ACT and TDRI urge government to tackle local exam corruption

Matichon•Politics•1d ago

Reader Briefing

The Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand and TDRI called for strict legal action against middlemen in local government recruitment corruption during a Senate committee seminar.

•A seminar on OECD standards and anti-corruption was held on July 20 at the Parliament.
•Kittidet Chantangkul reported that 5,900 out of 15,000 local government recruitment positions were obtained through corruption.
•Kittidet Chantangkul urged the government to amend laws to punish middlemen who facilitate bribes to state officials.
•Thipatra Salaewong noted that corruption in civil service exams creates systemic problems regarding the quality of personnel entering the bureaucracy.

Overview

•The Senate Committee on Independent Organizations, Anti-Corruption, and Governance held a seminar on July 20 at the Parliament.
•Kittidet Chantangkul stated that in local government recruitment for 15,000 people, 5,900 positions—or one-third—involved corruption.
•Kittidet Chantangkul asserted that the Department of Local Administration and the Local Government Personnel Selection Committee have shifted responsibility to each other regarding leaked exam papers.
•Kittidet Chantangkul called on Anutin Charnvirakul and Pakorn Nilpraphan to ensure accountability for the exam leaks.
•Kittidet Chantangkul warned that 'middlemen' who facilitate bribes act as a business that collects excess rents without contributing to the national system.
•Thipatra Salaewong stated that the OECD will not assist Thailand if Thailand does not manage its own internal corruption problems.
•Kittidet Chantangkul argued that disciplinary actions in Thailand are slow because of a system of mutual protection among officials.
•Kittidet Chantangkul proposed amending laws to clearly target both the primary perpetrators and the middlemen in corruption cases.

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Source: Matichon (Original)

Key Quotes

Kittidet Chantangkul

"This is a big problem because Thai values have changed significantly, viewing the purchase of positions to allow family members to grow within the civil service as acceptable."

เรื่องนี้เป็นปัญหาใหญ่ เพราะคนไทยมีค่านิยมที่เปลี่ยนไปจากเดิมมาก โดยมองว่าการซื้อตำแหน่งเพื่อให้คนในครอบครัวเติบโต เข้าไปอยู่ในระบบราชการ เป็นสิ่งที่ยอมรับได้ใช่หรือไม่

Kittidet Chantangkul

"Thai law must be amended to clearly penalize both middlemen and primary actors, enforcing the law equally and with fairness."

กฎหมายไทยต้องแก้ ให้เอาผิดตัวกลางและตัวหลักให้ชัดเจน บังคับใช้กฎหมายให้เสมอภาค และยุติธรรมเท่าเทียม

Key Entities

Person

Kittidet Chantangkul(กิตติเดช ฉันทังกูล)

Director of the Anti-Corruption Organization (Thailand).

Thipatra Salaewong(ธิปไตร แสละวงศ์)

Senior Researcher at TDRI.

Pol Maj Gen Chatrawat Saengphet(พล.ต.ต.ฉัตรวรรษ แสงเพชร)

Senator and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Independent Organizations, Anti-Corruption, and Governance.

Anutin Charnvirakul(อนุทิน ชาญวีรกูล)ℹ️

Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.

Pakorn Nilpraphan(ปกรณ์ นิลประพันธุ์)

Deputy Prime Minister.

Organization

Anti-Corruption Organization (Thailand)(องค์กรต่อต้านคอร์รัปชัน (ประเทศไทย))

An organization represented by Director Kittidet Chantangkul that monitors corruption.

TDRI(สถาบันทีดีอาร์ไอ)

An institute where Thipatra Salaewong serves as a Senior Researcher.

Senate Committee on Independent Organizations, Anti-Corruption, and Governance(คณะกรรมาธิการกิจการองค์กรอิสระตามรัฐธรรมนูญ การป้องกันและปราบปรามการทุจริต ประพฤติมิชอบ และการเสริมสร้างธรรมาภิบาล วุฒิสภา)

The Senate committee that organized the seminar on OECD standards.

Department of Local Administration(กรมส่งเสริมการปกครองท้องถิ่น)

A government agency accused of failing to take responsibility for exam leaks.

Local Government Personnel Selection Committee(กรรมการกลางการสอบแข่งขันพนักงานส่วนท้องถิ่น)

A committee involved in local government recruitment accused of shifting responsibility for exam leaks.

OECD(โออีซีดี)ℹ️

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development whose standards were discussed in the seminar.

Place

Parliament(รัฐสภา)ℹ️

The location where the anti-corruption seminar was held.