Bangkok: The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) has unveiled a survey indicating that the Highway Police and Traffic Police units are at the highest risk of receiving bribes among various government organizations in Thailand.
According to Thai News Agency, the survey conducted by the Joint Committee of the Three Private Sector Institutions (JCC), through its Zero Corruption Working Group, involved 401 business executives and representatives across the nation. The survey, carried out between March 26 and April 10, 2026, highlighted that corruption remains a structural crisis severely impacting Thailand's business environment. A significant 89.1% of businesses identified corruption as a moderate to significant obstacle, with 51.2% believing it has worsened over the past three years. Additionally, 51% reported increased difficulties in dealing with government agencies, while only 3% noticed any improvement.
The survey provided insights into direct experiences from the business sector, revealing that 60.9% of permit applicants encountered implicit requests for compensation during their recent applications. Furthermore, 45.9% of companies admitted to providing money, gifts, or benefits to government officials to expedite services, while 37.3% reported paying extra to secure government contracts, with bribes averaging 11-15% of the contract value. The most common forms of bribery identified were cash (46.6%), gifts/entertainment (23.1%), and donations/sponsorship (18.7%).
A notable finding in recent bidding processes showed that 27.3% of respondents encountered individuals claiming to "help win" contracts and received "hints" suggesting the use of certain intermediaries or advisors. Businesses cited complex procedures (29.1%), discretionary laws (25.0%), and resolving regulatory violations (18.8%) as primary reasons for paying bribes. Moreover, 52.3% of businesses expressed a lack of confidence in government whistleblowing channels, with 43.7% refraining from reporting bribery instances due to fear.
The survey ranked organizations based on bribery risk, with the Highway and Traffic Police topping the list at 100% compensation rates. Following closely were the justice system (excluding courts) at 94.4%, Sub-district Administrative Organization at 91.7%, and the Marine Department at 90.0%. The survey also revealed the top organizations with the highest average bribe values, led by the Pollution Control Department at 102,160 baht, followed by the Marine Department at 100,000 baht.
In response to these findings, the JSCCIB has called for policy measures such as implementing E-Government and E-Procurement systems to minimize face-to-face interactions, increasing penalties for corruption, and reforming regulations to improve transparency. The committee emphasized the importance of making government data publicly available to facilitate scrutiny and accountability.
Currently, various channels are available for reporting corruption, including the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), and civil society organizations like the Anti-Corruption Organization (Thailand) ACT. These channels aim to protect whistleblower confidentiality and encourage public participation in combating corruption.
The JSCCIB stressed that sustainable anti-corruption efforts require integrated cooperation from the government, private sector, and public. The committee is committed to supporting Thailand's sustainable growth through transparency and fairness, urging all sectors to work together against corruption.