Corruption keeps getting worse

Everyone knows corruption in Thailand is bad, but few realise how bad.

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By global standards, Thailand is slipping into the bottom tier.In the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), Thailand scored 33 out of 100 and ranked 116th out of 182 countries — down nine places from last year and far below the global average of 42. This is Thailand’s lowest score in two decades and its worst ranking since the index began.

In Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), Thailand is near the bottom, trailing Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Laos. Only Myanmar and Cambodia fare worse. This is not just a moral embarrassment, but an economic disaster. Corruption does not only rob people of a just society. Foul play favouring the highest tea-money bidders also drives investors away, drains productivity, and pushes the economy into stagnation.

The Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand (ACT) estimates corruption costs the economy around 2% of GDP. Under-the-table payments average 20-30% of public procurement costs, it says.

Corruption in Thailand is systemic. Rules are bent with impunity. Police posts can be bought, and underground economies operate with official protection. Bribery is embedded in public contracts. Privileges — and even sex — in prison are available to those who can pay. Justice is not blind, but priced.