ราคา, การเสนอราคา
policy – a set of plans or action agreed on by a government, political party, business, or other group นโยบาย
due to – scheduled to มีกำหนด
envelope – a flat container made of paper or plastic for keeping papers in  ซอง
original – first; existing at the beginning of a particular period, process or activity เดิม
in the reckoning – among who are being considered for something
propose – to make a suggestion, in this case, a price, for a group to consider เสนอ
solely – only; not involving something else เท่านั้น, โดยอันเดียว
specificiations – a detailed description of how something is, or should be, designed or made ข้อมูลจำเพาะ (มักปรากฏท้ายคู่มือผลิตภัณฑ์ต่างๆ เช่น เครื่องใช้ไฟฟ้า)
warranty – a written agreement in which a company selling something promises to repair or replace it if there is a problem within a particular period of time การรับประกัน
insurance – an arrangement in which you regularly pay an insurance company an amount of money so that they will give you money if something you own is damaged, lost, or stolen, or if you die or are ill or injured การประกัน
manufacture – to make and produce a product ผลิต
capacity – the amount of something that can be produced  ความสามารถในการ (ผลิต)
credibility – the degree to which something can be believed or trusted ความน่าเชื่อถือ,ความน่าไว้วางใจ
consider – to regard as; to think of as ถือว่า
dark horse – someone who wins a race, competition, election etc that no one expected them to win ม้ามืด, ผู้เข้าแข่งขันที่ไม่มีใครคาดว่าจะชนะได้
amid – at the same time as ท่ามกลาง
rumour – a piece of information, or a story, that people talk about, but that may not be true ข่าวลือ
influential figure – a person who has the power to affect a situation, especially in a bad way ผู้มีอิทธิพล
ruling – having control over a particular group, country, etc ซึ่งมีอำนาจ, ซึ่งปกครอง
prefer – to like or want more than anyone or anything else ชอบมากกว่า
spark – to make something happen ก่อให้เกิด
speculation – ideas or discussion about why something has happened or what might happen คาดการณ์ ประเมิณสถานการณ์
motivated – done for a particular reason มีแรงจูงใจ ถูกโน้มน้าวใจ
scoff – to talk about somebody/something in a way that makes it clear that you think they are stupid or ridiculous พูดเยาะเย้ย, ล้อเลียน, เสียดสี
working the rounds – being passed on quickly from one person to another
social networking websites – websites or other services on the internet for communication with people who share your interests เครือข่ายสังคม
retail – to sell directly to the public for their own use  ขายปลีก
rate – an amount of money that is paid or charged  ราคา, อัตรา
single-core processor – a single computing component with one independent actual processor (called "a core"); a dual-core has two and a quad-core four  
operating system – a set of programs that controls the way a computer works and runs other programs ระบบปฏิบัติการซึ่งควบคุมการทำงานของคอมพิวเตอร์
compatible – able to exist or be used together without causing problems ซึ่งสอดคล้องกัน,ซึ่งเข้ากันได้,ซึ่งอยู่ด้วยกันได้
cabinet – the group of government ministers who make and approve government policy คณะรัฐมนตรี
approval – official permission การอนุมัต
content – the subject, ideas, or story that a piece of writing or a radio or television programme deals with เนื้อหา,สาระ
distribution – the process of giving something out to many different places  การแจกจ่าย
on schedule – at the planned time ตามตาราง
semester – one of the two periods that a school year is divided into in some countries ภาคการศึกษา
earmark – to decide to use somethingfor a particular purpose ตัดสินใจที่จะใช้สำหรับวัตถุประสงค์เฉพาะ
in reserve – keeping something that is currently not being used but that can be used when needed สำรองไว้