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.