Anti-Corruption Committee Exposes 10 Government Agencies with Highest Average Bribe Amounts, Identifies Corruption as Major Drag on Business
A private sector survey reveals corruption remains a major obstacle for Thai businesses, with 89% citing it as a significant problem. The Zero Corruption Task Force identified 10 government agencies with the highest bribery rates, led by Hi
The Private Sector Tripartite Committee, through its Zero Corruption Task Force, has released a private sector opinion survey on transparency in government operations based on responses from 401 business executives and sector representatives nationwide between March 26 and April 10, 2025.
The survey found that corruption remains a structural crisis severely damaging Thailand's business environment. Key findings include: 89.1% of businesses view corruption as a moderate to major obstacle to operations; 51.2% believe corruption trends have worsened over the past three years; and 51% report increased difficulty in dealing with government agencies, with only 3% reporting improvement.
Direct experiences from the business sector reveal troubling patterns: 60.9% of permit applicants encountered hints or requests for compensation during their most recent application; 45.9% of companies confirmed paying money, gifts, or benefits to officials for convenience; and 37.3% acknowledged paying extra fees to win government contracts, averaging 11-15% of contract value.
Common bribe formats include cash (46.6%), gifts or entertaining (23.1%), and donations or sponsorships (18.7%). In recent bidding processes, 27.3% reported claims from individuals promising to help them win, while 27.3% received hints to use intermediaries or consultants.
Business leaders cited complex procedures (29.1%), excessive legal discretion (25.0%), and addressing procedural violations (18.8%) as main reasons for paying bribes. Alarmingly, 52.3% of businesses lack confidence in government whistleblowing channels, and 43.7% stated they "don't dare report" even when solicited for benefits.
The survey marks the first time agency-level data has been released, ranking government units by bribery risk. Highway Police and Traffic Police topped the list with a 100% rate of compensation requests (1.69 contacts annually). Other high-risk agencies included the Justice System excluding courts (94.4%), Subdistrict Administrative Organizations (91.7%), Port Authority (90.0%), and Department of Highways (82.0%). The Department of Pollution Control showed the highest average bribe amount at 102,160 baht per instance.
