NACC Alerts Investors to Risks of Gratuity Offerings as Potential Bribery

[snoop1130]

 

BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 26 February 2024 – The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has issued a formal advisory to both local and international investors regarding the practice of offering gratuities to government officials, which may constitute bribery and is subject to legal penalties under the latest anti-corruption regulations.

 

The NACC’s Secretary-General, Mr. Niwatchai Kasemmongkol, emphasized that the regulatory framework established in 2020 includes criminal penalties for such offenses. According to Section 128 of the regulation, any public official accepting a bribe could face up to three years of imprisonment, a fine not exceeding 60,000 baht or both.

 

In efforts to uphold ethical conduct, the NACC has notified all parties of the Code of Ethics which governs the reception of gifts or benefits by government officials. The code aims to prevent the masking of bribes as gratuities, a practice that is identified as a seedbed for bribery and corruption, posing significant hurdles to national development and contravening legal standards.

 

By Aim Tanakorn

 

Full story: The Pattaya News 2024-02-26

 

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[bbko]

Many years back my Thai wife and I were starting our own business, and we went to the local government to apply for a license, there the lady working the desk had some sort of donation box on her desk.  in the middle of applying, she speaks to my wife in Thai and my wife translates to me "She's asking you to give money to the box", in my Thai understanding she said 1000b. I looked at the box and it was for some children's charity, to which I told my wife, we already give to the children's charities (clothes, food, toys).  The government lady shot me a dirty look and I kept my poker face.  I knew it was an attempt to squeeze more money out of me, but we really did/do donate, so I wasn't up for an attempted shake down.

[flyingtlger]

8 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The code aims to prevent the masking of bribes as gratuities, a practice that is identified as a seedbed for bribery

Good luck with that.

"Gratuities" is the oil that makes things move and happen, whether good or bad.....

Edited February 26 by flyingtlger

[hotchilli]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has issued a formal advisory to both local and international investors regarding the practice of offering gratuities to government officials, which may constitute bribery and is subject to legal penalties under the latest anti-corruption regulations.

It's a way of life here

[donmuang37]

I you or I got caught, we'd get 3 years plus 60K baht fine.  If a rich guy gets caught, he gets 60K (or less) fine.  He doesnt care. Small money.

Corruption appears to me to be built into the law!  JMHO