Department of Business Development Ready for Investigation After Bribery Allegations Despite 100% Digital Services
Thailand's Department of Business Development pledged to investigate bribery allegations despite claiming 100% digital service delivery, after a private sector survey ranked it 21st among 26 agencies for alleged corruption requests.
The Department of Business Development has pledged to investigate allegations of improper benefit solicitation, stating 'if wrong, we acknowledge it; if right, we acknowledge it too,' while reaffirming its commitment to fully digitalized services. On May 16, 2025, Director-General Poonpong Naiyanaphakorn of the Department of Business Development under the Ministry of Commerce addressed the issue of corruption in government, emphasizing it as a key indicator of national competitiveness and investor confidence.
The department adheres to good governance principles and welcomes scrutiny of all operational procedures to demonstrate transparency. The department has maintained strict oversight of staff conduct with clear disciplinary measures for complaints from businesses and the public. Digital systems have been implemented across all business registration, financial filing, and licensing processes, which inherently reduce face-to-face interactions that could facilitate bribery.
Despite comprehensive digital service delivery—including DBD Biz Regist for business registration, DBD e-PCL for public company registration, DBD e-Filing for financial statements, e-Foreign Business for foreign business permits, e-Secured for secured transactions registration, and DBD DataWarehouse+ for corporate information—a recent private sector survey under the 'Thai People Will Not Tolerate Corruption' program ranked the department 21st out of 26 agencies for alleged bribery requests.
The director-general expressed surprise at these findings, noting that virtually 100% of services are fully digitalized. The department has continuously updated and secured its digital systems, established standardized service procedures, implemented transparent status-tracking systems, and instructed staff to conduct business with integrity while prohibiting any improper benefit solicitation. Clear penalties and strict internal controls are in place to prevent corruption.
