Federal government receives poor rating on corruption levels
In Thailand, the government's anti-corruption efforts have come under heavy criticism, with the Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand (ACT) expressing concerns about the administration's first year in power. The ACT president, Mana Nimitmongkol, has stated that the government has failed to gain public confidence and that many people view the government's plans as political ploys.
The government's response to corruption has been questionable, with a tendency to address symptoms rather than root causes. In times of crisis, the government has been accused of ordering agencies to identify culprits instead of conducting transparent investigations to prevent recurrence. This approach has led to a mistrust among the public, given the rampant corruption in Thailand and the government's failure to show a genuine commitment to suppressing this scourge.
The government's plans to improve Thailand's score in the annual Corruption Perceptions Index include legalizing casinos, a 10,000-baht digital cash handout, a 157-billion-baht economic stimulus plan, and proposals to host more music festivals. However, there has been no concrete anti-corruption policy outlined in these plans.
The ACT has criticised the government's lack of commitment to conducting transparent investigations and addressing root causes to prevent corruption recurrence. The government has ignored recommendations from the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) on issues such as school milk fraud, hospital drug procurement, and highway bribes.
In an effort to address corruption, the ACT has recommended an audit of abandoned and incomplete state-funded buildings nationwide. However, there has been no mention of any specific progress in bureaucracy or legal reforms to tackle the root cause of graft as promised. Anti-corruption meetings are being held regularly but with no tangible results.
The Anti-Corruption Operation Centre was discontinued by the government, but there is no mention of any replacement or alternative anti-corruption mechanism. The estimated losses from not addressing these issues could exceed 100 billion baht.
Despite these challenges, the ACT remains hopeful. On Sept 6, they will host Anti-Corruption Day 2025, inviting online participation to help design a system where honest individuals can thrive and wrongdoers have no place in society. The ACT urges the administration to take a proactive role in fighting corruption, starting with open government practices and making it a national agenda item.
However, as of August 2025, there is no available or referenced information in the provided search results about the ACT’s critique of anti-corruption efforts under the Paetongtarn Shinawatra administration. Further research may be needed to fully understand the current state of anti-corruption efforts in Thailand.
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