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How and where to report corruption


gaazzaazz

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I hear the giggles already - the cynics saying what's the use etc.

However I am a permanent here, and I do want my new home country to prosper. I feel that I am part of the propblem if I am not prepared to at least anonymously state what i know.

In this instance it is the LAND OFFICE. The extended time it takes to process a Chanote transaction - transfer, etc, has led to anyone that has business with this Department (LAMPANG Muang) forking over 1000b to expadite matters. There is a deliberate go slow practise where anyone not complying will spend 5 hours for a process that when wheels and palms are greased often is completed within 1 hour. It is the staff who take payments by cash or via bank accounts.

I make the distintion between departmental corruption and staff practises.

Is there some website? Even if it is Thai language I can use google translate to get the point across.

Thanks

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One of the better things that Thaksin Shinawatra introduced was a telephone hotline to report poor performance by government employees and departments. This was quickly killed once he was out of the way.

I can imagine that, not only was it extremely unpopular with certain parties - as well as highly popular with the electorate - but it was probably hopelessly overloaded.

Such a pity, as it had the potential to drasticly reduce corruption as well as greatly increase efficiency.

Not much help for you, though. I doubt if you'll get a reciept so try and do it though your bank so there is a record in case you can address it later if the situation changes.(unlikely). But hey, THB 1000 may rankle, but it won't break the bank.

Welcome to LOS!

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Unfortunately it's endemic right from the PM down. If it ever gets stopped at the top it may work down. Just try and avoid paying and sit patiently.

Those who pay to speed thing up just feed the system. Luckily I live in an area where Immigration don't appear to ask for tea money, same with when I got my yellow book.

To answer your question I don't think that place exists.

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Your description sounds like a facilitation fee.

Some Land Offices have posters which state "Service Performance Standards (SPS)" - how many steps to issue or transfer Title Deeds, and how long it takes to perform each step.

If the time is within the SPS, then you just wait.

If it takes longer than the SPS, then you can complain to the reception desk.

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I admit to being part of the problem. Those who pay are as culpable as those they pay. We are all infected and it just feeds a disease.

In 59 years in my country of origin I never had reason to grease any wheels - they mostly ran smoothly. You know I never even heard of anyone doing such. Certainly high profile corruption DID occur and there exist corruption commissions etc, but not as part of normal daily life.

I thought long and hard about the OP .... my Thai connection fretted over it, But I am seriously hoping there is some way to anonymously report and provide details such that maybe one little corner can be cleaned up.

I might add that I estimate CONSERVATIVELY that each staff member would be in receipt of 3000b per day - multiply that by 300 working days a year, by the the staff employed - you are looking at approx 20 - 30m baht of ill gotten gain each and every year.

Please don't sing with the cynical chorus, Inaction is better than that.

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IMO, for the sake of 1,000 baht it will only open the doors to a world of pain with the land office. I understand what you are saying, please don't get me wrong, but it could turn into a major uphill battle.

However, apart from going through the above mentioned complaint channels you could try this:

When asked, make a payment by transfer to the person's bank account. Take the evidence to the manager of the land office and demand an explanation of why you had to pay this to the individual. You would be advised to have legal representation present if deciding to go down this road.

I wouldn't worry about entrapment laws, but make sure your business is complete with the land office before making the appointment with the manager................wink.png

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The time you have stated 5hours is very reasonable they do not rush even for Thai land owners I once had to have a plot of land re-chanoted as a post had gone missing it was a long process for a start the application had to be advertised for 30days as well as adds in the local rag then a shareholders meeting had to take place if I am correct at the time I had to pay 3,000 baht in total for everything a receipt was handed to me on payment with correct stamps after the 30 day period the land office then spent at least 3 hours checking the plot using laptops, measuring tapes, string and so on then they provided a new post with the numbers stamped on and inserted into the ground all the Thai neighbours were there should there be some sort of dispute all in all it took about 30 hours of my time and I know it would have been as much time for the land office no backhanders were given or asked for.

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It's very interesting with all the current happenings in Thailand at the moment many TV posts supporting a change to the way government, politicians and police "conduct business" - ie stop the corruption.

One TV member asks about reporting the very thing many TV posters SUPPORT and he is being bashed around the head.

For what it's worth I think the way to report corruption is using instant social media. If the person seeking the kick-back sees that they are about to be reported they may well stop asking for the bribe. A situation where good has outsmarted evil.

It will be a slow long uphill battle, but until people are willing to stand up for themselves nothing will change and the bribe prices will continue to rise and rise and rise - it's called greed. You have to start somewhere.

And before anyone states that this course of action maybe dangerous, so is driving on Thailand roads or crossing the street. You have to believe in what you are doing and stand up for your cause.

Good on you gaazzaazz thumbsup.gif

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What did you do in your home country whenever you encountered corruption?

It exists in every country in the world, so presumably you were quite the activist back in farangville??

Or did the scales fall from your eyes when you found yourself in Thailand?

Yes corruption exists here, but what most farang want to do is a bit like the person who visits his neighbors and points out all their short-comings without making any effort to clean up their own cesspool because they've grown accustomed to the smell.

Before doing something, you really need to decide what you hope/expect to achieve. Do you think one more farang bitching about everything will accomplish anything other than to reinforce the notion that farangs in general like to criticize continuously? Do you want to feel self-righteous while hiding behind anonymity? Did you post this on TV in order to generate all sorts of support for your moral superiority and to stir up those who think corruption is somehow unique to Thailand? Resorting to Google translation suggests you're really clueless about what's going on.

If a Thai person was even allowed to live in your home town/village and decided to make a fuss about his/her observations of supposed corruption would that have any effect other than to stir up anti-immigrant hostility?

If you feel propelled by some moral imperative to expose corruption, then have the cojones to do it in person for all to see, Of course, that would probably have consequences for you and being self-righteous anonymously is so much easier, hmm?

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It's a bit ironic, but people are having this same complaint in countries which are supposed to have "checks and balances", and if these "free" democratic societies are having major corruption scandals how can this cheap imitation of the same "democracy" model fare any better?

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