Corruption In Thailand

[samran]

do you live in central bkk or pattaya ?

i had no bother up in isarn myself

but in the touristy cities the police use these tactics a lot

Live and work in Central BKK. Even managed to live within 5 mins walk of Nana for a couple of years and never once was scammed out of anything.

[meom]

What you have described sounds to me like pure laziness. Too lazy to follow the road rules. Too lazy to go to the station to pay the fine.

I do like it how you've tried to link that type of behaviour to 'thinking outside the box', making the inference that the behaviour is somehow smart. Quite the opposite many would think. It just perpetuates a problem.

Regarding traffic fines is there any accountability when you pay at the station?

Instead of less money going in one pocket you pay more which gets distributed over more pockets. Or not?

[wana]

What you have described sounds to me like pure laziness. Too lazy to follow the road rules. Too lazy to go to the station to pay the fine.

I do like it how you've tried to link that type of behaviour to 'thinking outside the box', making the inference that the behaviour is somehow smart. Quite the opposite many would think. It just perpetuates a problem.

Regarding traffic fines is there any accountability when you pay at the station?

Instead of less money going in one pocket you pay more which gets distributed over more pockets. Or not?

no,even at the station you can haggle with a usualy older officer

ive got a reduction a couple of times and been allowd to pay 300 instead of the official 400

i usually say nothing and let wife talk ,they will discount for her long before they will for me

[meom]

What you have described sounds to me like pure laziness. Too lazy to follow the road rules. Too lazy to go to the station to pay the fine.

I do like it how you've tried to link that type of behaviour to 'thinking outside the box', making the inference that the behaviour is somehow smart. Quite the opposite many would think. It just perpetuates a problem.

Regarding traffic fines is there any accountability when you pay at the station?

Instead of less money going in one pocket you pay more which gets distributed over more pockets. Or not?

no,even at the station you can haggle with a usualy older officer

ive got a reduction a couple of times and been allowd to pay 300 instead of the official 400

i usually say nothing and let wife talk ,they will discount for her long before they will for me

That I understand.

My question is where does the 300 end up. Who is to say they won't distribute that amongst themselves?

[wana]

What you have described sounds to me like pure laziness. Too lazy to follow the road rules. Too lazy to go to the station to pay the fine.

I do like it how you've tried to link that type of behaviour to 'thinking outside the box', making the inference that the behaviour is somehow smart. Quite the opposite many would think. It just perpetuates a problem.

Regarding traffic fines is there any accountability when you pay at the station?

Instead of less money going in one pocket you pay more which gets distributed over more pockets. Or not?

no,even at the station you can haggle with a usualy older officer

ive got a reduction a couple of times and been allowd to pay 300 instead of the official 400

i usually say nothing and let wife talk ,they will discount for her long before they will for me

That I understand.

My question is where does the 300 end up. Who is to say they won't distribute that amongst themselves?

im sure they do disrtibute it amongst themselves ,if it were in any way officialy recorded then the amount wouldnt be negeotiable but it is

last time i went in 3 of them were watching a movie on a giant plasma screen in an empty station

they were very friendly and there semed to be no "police work " being done at all

ironicaly ,the movie they were watching had cops in america chasing down some bad guy and a hi-speed police pursuit

we all watched and chatted quite friendly while the fine was being taken care off

very pleasant and entertaining process ,all in all ,corruption and laziness aside they seemed like decent fellows

[samran]

What you have described sounds to me like pure laziness. Too lazy to follow the road rules. Too lazy to go to the station to pay the fine.

I do like it how you've tried to link that type of behaviour to 'thinking outside the box', making the inference that the behaviour is somehow smart. Quite the opposite many would think. It just perpetuates a problem.

Regarding traffic fines is there any accountability when you pay at the station?

Instead of less money going in one pocket you pay more which gets distributed over more pockets. Or not?

no,even at the station you can haggle with a usualy older officer

ive got a reduction a couple of times and been allowd to pay 300 instead of the official 400

i usually say nothing and let wife talk ,they will discount for her long before they will for me

That I understand.

My question is where does the 300 end up. Who is to say they won't distribute that amongst themselves?

After reforms a few years back, my understanding is half goes into the hand of copper, the other half into general revenue.

The argument goes is that you can't change a system overnight, so you needed some incentive for them to issue tickets. I know of people who have gone through traffic polices tents on the side of the road where they were only issuing tickets. So the incentive appears to be working,

I'm not silly enough to believe that there isn't funny business when it comes to the accounting of the tickets back at the cop shop, but hey, if a culture of issuing tickets instead of taking bribes starts to grow, then it is a good start.

For me, the main issue is the ease of paying the fine. If they could arrange for the fines to be paid a 7-11 like you can for most other things, then I thinknyou'd see a huge shift in the way people deal with traffic infringements.

I believe that the speed camera fines and red light camera tickets can be paid online and at convienece stores, and that is a good start, though long overdue.

[meom]

After reforms a few years back, my understanding is half goes into the hand of copper, the other half into general revenue.

The argument goes is that you can't change a system overnight, so you needed some incentive for them to issue tickets. I know of people who have gone through traffic polices tents on the side of the road where they were only issuing tickets. So the incentive appears to be working,

I'm not silly enough to believe that there isn't funny business when it comes to the accounting of the tickets back at the cop shop, but hey, if a culture of issuing tickets instead of taking bribes starts to grow, then it is a good start.

For me, the main issue is the ease of paying the fine. If they could arrange for the fines to be paid a 7-11 like you can for most other things, then I thinknyou'd see a huge shift in the way people deal with traffic infringements.

I believe that the speed camera fines and red light camera tickets can be paid online and at convienece stores, and that is a good start, though long overdue.

Yes they have to start somewhere and no one expects the system to be changed overnight.

A month or so ago there was an article in the BP that dealt with nightspots in Bangkok paying off the police to stay open longer. In some cases a million baht/month or more.

The general consensus of business owners was that they'd rather pay tax.

[IanForbes]

My experience is those who go for the bribe are too lazy to be prepared or are too easily bullied.

Dont agree with this. I do a u-turn illegally, I know full well I have done wrong and know exactly what I am doing as I do it, I take my chances, some you win some you lose. After completeing my illegal turn I am pulled over, I now have two choices, go through the correct procedure, and probably pay 500 baht, plus the time and effort to do things legally, or pay 100 baht and be on my way, for me its a no brainer, nothing to do with being lazy or easily bullied. I was in the wrong, I know I was in the wrong, the policeman knows I was in the wrong, he knows I know i was in the wrong, I look on it as nothing more than playing the system. I can go to my embassy for a residence certificate to renew my driving license, it will cost about 2,000 baht, go and apply today, return tomorrow to pick up said certificate. Or I can go to my local immigration office, pay 200 baht to expedite a service, that saves me both time and money, and walk out the office with the required certificate. I was neither bullied or too lazy, I chose the method that suited my circumstances. Have to love the Asian way of doing things, the ability "to think outside the box". In both examples, it wasnt a bribe, it was a way of, making a problem go away. Please excuse my transliteration, I believe the Thai expression is, bun khun, help me to help you. When in Rome etc etc.

That pretty much sums it up in a nutshell. Naam pretty much said the same thing. There is supposedly a "drug war" going on in North America. The athorities spend billions of tax payers money chasing their tail and get nowhere. Legalize it and take the profits away and the problem mostly goes aways. But, indirectly, the authorities pad their own incomes by perpetuating the anti-drug campaign. You would have thought the Americans should have learned their lesson after their ill fated war with alcohol prohibition in the 1930s. Once booze was legalized the alcohol problem went away and the crooks had to turn to other form of drugs. Do I think the excessive us of booze, taking hard drugs or smoking cigarettes are a good thing? No, but they are mostly crimes against the person using them. It's like trying to deny Mr and Mrs Fatty their intake of sugar, ice cream, potatoe chips, beer and burgers and fries.

Edited March 21, 2012 by IanForbes

[wana]

After reforms a few years back, my understanding is half goes into the hand of copper, the other half into general revenue.

The argument goes is that you can't change a system overnight, so you needed some incentive for them to issue tickets. I know of people who have gone through traffic polices tents on the side of the road where they were only issuing tickets. So the incentive appears to be working,

I'm not silly enough to believe that there isn't funny business when it comes to the accounting of the tickets back at the cop shop, but hey, if a culture of issuing tickets instead of taking bribes starts to grow, then it is a good start.

For me, the main issue is the ease of paying the fine. If they could arrange for the fines to be paid a 7-11 like you can for most other things, then I thinknyou'd see a huge shift in the way people deal with traffic infringements.

I believe that the speed camera fines and red light camera tickets can be paid online and at convienece stores, and that is a good start, though long overdue.

Yes they have to start somewhere and no one expects the system to be changed overnight.

A month or so ago there was an article in the BP that dealt with nightspots in Bangkok paying off the police to stay open longer. In some cases a million baht/month or more.

The general consensus of business owners was that they'd rather pay tax.

for the likes of the big casinos and male entertainment resorts ,a million a month is probably pocket change

have you ever seen the car park of these places ? lanborghinis ,ferraris ,porsches ,merc ,lexus ,bmws etc etc

in a casino they could make over a million from a single spin of the roulette wheel on one customer etc

i used to live aroud the corner from copa cobana and poseidon clubs and the people that go there in cars and limos

are the rich and the powerful ,the bkk and international elite

these people have too much money to say no to corruption because they are mostly enjoying it

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Actually, it would be possible, but it would take a ruthless dictator with the kind of general popularity that Thaksin had in his first few years combined with the full public support of the monarchy.

Take full control of the financial system big-brother style and eliminate the cash economy, fairly tax everyone so you've got the money to pay for real improvements.

Start a couple of brand-new police forces with stringent internal affairs cross-spying on each other, with the penalty for corruption being taken out back and shot. Once they have been brought fully online, dismantle the existing agencies.

The military would be much harder, probably bring in rules that everyone starting service after a certain date is not allowed to receive any outside income or have any involvement in politics, rigidly enforced as above. The give powerful incentives (tailored to each individual by the honest secret police)for the old corrupt dinosaurs to take early retirement.

Of course this assumes this ruthless dictator is an altruistic saint himself, working only for the good of the country as a whole. And then he puts all his power and energy into educating the citizenry to fully actively participate, and over a few decades phases in a true democracy.

Can't say it will ** never ** happen, but I agree the odds are slim of it coming within this millenium. One can dream though 8-)

[BigJohnnyBKK]

do you live in central bkk or pattaya ?

i had no bother up in isarn myself

but in the touristy cities the police use these tactics a lot

My friend in a little but prosperous town near Surin is good buddies with the local police chief. The chief stops by for free massages at my friend's wife's massage parlor, and in turn supplies him with excellent ganja at very reasonable prices.

Yes corruption, but a problem?

[wana]

do you live in central bkk or pattaya ?

i had no bother up in isarn myself

but in the touristy cities the police use these tactics a lot

My friend in a little but prosperous town near Surin is good buddies with the local police chief. The chief stops by for free massages at my friend's wife's massage parlor, and in turn supplies him with excellent ganja at very reasonable prices.

Yes corruption, but a problem?

victimless crime,like free massages in brothels and free cases of whisky and envelopes of cash

from bar owners sent to the police station in return for being allowed to stay open 24/7

[meom]

i used to live aroud the corner from copa cobana and poseidon clubs and the people that go there in cars and limos

are the rich and the powerful ,the bkk and international elite

these people have too much money to say no to corruption because they are mostly enjoying it

I been to Poseidon and it's great to be part of the international elite.

The girl even gave my flip flops a wash in the tub after we were done.

[wana]

i used to live aroud the corner from copa cobana and poseidon clubs and the people that go there in cars and limos

are the rich and the powerful ,the bkk and international elite

these people have too much money to say no to corruption because they are mostly enjoying it

I been to Poseidon and it's great to be part of the international elite.

The girl even gave my flip flops a wash in the tub after we were done.

im nt talking about tourists going in for a wet massage ,im talking about the people in the lamborghinis and limousines

owners ,directors ,ministers ,police chiefs ,generals

people who can afford to blow 50 or 100k in an afternoon renting a penthouse suite and a selection of ladies

nobody cares about a lowly tourist spending 6000 on a budget girl

[drdaveperry]

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

[meom]

i used to live aroud the corner from copa cobana and poseidon clubs and the people that go there in cars and limos

are the rich and the powerful ,the bkk and international elite

these people have too much money to say no to corruption because they are mostly enjoying it

I been to Poseidon and it's great to be part of the international elite.

The girl even gave my flip flops a wash in the tub after we were done.

im nt talking about tourists going in for a wet massage ,im talking about the people in the lamborghinis and limousines

owners ,directors ,ministers ,police chiefs ,generals

people who can afford to blow 50 or 100k in an afternoon renting a penthouse suite and a selection of ladies

nobody cares about a lowly tourist spending 6000 on a budget girl

Thanks for shattering my illusion

[David48]

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

Thanks for your enlightening contribution but ...

How about your thoughts and specifically they relate to Thailand?

Edited March 21, 2012 by David48

[exeter]

Corruption in Thailand? Surely not! ONly ever came across it at the Cambodian border, whilst leaving Thailand, I go to Burma now. Thats the way to do it!!

[Sing_Sling]

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

Thanks for your enlightening contribution but ...

How about your thoughts and specifically they relate to Thailand?

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

Thanks for your enlightening contribution but ...

How about your thoughts and specifically they relate to Thailand?

I would suggest that the quote sums up his thoughts and their relation to Thailand - obvious, isn't it?

[wana]

Corruption in Thailand? Surely not! ONly ever came across it at the Cambodian border, whilst leaving Thailand, I go to Burma now. Thats the way to do it!!

its funny how thais look down on cambodia and see it like a corrupt place where something dangerous might happen to them

its actualy not that dis-similar to thailand if you mes with the wrong people

[bendix]

Not only that, but the cop is an arm of the state and it is the state's laws that you have violated and the state has the right to punish you, in this case with a fine. Your giving the cop his 100 is flaunting the system, not thinking outside the box.

you cant blame someone for giving a cop 100thb when hes dishonestly representing the state when he suggests you should give him 100 thb

or you can make life tougher for yourself by having your licence confiscated and later paying 400 thb or more at the station

dont hate the player ,hate the game !

Then follow the rules, and you'll never have to play the game, which is my original point.

I don't think it's as simple as that samran. The law firm I work with has recently published a guide to corruption and bribery in Asia, a different chapter on each country. It's interesting to note how the definition of corruption changes in each country, sometimes ever so discreetly. In many countries, the paying of 'facilitation fees' is perfectly legal and acceptable, for example, in others not.

I'm with Naam on this - there are gradations of corruption and I would argue that paying facilitation fees to get things taken care of is one of the joys of being in Thailand. I don't mean paying to get your way out of traffic tickets - i agree with you that abiding by the law is the way to avoid those sort of issues.

But I recently had an example that puts a different perspective on things. My wife had to go to her amphur to legally register some land that she had bought and paid for but - for a variety of reasons - were still legally in the hands of some relatives.

She went all the way to Ubon to take care of this, and was told that it could take her sitting around for days before it was processed properly. On the other hand, a facilitation fee of 2000 would make sure it was all taken care of that morning.

Sure, she could have done the noble thing and sat and waited around for days, while others who had paid bribes got their issues taken care of first.

Only a fool would have done so though.

Facilitation fees make the world go round throughout Asia. I have no problem with it, and linking them to the Santika fire or hisos getting away with murder as some are trying to do is just hyperbole.

[Sing_Sling]

She went all the way to Ubon to take care of this, and was told that it could take her sitting around for days before it was processed properly. On the other hand, a facilitation fee of 2000 would make sure it was all taken care of that morning.

Sure, she could have done the noble thing and sat and waited around for days, while others who had paid bribes got their issues taken care of first.

On the other hand this 'facilitation fee' is illegal as the recipients don't declare it - especially naughty as the money is supposed to go to His Majesty's government.

That aside, however, not everyone can afford this 'facilitation fee' so your wife (in this case your wife as you sued her as an example) is making other people wait longer while her case gets priority. Poor people are being stepped on again because they are . . . poor.

It's great that your wife got her issue taken care of, but what about the corrupt practices it engendered? This 'facilitation fee' is only legal if there are listed fees for varying services; normal, express etc... It is simply illegal, ifs or buts about it.

You work in a law firm, my wife is a lawyer . . . 'facilitation fees' are illegal based on the fact that no receipts are handed out for them, the monies go to a private citizen - in this case a government employee.

Dressing it up and beautifying it doesn't address the illegality of it nor the fact that others, poorer people, suffer because of it

[StreetCowboy]

Not only that, but the cop is an arm of the state and it is the state's laws that you have violated and the state has the right to punish you, in this case with a fine. Your giving the cop his 100 is flaunting the system, not thinking outside the box.

you cant blame someone for giving a cop 100thb when hes dishonestly representing the state when he suggests you should give him 100 thb

or you can make life tougher for yourself by having your licence confiscated and later paying 400 thb or more at the station

dont hate the player ,hate the game !

Then follow the rules, and you'll never have to play the game, which is my original point.

I don't think it's as simple as that samran. The law firm I work with has recently published a guide to corruption and bribery in Asia, a different chapter on each country. It's interesting to note how the definition of corruption changes in each country, sometimes ever so discreetly. In many countries, the paying of 'facilitation fees' is perfectly legal and acceptable, for example, in others not.

I'm with Naam on this - there are gradations of corruption and I would argue that paying facilitation fees to get things taken care of is one of the joys of being in Thailand. I don't mean paying to get your way out of traffic tickets - i agree with you that abiding by the law is the way to avoid those sort of issues.

But I recently had an example that puts a different perspective on things. My wife had to go to her amphur to legally register some land that she had bought and paid for but - for a variety of reasons - were still legally in the hands of some relatives.

She went all the way to Ubon to take care of this, and was told that it could take her sitting around for days before it was processed properly. On the other hand, a facilitation fee of 2000 would make sure it was all taken care of that morning.

Sure, she could have done the noble thing and sat and waited around for days, while others who had paid bribes got their issues taken care of first.

Only a fool would have done so though.

Facilitation fees make the world go round throughout Asia. I have no problem with it, and linking them to the Santika fire or hisos getting away with murder as some are trying to do is just hyperbole.

I'm not sure that it is to be commended that people will only work efficiently when they are the recipient of a bribe.

SC

[Sing_Sling]

I believe the proper legal term is 'Fraud'.

The litmus test:

If taken to court can the person receiving this 'facilitation fee' be charged with a crime or not? If yes, then it is a crime - if not then it is a 'facilitation fee'.

[StreetCowboy]

do you live in central bkk or pattaya ?

i had no bother up in isarn myself

but in the touristy cities the police use these tactics a lot

My friend in a little but prosperous town near Surin is good buddies with the local police chief. The chief stops by for free massages at my friend's wife's massage parlor, and in turn supplies him with excellent ganja at very reasonable prices.

Yes corruption, but a problem?

I suppose it depends on whether you want to continue allowing gangsters to have a monopoly on supplyig drugs.

I personally don't have particularly strong feelings on the use of drugs, but i do feel that countries like Afghanistan, Mexico, for example, would be better off if the drug trade did not provide a luctrative source of income for gangsters.

SC

[bendix]

Dressing it up and beautifying it doesn't address the illegality of it nor the fact that others, poorer people, suffer because of it

I'm not disputing that. It's tough.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

Is this the same Edmund Burke was strongly supported the corruption of the ancien regime in France, and was stridently opposed to the rise of democracy and giving ordinary people the vote?

There's a lot of sanctimonious twaddle on this subject.

There is NOT one person on this forum who hasn't benefited in some way by using their economic leverage to gain an advantage while in Thailand. Drank in a bar? Had a beer on a dry day? Paid a barfine? Bought a bootleg DVD?

Get over yourselves people.

[bendix]

If taken to court can the person receiving this 'facilitation fee' be charged with a crime or not? If yes, then it is a crime - if not then it is a 'facilitation fee'.

It wouldn't get that far. 1000 baht would ensure it doesnt go to court.

[salavan]

You will never stop corruption in Thailand. If you did, the wages would go up to that of western countries, for all employees of all companies and government people. eg The Police would have to be paid about Bt 100,000 a month instead of Bt 9000 a month. Book everyone legally, then there would be no need to take tea money. Put traffic infringement cameras in all traffic lights and on the side of the highways etc.

This would then effect all the industries that deal in Thailand that have their products made here with cheap labour. They would leave for Vietnam or other cheap manufacturing labour countries. So by doing this you would increase the prices of all demestic products, food and the like. I could guarantee, there would be no Falungs living here as they would be in the same boat as they were in their country.

Bottom line, NOT GONNA HAPPEN. to Thailand.

thats a load of crap ozemade your just justifing corruption same as the locals, maybe your corrup as well

[rgs2001uk]

Not only that, but the cop is an arm of the state and it is the state's laws that you have violated and the state has the right to punish you, in this case with a fine. Your giving the cop his 100 is flaunting the system, not thinking outside the box.

you cant blame someone for giving a cop 100thb when hes dishonestly representing the state when he suggests you should give him 100 thb

or you can make life tougher for yourself by having your licence confiscated and later paying 400 thb or more at the station

dont hate the player ,hate the game !

Then follow the rules, and you'll never have to play the game, which is my original point.

I don't think it's as simple as that samran. The law firm I work with has recently published a guide to corruption and bribery in Asia, a different chapter on each country. It's interesting to note how the definition of corruption changes in each country, sometimes ever so discreetly. In many countries, the paying of 'facilitation fees' is perfectly legal and acceptable, for example, in others not.

I'm with Naam on this - there are gradations of corruption and I would argue that paying facilitation fees to get things taken care of is one of the joys of being in Thailand. I don't mean paying to get your way out of traffic tickets - i agree with you that abiding by the law is the way to avoid those sort of issues.

But I recently had an example that puts a different perspective on things. My wife had to go to her amphur to legally register some land that she had bought and paid for but - for a variety of reasons - were still legally in the hands of some relatives.

She went all the way to Ubon to take care of this, and was told that it could take her sitting around for days before it was processed properly. On the other hand, a facilitation fee of 2000 would make sure it was all taken care of that morning.

Sure, she could have done the noble thing and sat and waited around for days, while others who had paid bribes got their issues taken care of first.

Only a fool would have done so though.

Facilitation fees make the world go round throughout Asia. I have no problem with it, and linking them to the Santika fire or hisos getting away with murder as some are trying to do is just hyperbole.

I wonder how many voicing their disgust have ever taken part in it without even knowing it.

I remember using a translation company as a one stop shop to take care of the marriage process.

We were taken to Prakhanong district office where others were waiting to register their marriage, both farang and Thai.

The mrs and I were dealt with immediately, neither of us were asked to pay any money, I am not naive enough to not know that included in the marriage service agents fee was a renumeration for expediting the process.

The whole process was completed within a day, that included all the paperwork for the wife to change her id card and passport.

As the wife and I relaxed that evening, we refelected on the pittance spent, and just how much we would have saved by doing the process ourselves, time wasted dealing with bureaucracy, names not translated correctly etc etc.

Lets not forget those who employ visa agents to complete the one year extension process, somewhere betwen 6 and 9 k baht I think is the norm.

Are they guilty of corruption for not gettting off their lazy asses and doing it themselves?

[StreetCowboy]

...

I wonder how many voicing their disgust have ever taken part in it without even knowing it.

I remember using a translation company as a one stop shop to take care of the marriage process.

We were taken to Prakhanong district office where others were waiting to register their marriage, both farang and Thai.

The mrs and I were dealt with immediately, neither of us were asked to pay any money, I am not naive enough to not know that included in the marriage service agents fee was a renumeration for expediting the process.

The whole process was completed within a day, that included all the paperwork for the wife to change her id card and passport.

As the wife and I relaxed that evening, we refelected on the pittance spent, and just how much we would have saved by doing the process ourselves, time wasted dealing with bureaucracy, names not translated correctly etc etc.

Lets not forget those who employ visa agents to complete the one year extension process, somewhere betwen 6 and 9 k baht I think is the norm.

Are they guilty of corruption for not gettting off their lazy asses and doing it themselves?

It depends on whetther the agent is filling in the forms correctly, checking everything is in order, checking that the supporting documents are there and submitting them through the regular channels, or whether they are giving half the money over to a member of the bureaucracy to do the same.

In our case, I am sure we would find it frustrating, slow and inconvenient to do without an agent because it is not clear what the process is, the order in which the steps have to be performed, and all the documentation is in Thai only. On the other hand, I would not be very surprised if there had been money changing hands to vary the normal 'custom and practice' - for example, perhaps to get chops issued on the day rather than coming back later; to allow a passport to be processed without the applicant being present. I don't know how much of the immigration process (as opposed to the laws and regulations) is intended to encourage graft...

So anyway, there is nothing corrupt about employing an agent to help you to prepare and submit forms correctly, nor to advise on the best way to submit. It is corrupt if the agent is paying money to a salaried servant of the state to do his job incorrectly, or to favour one applicant over another, or even to encourage the servant of the state to do his job correctly. When working for an employer, one's sole source of remuneration should be from that employer. Otherwise there is a clear conflict of interests, isn't there?

SC