Thailand's CPI improves in 2017

BANGKOK, February 23 (TNA) - Thailand's updated transparency position, measured by the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) of the Germany-based Transparency International (TI), has improved to the 96th place among 180 countries surveyed worldwide. Worawit Sookboon, Secretary-General of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), told journalists on February 22 that Thailand's CPI in 2017 was raised by TI to the 96th position, from the 101st place in 2016. Worawit said, however, that two-third of the overall 180 countries surveyed by TI in 2017 had their CPI lower than 50 marks, including Thailand with its 37 marks. Worawit noted that Thailand's latest transparency position, represented by the CPI in 2017, was based on several data sources, including the International Country Risk Guide (ICRG), the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the World Economic Forum (WEF), the World Justice Project (WJP), the Global Information (GI), the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) and the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem), as well as other sources in which Thailand's development processes towards full democracy and free market system were evaluated and analyzed. The NACC secretary-general revealed that Thailand's transparency marks in 2017 remained intact based on the ICRG and the EIU sources, were increased based on the WEF, the WJP and the GI sources, but were decreased based on the remaining sources. The NACC secretary-general called for cooperation from all Thai sectors, in an integrated national force, to reduce and eventually eliminate the corruption problem out of the country to achieve the ultimate goal of "Thailand Transparency". (TNA)