There are numerous problems considered as national crises in Thailand; for example, political, financial, and corruption predicaments. In order to solve each crisis in the country, authorized persons are supposed to understand the main roots of each problem. Once the majority of Thai citizens admit to the facts, there is the possibility to figure out the objectives and solutions. Therefore, to reveal the truth about corruption in the country, this research paper emphasizes causes, effects, and possible solutions.
Corruption can generally be defined as an action done with an intention to give someone personal benefit inconsistent with official duties and the rights of others has been the third-worst national problem in Thailand over the past decade. There are numerous ways to corrupt, and one of the most obvious is to bribe the officials. Corruption includes bribery but is more comprehensive because an act may be corruptly done, even though the advantage derived from it is not offered by others. Some researchers narrow the definition of this situation in Thailand as “corruption through personal financial power” (Warsta, 2004).
Therefore, wealthy politicians and influential groups are important entities that can decrease transparency and fairness in the decision making procedure of the officials.
According to the research of Transparency International (TI), the institute that annually does research for Corruption Perceptions Index(CPI) by its national chapters, in the 2007, Thailand placed number 14 in the Asia Pacific region and as number 94 out of 179 countries worldwide. Unfortunately, the survey also indicated that corruption is increasing in Thailand.
This prediction became real and was supported by the ranking of The Expatriate Perception of Corruption in Asia, surveyed by The Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) in 2008. Thailand is the second worst country for corruption in Asia, while Philippines is number one.
According to 2007 research on Corruption in the Judicial System, and based on 1,181,000 households involved in court cases, 30.7% were asked for a bribe while 17.3% were asked for a bribe with amount of money indicated.
Nevertheless, compared with the average amount of money given for bribery (34,531 Baht), the average court expenses in Thailand are only slightly lower (32,000 Baht). This means that defendants or their families spend double by bribing rather than paying only court expenses in each case (Pasuk P., 2000).
What are the Main causes of Corruption?
Due to the fact that money is the most important asset to compete in Thai politics, significant numbers of politicians such as the Prime Minister, Ministers, senators, and members of parliament are voted for because of their money instead of their intelligence, vision, and dedication to the country. Thai politicians usually spend approximately 10-20 million Baht (35.40 Baht=1 Dollar) in each election campaign. The question is why they invest enormous amounts in elections. The answered is that if they are elected and have a position in the parliament or government, they are definitely able to obtain double or triple the amount than they had spent. Therefore, money-making politics is the main root of corruption.
Moreover, as many government or public officials like police officers receive low salaries, they can easily be bought and motivated by the amount of money given by others. Consequently, they are familiar with asking and receiving for money. Thai policemen earn only about 8,000 to 10,000 Baht ($300-350) per month, and they have to spend this money on family expenses. Thus, it is not surprising that they expect bribes.
In this regard, some interesting research found that lack of transparency and accountability in the country’s legal and political system lead not only to the adoption of questionable policies, but also in their persistence. Therefore, to proper conduct the country and to embody real democracy, transparency is necessary so that residents can check how honest their government officials are. One researcher states that “Creating access to information, which in turn reduces the asymmetry in information between citizens and the state creates the basic condition for accountability and hence a check on the arbitrary behavior of the state” (Sayeed, 1995).
Because majority of Thai citizens, especially in rural areas, are uneducated or have little education, buying votes from this group of people is easy and cheap; the bribes are only 200-300 Baht(less than $10). Consequently, Thailand is normally governed by politicians elected for a small amount of money and vote buying. (P., 2003). Moreover, led by officials who lack of vision and political ideology, the country is continually obstructed by patronage systems.[1]
What Actions to Solve Corruption Crisis?
Before the coup d’état in 2006, Thailand had the most democratic and the transparent Constitution in its history. It was drawn up by diverse groups, including businessmen, students, employees, and so on. By this supreme law, Thailand not only created a new system of effective checks and balances, but also seven independent organizations. In consequence, the government of Thailand has, in their attempt to stem the corruption, established the office of The National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC). Its body is involved in prosecuting for corruption and creating legislation.
Because of the 1997 Constitution, organizations were formed with a role of preventing and fighting corruption, including the rights and liberties of citizens to:
· The Constitutional Court
· The Election Commission
· The Ombudsman
· The State Audit Commission
· The Administrative Court
Legislations with the aim of preventing and fighting corruption were:
· The Organic Law on Counter Corruption Act 1999
· The Official Information Act 1998
· The Anti-Money Laundering Act 1999 (Strengthened in 2007)
· The Offence Relating to the Bid in Public Agencies Act 1999
· The Partnerships and Shares Management of the Ministers Act 2000
References
Pasuk P. (2003). Corruption, Governance, and Globalisation. Thailand: The Corner House.
Pasuk P., N. & Chris B. (2000). Corruption in the Public Sector in Thailand, Perceptions and Experience of households. Bangkok: Chulalongkon University.
Sayeed, A. (1995). Corruption, Governance and Development in Thailand. Cambridge: Unpublished PhD Dissertation.
Warsta, M. (2004). Corruption In Thailand. Zurich: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.
[1] When appointing persons to government or public positions are based on their political or financially support rather than by their objective criteria, integrity, dedication, or merit.
