Society must unite to purge corruption

We need a value system that will strongly inculcate the value of honesty, especially among

Thailand is ranked 84th out of 180 countries in this year's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) by Transparency International, the Germany-based global anti-graft organisation.

The Kingdom is No 10 out of 23 Asian countries surveyed and is in the fourth place among the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations - after Singapore (ranked third in the global rankings), Brunei (39th), and Malaysia (56th). Thailand fell four places from last year, when it was ranked 80th.

We need no surveys to show us that corruption is rife in our country. The results of such international studies serve as a mirror to make us aware of the magnitude of the problem.

Thais and expatriates in Thailand are aware how serious the problem of corruption is in this country. Some of us have direct experiences with corrupt officials or politicians, and others are told of such experiences by their friends, family members or colleagues.

Many residents of this country are requested by state officials or politicians for bribes and kickbacks in exchange of privileges, special services, or even exemptions from legal trouble.

According to media reports, public surveys and academic studies, corruption involves officials in a wide range of state agencies, particularly those with the responsibility and authority that can help them "make money". These range from executives of well-known public schools who offer student seats in exchange for "tea money", police officers who turn a blind eye to illegal activities and make more money than their salaries each month, to local administrators and national politicians who "invest" a lot of money buying votes to win public positions and "reap their profits" while in office.

Even in elections of small rural administrative organisations, many candidates spend millions of baht to buy votes in a bid to get elected or re-elected. The salaries they earn during their term in office are much less than the money spent. The only plausible explanation is that the positions they vie for can help them "make profits" from their "investment".

This is the bane of decentralisation of power: it has spread corruption from the centre of the country to the rural areas.

Although many public officials and administrators at all levels are honest and professional, a large portion of their colleagues are eager to take bribes and skim parts of state funds into their own pockets. This latter group of people, obviously smaller than the first group, is like cancer that is eating into the flesh and minds of Thai society.

Despite the massive and chronic corruption, our country has come a long way in terms of development. But we would have progressed much further if the problem were less severe. How much has been robbed from the budgets allocated for education, public works, medical services, and development projects? How many prospective investors have been scared away by demands for kickbacks - and the possibility of higher costs - and moved their projects elsewhere?

However, it is still not too late to change for the better.

Honest bureaucrats, politicians and local administrators, as well as anti-graft agencies must join forces to condemn corruption and strictly enforce the anti-corruption law. Thai society must adopt a new value that gives more respect to honest people than wealthy people. It is too often that we readily accept rich people without first looking at their background. And we must stop encouraging corruption by offering or giving bribes. Also, the younger generations must be taught more about the value of honesty and the harm of greed.

With the majority of society uniting against corruption, Thailand will become more competitive internationally and a more pleasant place to live in.