Survey:Thailand's corruption situation is the best in eight years

BANGKOK, August 10 (TNA)- Bangkok-based University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) says that a latest survey has shown that the corruption situation in Thailand is the best in eight years, as there have been no kickbacks for public projects during the period, although the country's Corruption Situation Index (CSI) has remained stable over the past six months. UTCC Rector Sauwanee Thairungroj told journalists of the update on Thursday, noting that the latest survey found that there have been more business firms that have not given any kickback to government officials while bidding for public projects. The UTCC rector revealed, however, the survey found that business firms which admitted giving kickbacks to government officials had paid about 5-15 per cent bribes of the value of the public projects, worth 65-195 billion baht, or 2.2-6.7 per cent of overall state budgets for the projects, or about 0.7 of Thailand's gross domestic product (GDP) on average. According to the rector, Thailand's CSI remains stable at 52, when compared with late last year, although the latest survey showed respondents viewed the country's CSI worsened to the 53rd place in June 2017, from 55th in December 2016. The UTCC rector pointed out the latest survey showed that more business firms bidding for the Thai government's new mega-projects conceded that they had paid bribes to government officials about 25-35 per cent of the projects' values. Meanwhile, the Berlin-based Transparency International (TI), a global civil society organization leading the fight against corruption, reported that the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for Thailand dropped to 35 scores in 2016, from 38 scores in 2015, and when political factors were included, the country's CPI fell to the 101st place globally, from the 76th place in TI previous survey. (TNA)