Is Thailand Corrupt? What You Need To Know

Corruption is a common phenomenon that happens in all nations around the world. Despite its commonness, it is important to understand that corruption has grave effects on the progress of a country. So, this has led us to ask if Thailand is corrupt or not.

Without a doubt, Thailand is a corrupt country; hence, you must be prepared to deal with corruption in different facets of life if you intend to stay in the country for an extended period. According to the Corruption Perceptions Index released by Transparency International in January 2022, Thailand got only 35 out of the possible 100 points and has been ranked 110th out of the 180 countries surveyed. Also, the country attained less than 45 points, which was considered the global average point for 2021.

In addition, Thailand is corrupt and cited various instances where people had encountered corrupt practices in the nation. It is important to know that corruption is highly pronounced in some areas of Thailand. Also, numerous other things influence corruption in the Southeast Asian country. In this post, we will explain everything you have to know.

Corruption among police officers

As noted by Gain Integrity, the police force in Thailand is one of the most corrupt sectors in the country. Whether you are running businesses in the country or just traveling somewhere, you can come across corrupt police officers that will be looking for ways to extort you. It is believed that the majority of Thai police officers are corrupt.

In addition, Human Right Reports have shown that there is widespread police impunity in Thailand. It was reported by numerous news agencies that a provincial police commissioner requested police officers to give bribes if they would like to be promoted. Following his apprehension, the commission was sacked in 2017.

However, it is noteworthy that the police in Thailand are grossly underpaid. Therefore, many police officers see bribery as a way to earn more money. Foreigners (usually called farangs in Thailand) are some of the major targets of these corrupt officers because they believe that foreigners often have loads of money. Hence, the corrupt officers would go to any length to extort foreigners. 

Some officers may playfully ask for gifts whereas others may violently threaten foreigners to get money from them. Also, the officers may check the documents of foreigners and request a wide range of items to just implicate them. You can visit Time.com to read the experiences of different farangs with police officers in Thailand.

Corruption among politicians

Furthermore, corruption is also common among politicians in Thailand. Many of these politicians are not interested in helping the country to move forward but are mostly looking for ways to unjustly earn money to enrich themselves. It is not unusual for a Thai politician to suddenly become rich. As a result, lots of Thai politicians have been accused of embezzling public funds, but only a few had been prosecuted for it.

Notably, Thailand has dealt with tens of military coups in the past century. Several military men had always cited corruption among politicians as the reason for staging the coups.

Corruption in the judicial system

The judiciary system of a country ought to be checking the excesses of public office holders and citizens. Unfortunately, the judiciary system in Thailand is heavily corrupt. According to a report by WE Forum, many businesses claimed that bribes and inconsistent payments were often required to ensure that judicial decisions would go in their favor. As a consequence of this, it is generally believed that most Thai judges are corrupt.

Also, the military rulers of the country politicized the Thai judicial system. So, the judicial decisions would always favor the leaders of the country. As reported by State.gov, the judicial system of Thailand is not only corrupt but is also slow and inefficient.

Corruption in public services

Another area witnessing heavy corruption in Thailand is public services. Bribes and other corrupt practices are some of the biggest challenges that this sector is dealing with. If you have to deal with public servants, you are likely going to be forced to pay some bribes. Even if you want to reject the request, it is almost guaranteed that you will not accomplish your goals as the workers may not carry out their jobs as required.

Nonetheless, many reasons have been given for the corruption in public services. The reasons include low wages and a culture that pays too much attention to gift acceptance when doing business.

According to Gain Integrity, other areas with widespread corruption in Thailand include:

  • Tax administration
  • Land administration
  • Legislation
  • Natural resources
  • Civil society

Does corruption mean that foreigners should not come to Thailand?

Considering the high level of corruption in Thailand, foreigners may be thinking about whether Thailand is worth living in or not. The truth is that all countries have some levels of corruption. Therefore, Thailand is not an exception. Although lots of developed countries may be better than Thailand in this regard, they are not perfect. 

Besides, in the Southeast Asian region, Thailand is one of the least corrupt countries as some other countries such as Myanmar and Cambodia are below the Land of Smiles in Transparent International’s ranking. Most of the countries in the region have been encouraged to intensify their effort toward fighting corruption in different sectors.

Nevertheless, if you are a foreigner in Thailand, you should be careful as it may not be easy for you to navigate the system of the country. So, act cautiously to enjoy your stay in this Southeast Asian country.

In conclusion

Based on the various parameters examined, Thailand is corrupt. Corruption is mostly seen among police officers, politicians, public office holders, and lots more. Corruption has affected the progress of the country in different areas. Nevertheless, this problem doesn’t impact the livability of the country. Hence, foreigners shouldn’t shy away from visiting and living in Thailand because of its widespread corruption.

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