The journalist

Sarinee Achavanuntakul

In the media world, Sarinee Achavanuntakul wears many hats: blogger, publisher, writer, translator, and editor. She is also co-founder of Thaipublica.org, a website dedicated to investigative journalism with a focus on transparency in the public and private sectors and sustainable development.
How does Thai society view corruption?
Thai society isn’t so different from other societies in the sense that corruption is not something that people feel they can do anything about, especially when it’s pervasive. It’s the kind of thing most of us don’t feel directly affected by. Damages from corruption mostly occur in the future, in the form of our children getting bad quality public services. Many funds are diverted to useless projects instead of real investments in education and health, for example. We feel like there’s nothing we can do because the more pervasive it is, the more we feel like we have to be part of that system.
What is the role of the media in fighting corruption?
Because corruption in Thailand is extremely pervasive, we need better ways to get information out. The media is crucial in terms of doing investigative news, and also in not honoring well-known corrupt figures. We know well-known corrupt officials who can still somehow go to social functions and people shake their hands and wai them. This has to stop. Social sanction is crucial to instil the sense, especially in the younger generations, that there are certain kinds of people we don’t want to honor. As long as the media still pays homage to corrupt politicians and to corrupt figures, it’s not going to change.
Can you talk about the potential of the internet in terms of exposing corruption?
The internet is a great platform because anonymity is important. A lot of people who have sensitive critical information naturally don’t want their identity exposed. The internet by nature protects your anonymity quite well, even though in Thailand we have very bad laws that can destroy that very quickly. The question then is how to make those people feel safe enough to volunteer information. How to pick out that kind of information and make it as effective as possible. So this goes back to the role of journalists. More journalists have to look at the internet as a place where they can do their job.
What other anti-corruption initiatives need to happen?
The anti-corruption initiatives from the private sector need a lot more resources commited to them in order to move them forward and not be just for show. They need to commit resources to establishing hotline centres where people can call in. They need a real mechanism to make people feel that it’s trustworthy and reliable. They can help push for better disclosure. They can help push for real standards on CSR—the real kind of CSR that includes anti-corruption as one of the key items. They can push for witness protection laws.
What are some myths about corruption?
The real myth is that we cannot do anything about it. If you look at the history of other countries, nobody has gone from an under-developed country to a more developed country without fighting corruption.

Thailand is rife with corruption on every scale and across every sector. Bribes are paid to the police on a daily basis. Corrupt politicians are given respect and voted into office time and time again. Grassroots protests against mega projects are often ignored, and small communities often end up having to watch their livelihoods be destroyed. We spoke to four women from four different sectors of society about why Thailand is so corrupt, the myths that perpetuate corruption and what’s being done to fight this endemic issue.

The NGO watchdog

Juree Vichit-Vadakan

Juree Vichit-Vadakan has worked extensively in the women’s rights arena and is currently the Secretary General of Transparency Thailand. The organization’s latest project, “To Pai Mai Gong” (Growing Good) targets children through a school program that raises awareness about corruption.
Why is Thailand so corrupt?
It’s partly because the structure of Thai society still doesn’t give importance to equality. We still cling to the patronage system of the past. People in power need to surround themselves with friends and subordinates, and these friends and subordinates receive patronage in return. This kind of structure turns politics into a matter of money. Politicians need money to maintain their power and position. And it becomes a vicious cycle. Those with no money have no access to power.
What are some of the myths about corruption?
Petty corruption doesn’t hurt anybody. Both sides benefit. The giver wants to give. The receiver wants to receive. These are myths because it’s the state that loses. Some people say it’s just something between the giver and the receiver, when in truth, this is all a public matter. Corruption is never a private matter. When you create this kind of culture of tolerance, can you imagine the damage being done to the younger generation? They will tolerate corruption. They will think that it’s acceptable because everyone is doing it.
Is there a link between gender inequality and corruption?
Yes. Many studies have shown that there tends to be less corruption when more women are included in the decision-making process. Women who have made it in politics tend to have gone through a lot to get to where they are. They usually feel that since they have the opportunity to hold the position, they’d better not do something that could be damaging to themselves and their families. I’m not talking about legacy cases. I’m talking about local women politicians. Male politicians usually get involved in infrastructure projects, where corruption is rampant. Women politicians prefer to tackle projects that will benefit their children, like education, the environment, security and health. They usually understand what it takes to create a good environment for their children, so the tendency to pocket money from these projects is often less.

The Grassroots Activist

Sompong Wianghchand

Sompong Wiangchand was one of the people who spearheaded the Assembly of the Poor protests against the construction of the Pak Moon Dam. Over twenty years later, Sompong is among the few people left in the struggle. She was recently appointed a member of the National Reform Committee.
Why do you think Thailand is so corrupt?
It begins with elections, that are often rife with vote-buying. Once in office, these politicians use the opportunity to retrieve the money they spent during the election. This is common among district and sub-district headmen and village chiefs. The District Administration Organization is the worst. To be able to work there, you have to pay them 100,000 baht per year. As for those in Parliament, they’re just climbing up the ladder for their own personal gain.
How does Thai society view corruption?
I see it as a danger to the country’s development. Competent people with no money don’t get to work, but incompetent people with money get the jobs, which is such a shame. But some people in my village think I’m crazy, that I’m not normal, even stupid. They ask me, “Why don’t you make money your priority?” District and sub-district headmen say that they have the right to their positions because they’ve spent money to buy them. As for the people, when the government gives them money or aid, they see the politicians as gods. They think that the money comes straight from the politicians’ pockets. They don’t realize that it comes from the state, from other ordinary people.
What can the private and the public sectors do to help fight corruption?
I heard in the news that the private sector is joining hands to fight corruption. That’s really good. When it comes to big development projects, we really need competent, quality people. There’s just too much outside intervention in the National Anti-corruption Commission.
What can the people do to combat corruption?
The Assembly of the Poor has always fought against corruption. We drafted a bill that will see more community participation in development projects, as well as the public’s ability to monitor state budgets, but the bill is still sitting in Parliament. So far, people have no idea where the money comes from. There’s no mechanism that gives the public access to the Bureau of Budget. Ordinary people like us have always depended on the power of the masses, but that power is always rendered ineffective by the state mechanisms.

The Business Woman

Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul

Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul chairs the Foundation for a Clean and Transparent Thailand and the good governance committee of the Thai Chamber of Commerce. In June, the CEO of Toshiba Thailand signed her company up for the Coalition Against Corruption that counts the Thailand Stock Exchange and the Thai Chamber of Commerce among its members. The company recently refused to participate in the government’s tablet programme, due to fears that the procurement would be rife with corruption.
How does Thai society view corruption?
It’s just become so rampant that engaging in corruption is normal, and not engaging in it is not. What’s worse is that people can’t distinguish between right and wrong. That’s the reason why the Chamber of Commerce and the Coalition Against Corruption wanted to join forces. The network was not created to point fingers at anyone. We’re trying to tackle the problem by starting with ourselves. When we talk about wrongdoings, we need to ask ourselves whether or not we’re participating in it. What we try to do is to start over and change people’s attitudes, starting in our own homes, in our own companies.
Can you give us an example of what a private company can do to reduce corruption?
There are a lot of people in Thailand who see something they don’t like but say nothing because they don’t want to put themselves at risk. We can’t remain silent anymore. It’s obvious the horrible state our society is in today. We have to speak out. We have to practice what we preach. We have to give others encouragement so they will have the courage to speak out as well. If you’re the head of the company, you have to set an example. You have to be pro-active and show your subordinates that transparency is important to the company. If Thailand wants to be an economic leader, we have to clean up our act or else others won’t recognize us as capable to lead. And right now, we’re not transparent.
What else does the Coalition Against Corruption need to do to combat corruption?
The first thing we said we needed to do was to set up a center to share information, to see how we can better work together. The second thing we need to do is create an index. We plan to publish a perception index every six months. The main issue that we’ve decided to tackle together is procurement. The NACC has been pushing a new procurement bill that concerns the private and public sectors. The Office of the Public Sector Development Commission is working on the same issue. We decided to jump on the bandwagon because we want to see it materialize. We try to work with other organizations, like gender and educational organizations, and the BMA, to raise public awareness about corruption. We also need special events to stimulate the public. Recently we organized a walk against corruption where we invited Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and President of the Senate Teeradej Meepian to show that fighting against corruption isn’t about politics.
What are the challenges?
Some people tell me that joining forces to tackle corruption is impossible—people in the government, ordinary people I meet, even people in my own company. I make my employees wear anti-corruption t-shirts every Thursday. The first day we did that, an employee said that when he was on the bus, someone asked him whether he was wearing the t-shirt because he didn’t like the prime minister. Another employee asked me whether he could wear another shirt if he had to go into government buildings because everyone just stared at him as if he were accusing them of corruption. That’s why I think we need to let everyone know where we stand on this matter. We can no longer remain silent. There will be people who are against us, but I think that’s a phase we all have to go through.

1.) EZ-Choice

B29 at 7-Eleven
Perhaps not surprisingly, our winner was the only contender that was fresh, proving (yet again) that freezing and thawing diminishes flavor.Although this one is a touch dry, it has a nice combination of sweetness, spiciness, herbs and garlic. Plus the rice is fluffy and aromatic. Compared to the other contenders, which were largely too one-dimensional in flavor, this one was strongest in terms of authenticity and execution.

2.) EZ-Go

B39 at 7-Eleven
Fresh or not, 7-Eleven is clearly on to something as even their frozen option was enjoyed by the tasting panel. There were a number of things we didn’t like about it, though: it took forever to heat up, the texture of the chicken was gristle-heavy and the purists on our panel were weirded out by the addition of kaffir lime leaves in this krapao dish, which made it taste slightly like hor mok. Still, if you forgive the creative license in this dish, it was pretty delicious. It also comes with a fried egg, and it’s the second-cheapest option in our roundup.

3.) CP

B65 at Tops
Very pretty to look at with a nice, dark color, but alas the pleasantness stops there. There’s no exciting aroma, and the chicken itself is extremely spongy. As for the flavor, it’s overwhelmingly one-dimensional, with lots of heat, lots of garlic but no herbs to speak of. The only saving grace is the aromatic rice, but that’s really it.

4.) Pranpai

B59 at Tops
Pretty disappointing on all fronts: a small portion and a sickly look don’t create a good impression, nor does the small pool of broth at the bottom after you microwave it—we like a thick almost gravy-like sauce. The aroma is lacking, too, as is any discernable flavor of herbs or garlic. Oh, and the chicken is spongy. Bleh. It comes with an omelet, but we didn’t consider it in our tasting.

5.) S&P

B65 at Tops
If you like your krapao a bit sweet and not very spicy, you’ll like this one. The dish looks pretty, with pale chicken and red peppers. Once you eat it, however, there is a touch of coconut cream, which is pretty odd, but does give the dish a nice texture, even if it does taste a bit like Penang curry. There’s a slight wilted-herb aftertaste, but that’s to be expected, considering the dish is thawed out from a deep freeze.