Declaring war on corruption, Thailand moves towards a complete digital government

Thailand will introduce electronic payments in the public sector as an important measure to prevent and fight corruption.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin emphasized that in his speech at the “Anti-Corruption Day” event organized by the Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand (ACT) on September 7.

Thủ tướng Thái Lan Srettha Thavisin phát biểu tại sự kiện “Ngày chống tham nhũng” do Tổ chức chống tham nhũng Thái Lan (ACT) tổ chức ngày 7/9/2023. (Nguồn: The Nation)

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin affirmed his commitment to fighting corruption in his speech at the “Anti-Corruption Day” event. (Source: The Nation)

Stressing that fighting corruption is one of the top priorities of the new government , Mr. Srettha Thavisin made clear his commitment to eradicate unethical practices such as buying and selling of public officials' titles as well as unfair transfers and demotions.

“We will ensure that all public officials are treated fairly while their dignity is upheld as executors of government policy,” he said.

The new Prime Minister assured the people that the government will adhere to legal principles in governing the country and will deploy modern technology to ensure transparency and full auditability of all working processes.

Accordingly, Thailand will disburse state budget through electronic channels instead of cash; apply electronic applications to public services on a one-stop platform; implement an open government model for procurement projects and turn Thailand into a complete digital government that allows the public to monitor and inspect administrative processes.

According to last year's Corruption Perceptions Index rankings, Thailand rose from 110th place last year to 101st globally and 4th in ASEAN, after Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam.

The above countries are Thailand’s direct competitors in attracting foreign investment. Therefore, according to Mr. Srettha Thavisin, Thailand needs to improve itself because corruption will undermine investors’ confidence as well as harm the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The “Anti-Corruption Day” event was the first public forum that Mr. Srettha Thavisin attended since becoming the 30th Prime Minister of Thailand.

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