Thai Corruption - It May Be True That We Cannot Teach An Old Dog New Tricks

[ChiangMaiFun]

Small corruption is OK. Like 100 Baht to the police for speeding. Big corruption is a no no.

And here we have the voice and spirit of Thailand in a nutshell - this is why bribery and corruption will not disappear.

"Small" is a relative concept. One hundred baht is "small" to a shop worker, but to a businessman 100,000 baht is "small", too. And the higher up the ladder of domestic, public and political office you climb, the bigger the amounts you deal with and the larger the concept of a "small bribe" becomes.

Corruption and bribery are either socially acceptable* or they are not - never mind the law. There is no such thing as a legally small bribe, all bribes are illegal. It is evident that Piengrudee is not concerned with the law; he/she (whether Thai or not) responds on a child-like and instinctive level to the concept of this topic - "as long as I personally don't see any harm in this (one hundred/one million baht) then it's OK".

This whole business is not about "the law" - it's about morality. And as long as the Thai nation sees nothing morally disturbing about taking a bribe/gift/concession (however you want to dress it up and whatever form it takes) then there will always be bribery and corruption in Thailand at every level.

*Like one other post has remarked - the difference between the US and Cambodia is that although corruption exists in both countries, the USA prosecutes 600 offenders a year.

R

I totally detest the word 'morality'...it's very pious.

On the other hand, Thailand 'preaches' morality at every school etc etc and clearly, no such thing exists here.

Clearly (& sadly), the Thai version of 'morality' is something very different from the original meaning.

This is spot on... and goes back to my point earlier that they talk about Buddhism but walk the talk very, very little. I have found Thais (generalisaion not all) pretty selfish and 'mai pen rai' actually means 'I don't give a sh*t'. If they only understood the teachings of their religeon they would understand that bribery and corruption is totally against the precepts. BUT it starts from the top - it's endemic and it will take decades for the paradigm to shift - it will take real leadership - Thailand needs a decent, strong, spiritually driven leader.

[robsamui]

Small corruption is OK. Like 100 Baht to the police for speeding. Big corruption is a no no.

And here we have the voice and spirit of Thailand in a nutshell - this is why bribery and corruption will not disappear.

"Small" is a relative concept. One hundred baht is "small" to a shop worker, but to a businessman 100,000 baht is "small", too. And the higher up the ladder of domestic, public and political office you climb, the bigger the amounts you deal with and the larger the concept of a "small bribe" becomes.

Corruption and bribery are either socially acceptable* or they are not - never mind the law. There is no such thing as a legally small bribe, all bribes are illegal. It is evident that Piengrudee is not concerned with the law; he/she (whether Thai or not) responds on a child-like and instinctive level to the concept of this topic - "as long as I personally don't see any harm in this (one hundred/one million baht) then it's OK".

This whole business is not about "the law" - it's about morality. And as long as the Thai nation sees nothing morally disturbing about taking a bribe/gift/concession (however you want to dress it up and whatever form it takes) then there will always be bribery and corruption in Thailand at every level.

*Like one other post has remarked - the difference between the US and Cambodia is that although corruption exists in both countries, the USA prosecutes 600 offenders a year.

R

I totally detest the word 'morality'...it's very pious.

On the other hand, Thailand 'preaches' morality at every school etc etc and clearly, no such thing exists here.

Clearly (& sadly), the Thai version of 'morality' is something very different from the original meaning.

I find it strange that you associate the concept of right and wrong with some kind of cringing self-righteousness. I'm not prepared to debate philosophy, and the concept of 'right' and 'wrong' is amorphous, but only when the majority of the individuals who compose a society are able to think outside the bubble of their own selfish awareness will that society achieve harmony and balance - at all levels. This does not happen in this country.

R

[asiawatcher]

A thorough and transparent investigation will show that the Abhisit administration does not tolerate corruption

I nearly choked on my sticky rice reading this, guess that doesn't include Suthep and most of the other greedy old cronies.

Actually that should read Abhisit does not tolerate corruption - but his party like the opposition is rife in the rot.

[letitbe]

An old Russian saying... 'a fish stinks from the head' - it needs clear, transparent and honest leadership - something which, alas, has been and is lacking here in all areas of society - politics, business and the public sector.

I guess the corruption in USA, UK and western countries where bankers cream vast bonus’s, Politicians’ after retiring make millions from directorships, lectures and poor just get poorer and poorer while rich elite take more and more is perfectly Ok

Give me Thailand any day

[wintermute]

An old Russian saying... 'a fish stinks from the head' - it needs clear, transparent and honest leadership - something which, alas, has been and is lacking here in all areas of society - politics, business and the public sector.

I guess the corruption in USA, UK and western countries where bankers cream vast bonus's, Politicians' after retiring make millions from directorships, lectures and poor just get poorer and poorer while rich elite take more and more is perfectly Ok

Give me Thailand any day

In the western world the wonderfully corrupt bankers and politicians have mastered the art of looking blameless and any money that goes missing is just handwaved as "fiscal policy" or some other nonsense. Plus in the U.S. the corrupt republicans AND democrats hide behind their constituency.

It's just that in Asia they are more blatant about it.