SAtaO Draws Criticism Following 'Transparency' Recognition
The State Audit Office (SAO) in Thailand has found itself at the centre of a controversy, despite being named the most transparent independent organisation in the 2023 Integrity and Transparency Assessment (ITA). The SAO, which scored a impressive 94.64 in the ITA, topped the ranking among independent agencies, but critics argue that the award ignores ongoing corruption investigations and the lack of accountability from the SAO regarding a recent tragedy.
The building collapse investigation revealed corruption and led to legal punishments for some individuals, yet the SAO, as the project owner, has not formed an investigative committee or taken public accountability for the incident. The Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand (ACT) has criticised the ITA's methodology, emphasising that the assessment relies heavily on agency-submitted data and does not sufficiently consider real-world impacts on public trust or societal consequences.
Some politicians and public figures have questioned the credibility of the ITA results, noting that agencies are ranked only against peer categories rather than across all government bodies, possibly inflating their relative scores. Rukchanok Srinork, a People's Party MP for Bangkok, recalled that the Election Commission was number one in the ITA last year.
The SAO has defended the award by highlighting the ITA’s role in encouraging preventive anti-corruption measures and fostering integrity. However, this stance has not quelled public skepticism given recent events. In a Facebook post, Ms Srinork questioned the NACC's credibility, asking if the high scores in the ITA have led to a decline in corruption and benefits for citizens.
In the ITA, 76 provinces compete against each other, while only five independent organisations, including the SAO, are ranked together. The ITA aims to align with national anti-corruption strategies and improve Thailand's standing in the global Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). Currently, Thailand ranks 109th out of 180 in the CPI.
The controversy surrounding the SAO's high transparency ranking stems from its apparent lack of accountability for a major building collapse linked to corruption. This has undermined public confidence in the award's validity. The SAO has been criticised by the ACT for its failure to measure genuine transparency, and its own criticism of the ITA earlier this year.
[1] BBC News, "Thailand's State Audit Office under fire over collapsed building", 2025 [2] The Nation, "ACT questions ITA methodology, cites SAO building collapse", 2025 [3] The Bangkok Post, "SAO defends ITA ranking amid criticism", 2023 [4] The Nation, "Rukchanok questions NACC's credibility", 2023 [5] The Bangkok Post, "Netizens sceptical about ITA", 2023
Read also:
- United States tariffs pose a threat to India, necessitating the recruitment of adept negotiators or strategists, similar to those who had influenced Trump's decisions.
- Weekly happenings in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Southwest region's most popular posts, accompanied by an inquiry:
- Discussion between Putin and Trump in Alaska could potentially overshadow Ukraine's concerns
