Sudarat Pushes Government to Combat Corruption as National Priority, Proposes Three Anti-Corruption Measures
Sudarat Keyuraphan urges the government to make anti-corruption a national priority, proposing open budget disclosure, a citizen-led anti-corruption commission, and constitutional amendments to recall corrupt officials. A survey shows 89% o
On May 15, 2569, Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan stated that the government must take corruption seriously by declaring an 'anti-corruption national agenda.' After a survey of Thai business leaders nationwide, 51.2% believe corruption has worsened compared to three years ago, and 89.1% view corruption as a severe obstacle to business operations.
Corruption levels have increased annually. According to anti-corruption organizations, Thailand loses approximately 500 billion baht annually to corruption by officials abusing their power and exploiting the public. Sudarat emphasized that politics must be conducted with integrity because without addressing corruption, Thailand's economy cannot grow beyond 2% even without war. The greater the corruption by those in power, the poorer the people become.
She proposes three solutions to make anti-corruption a national agenda:
1. Disclose Open Data regarding all budget information and procurement processes 2. Establish a citizen-led National Anti-Corruption Commission by enacting laws granting investigative power over state corruption, with a board comprising private sector representatives, civil society representatives, professional organizations, and academics 3. Amend the constitution to empower citizens to recall corrupt politicians and remove independent agencies failing to perform duties with integrity, breaking the cycle of corruption
Sudarat stressed that Thailand cannot revive its economy, develop the country, or improve people's living standards without seriously addressing corruption.
