Ratchanok and Piangpan Team Tackles Corruption in Labor Ministry and State Enterprise—Plan to Present to Budget Committee
A government task force revealed widespread corruption in state procurement and the labor ministry, proposing to eliminate outdated laws, overhaul bidding processes, and protect whistleblowers—measures potentially saving 40 billion baht ann
At 10:30 a.m. on May 18, 2025 at parliament, Piangpan Bunkham, representing the people's government management team for state reform, disclosed results from a joint private-public sector committee survey on corruption and bribery. Over 70% of survey respondents were legal or procurement managers, with another 20% being SME owners or top executives employing no more than 200 staff. While the survey may not reflect large-scale corporate bribery in state bidding, officials believe substantial illicit payments occur in multiple forms—a serious concern amid economic hardship.
The government proposes three measures: First, eliminate outdated laws and unnecessary permits to reduce bureaucratic discretion that enables bribery, with a parliamentary special committee given 90 days to complete this reform by August. Second, overhaul public procurement methods and fix regulations that limit competition—such as exempting certain agencies from competitive bidding for contracts under 500,000 baht, affecting approximately 400 billion baht in spending and potentially saving 10% or 40 billion baht. Third, establish whistleblower protections for those reporting bribes and corruption, aligning with OECD principles that Thailand seeks to adopt.
Piangpan noted that Deputy Prime Minister Pakaorn Nilpraband announced plans to make anti-corruption a national agenda and accelerate Thailand's OECD membership bid. The Democratic Party emphasizes that effective, fair law enforcement and independent oversight are essential. Ratchanok Srinok, a Democratic Party list MP, highlighted two key survey findings: officials exploiting procurement to facilitate bribery, and the need to deploy technology to reduce bureaucratic discretion. The most effective anti-corruption strategy involves transparency and empowering civil society to analyze data using modern tools—an area where the private sector stands ready but government data access remains the bottleneck. The Democratic Party previously proposed opening the e-Government Procurement system (e-GP) database to the public.
