National Anti-Corruption Commission Thailand Exposes More Than 1,500 Instances of Corruption Through Proactive Investigations

The NACC's National Corruption Deterrence Center (CDC) has reported the identification of 1,553* corruption cases with project values totaling over 140 billion baht between January 19, 2022, and the end of January 2024.

Mr. Niwatchai Kasemmongkol, the Secretary-General of the NACC, highlighted the CDC's crucial role since its inception on January 19, 2022. The Center is instrumental in monitoring, evaluating, and investigating corruption cases, in line with the policy to actively prevent and suppress corruption. Over the past two years, the CDC's effective preventative measures have significantly reduced the number of corruption cases within the suppression system.

The CDC's operational report reveals the following actions taken on the identified cases:

• 985 cases have undergone verification, and monitoring, and have been directed to the appropriate agencies for action.
• 339 cases have been successfully resolved by the responsible agencies.
• 169 cases are in the preparatory phase pending initial data verification.
• 60 cases have been confirmed as corrupt activities and are now recorded in the Preliminary Examination System on Corruption Accusation (PESCA).

The cases reported to the CDC encompass various categories, including:

• 1,151 cases related to the scrutiny of procurement and construction in public utility projects.
• 223 cases of misconduct or neglect of duty.
• 130 cases involving the misuse of public resources by state officials.
• 47 cases of solicitation or acceptance of assets or other benefits by state officials.
• 2 cases of unusual wealth amongst state officials.

The NACC underscores that the cumulative value of projects scrutinized by the CDC exceeds 146.65 billion baht. Without the CDC's vigilant oversight, these funds could have potentially been lost to corruption.

Furthermore, the NACC is committed to leveraging all its resources to combat corruption, aiming to enhance Thailand's reputation as a nation striving towards zero corruption. This effort promotes transparency and fosters trade and investment. The NACC's comprehensive anti-corruption strategies and recommendations to the government reflect the dedication of officials towards achieving a corruption-free Thailand and improving the country's Corruption Perception Index (CPI) score.

Despite the importance of the CPI score in the national strategy for anti-corruption (2018 – 2037), and the goal to score above 50, Transparency International's 2023 CPI revealed that Thailand scored 35 points, ranking 108th out of 180 countries globally and 4th among ASEAN members.

Although the CPI score remains low, the NACC is determined to persist in its anti-corruption mission. The Commission believes that the true measure of success lies in the collective efforts of government, public, and private sectors working transparently, monitoring diligently, and uniting against corruption. With an unwavering commitment to zero tolerance for corruption, Thailand can achieve its goal of a corruption-free society.

The NACC acknowledges that while there has been significant improvement in the corruption situation in Thailand, the CPI score has not reflected this progress adequately. The Commission urges Transparency International to disclose the sources of their survey data and provide targeted recommendations, enabling precise resolutions to the issues identified.

* https://www.nacc.go.th/categorydetail/20180831184638361/20240215102232

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National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), Thailand

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is a constitutional independent organization and supervised by nine commissioners selected from various professions. It is authorised to undertake work on the prevention and suppression of malfeasance, particularly in government agencies, on assets investigations, as well as on the monitoring of ethics and virtues of political position holders.

It has the authority to file charges in court as well as support and build up awareness of the penalties for committing corruption. The NACC is supervised by the NACC Board and has the Office of the NACC as its administrative agency.

Since 1997, Thai Courts have ruled against and punished politicians, former ministers, high-ranking government officials as well as executives of the private sector in the thousands of cases submitted by the NACC.