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[Lite Beer]

Dr Pasuk: Democracy can help ease corruption as it allows people to keep watch on officials

BANGKOK: -- Democratic system may help ease corruption problem because the system will enable the people to have more freedom and say in keeping checks of the malpractice, said Dr Pasuk Phongpaichit, an economist at Chulalongkorn Univerisity, on Saturday.

Speaking on the subject of “How to Combat Corruption?” on the occasion of Dr Puey Ungphakorn’s centenary, Dr Pasuk admitted that corruption was a tough nut to crack in Thailand because corruption has been accepted as a culture in government bureaucracy and the society as a whole.

There are two levels of corruption – the household level and business level. She explained that household level of corruption manifests in a way that people are ready to pay to officials in exchange for special services while business level of corruption means businessmen are willing to pay kickbacks in exchange for construction or procurement contracts and officials are willing to pay to buy positions.

Weak law enforcement officers responsible for dealing with corruption and the fact that most of the big fish in corruption escape scot free leaving only the small fries to be punished has encouraged more corrupt practices.

Dr Pasuk cited three major corruption cases which she said were exposed from outsiders and not by any local anti-corruption agencies or auditors. The disclosure by US manufacturer of CTX9000 baggage scanners at Suvarnabhumi international airport of the price of the scanners show the machines were overly priced indicating there was corruption in the procurement; robbery at the house of a former transport permanent secretary Supote Saplom resulted to an investigation faulting Mr Supote of being unusually rich.

In Singapore, the economist said that corruption was non-existent or minimal because the island state has a strong inspection organization although it is undemocratic. In China however she said capital punishments were used to deal with the problem.

Dr Pasuk asked whether Thai people would prefer the Chinese way of dealing with corruption. But she admitted that even military dictatorships in Thailand failed to address corruption problem.

In order for effectiveness in dealing with graft, she suggested that swift actions must be meted out to deal with the corruptors.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/dr-pasuk-democracy-can-help-ease-corruption-as-it-allows-people-to-keep-watch-on-officials

-- Thai PBS 2015-08-23

[zaphod reborn]

"There are two levels of corruption – the household level and business level. She explained that household level of corruption manifests in a way that people are ready to pay to officials in exchange for special services while business level of corruption means businessmen are willing to pay kickbacks in exchange for construction or procurement contracts and officials are willing to pay to buy positions."

And no mention of the primary source of corruption – elected officials, civil service workers and police officers? These are the criminals who refuse to follow the law, only seeking to use the power of their positions to fatten their own wallets. That is the virus that has infected all of Thai society, is now accepted, and, is fact, admired as achievement of success.

[ramrod711]

Dr Puey Ungphakorns centenary, Dr Pasuk admitted that corruption was a tough nut to crack in Thailand because corruption has been accepted as a culture in government bureaucracy and the society as a whole.

Remember those polls that determined that 80% of Thais see nothing wrong with corruption, as long as they gained from it? Democracy, as it is, or has, been practiced in Thailand did not cure, slow down, or in any way deter corruption. Obviously a new tactic is required. There is an old saying, madness is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result.

[phoenixdoglover]

She said some reasonable things.

However, I think the defamation and LM laws in Thailand are also used in a way to intimidate people and hide corruption.

So while I appreciate her comments about the benefits of Democracy, I would also throw in the protection of free speech rights, and the freedom of the press.

[slapout]

You put the entire cabinet and the private sector who dealt with them, as well as those on public payroll who were involved in the firetruck, rice, lamyai. treatment plant, soccer pitches,etc, for 4 years, sieze their assets and see how quickly corruption nose dives to less than 5% of total budget and will continue downward.

I dont care if its called democarcy or not. the corrupt only fear tough punshment as well as lose of freedom and their desired life style. Junta suits me if the rid Thailand of the people involved in this massive graft we hear / see around us every day.

[Johpa]

And no mention of the primary source of corruption - elected officials, civil service workers and police officers? These are the criminals who refuse to follow the law, only seeking to use the power of their positions to fatten their own wallets.That is the virus that has infected all of Thai society, is now accepted, and, is fact, admired as achievement of success.

All success is admired in Thai culture regardless of the source of that success. This is not specifically a Thai thing. A modest intellect such as Mark Zuckerberg, who came up with a modest idea that made him a lot of money is placed upon a pedestal in the US. And a Donald Trump, a man of even less intellect but a lot of street smarts is admired enough by some to be seen as a viable presidential candidate. But Thailand's admiration of all success, regardless of the source, and its endemic corruption stemming from a number of cultural memes (e.g., "showing face") and historical influences (e.g., Chinese tax farmers who were allowed to skim off the earliest tax receipts) that bring Thai society to a while new level, a quantum leap in delusional thinking as to how a society should be organized and run by the government.

The PRC is dealing with similar issues within their society by acting with extreme prejudice against select actors to make a point to the others. I once asked a close Chinese friend with very high social connections within the leadership in Beijing as to why the government did not act more unilaterally against the forces of corruption and he responded that corruption was so endemic that any larger response would shut the country down. This is similar to the situation in Thailand where the arrest of all corrupt officials would in effect shut down the government.

[noitom]

Corruption, anything can be bought or sold are basic characteristics of Thai character.

[NongKhaiKid]

It doesn't matter what a system of governance, or any system for that matter, is called it's only as good and efficient as the people who administer it and herein lies the problem.

Corruption is the norm here with a what's in it for me, mt family and cronies attitude supported by the public in general who allow it to flourish by paying extra to get things or getting things done since complaining doesn't work, another symptom of a broken society. Those in authority promise all sorts of

[NongKhaiKid]

It doesn't matter what a system of governance, or any system for that matter, is called it's only as good and efficient as the people who administer it and herein lies the problem.

Corruption is the norm here with a what's in it for me, mt family and cronies attitude supported by the public in general who allow it to flourish by paying extra to get things or getting things done since complaining doesn't work, another symptom of a broken society. Those in authority promise all sorts of

Sorry for incomplete post -

... crackdowns etc but they never happen because they would come too close to home so they will talk the talk and that's about it.

I future I fear will simply be more fine talk.

[Sydebolle]

In Singapore vote buying is also literally unheard of - like in most democracies. You have to educate the people to a level that they understand what democracy means. For millions of Thais it means loudspeaker loaded pick-ups roaming the villages blasting the names followed by some guys walking left and right of the pick-up distributing coloured pictures of candidates with an appropriate amount of smaller denomination bank notes stapled to it - to drive the message home.
In all fairness, until this is eradicated (through education = i.e. we're talking one to two generations from now at least) you will have to forget democracy as a check-and-balance tool for corruption.
You cannot keep an entire country uneducated for a hundred years and then expect sudden changes within a few years.

[DeepInTheForest]

Corruption, anything can be bought or sold are basic characteristics of Thai character.

Corruption, anything can be bought or sold are basic characteristics of the globalized neoliberal economic system.

[WitawatWatawit]

QUOTE: "In order for effectiveness in dealing with graft, she suggested that swift actions must be meted out to deal with the corruptors."

I like Dr Pasuk. She and her husband Chris Baker write the Chang Noi column in The Nation, and they really have their feet on the ground. She is right about swift action. Too much gets "buried" in legal convolutions in this country. The one thing missing from her comments is, where do you get the people with the will and the way to enact swift justice? Before anything else, that problem needs to be solved.

[Eric Loh]

So true when at current times, you are warned to shut up and cease probing when you expose military corruption.

[Srikcir]

"There are two levels of corruption – the household level and business level."

So the military gets a free pass despite its ability to possess and exercise ABSOLUTE POWER over Thai people's sovereignty?