Corruption in Thai Culture

[Dodger]

Paying money under the table to get things done or avoid some sort of penalty is so common-place in Thailand that it’s actually considered acceptable practice by Thais at all levels of society - which is the part that mystified me the most when I was a newcomer. In short, Corruption is the axle of the wheel in which all spokes rotate.

I remember my very first visit to Thailand when I walked into a meeting room at a company in Rayong that the U.S. Corporation I was representing had just purchased anxious to meet some of the new employees. Little did I know that most of staff were recruited based on a Pay-As-You-Go scheme, where money had been paid to the HR Director for each position including the positions for engineers and other technical staff who were crucial to the operations.

My visit had to be extended by two weeks because of the disaster we had on our hands. Not only were half of the newly hired staff lacking experience and education needed for their positions, not one single Thai person in the upper management ranks seemed to understand why this was so important to me. Our timeline for start-up of the new multi-million dollar investment had to be extended by nearly 12 months as a result. I went to dinner with the Thai HR Director that evening (which was just 3 days before I had him terminated) who explained this aspect of Thai culture to me.

This was my first exposure to “True Thailand” and I’ve since gone on to see this Pay-As-You-Go scheme in just about all aspects of the culture, including areas where I needed to get involved as an expat, e.g., immigration, Thai driver licenses, property ownership, etc.

Personally I don’t let this bother me…just remind myself that this is not my country…follow the rules…enjoy the fruits-of-the-valley…and let them worry about the problems that corruption causes.

There has been more political focus on the subject of "Corruption" then probably any other time in Thailand's history...partly due to the powers of the internet which expose corruption on a global scale, as well as Move Forward's main charter which was to rid Thailand of corruption - which is today the main concern of the younger generations.

That said, Thailand's International Anti-Corruption Commission (IACC), which is headed by a Police General, is under a lot of pressure to help alleviate this problem before Thailand loses all credibly (Internationally). Seeing as THEY ARE ALL IN IT...it only makes sense that those-in-high-places will do anything in their power to protect themselves before the IACC digs their teeth in, and one of the maneuvers which seems to be playing out now is simply the "Legalization" of activities which were previously deemed as being "Illegal" which would keep the money flowing without putting themselves in legal jeopardy if investigated by the IACC.

Activities in Thailand which have always been illegal include things like; marijuana sales, prostitution, on-line gambling, gambling casinos, and paying money to avoid conscription in the military etc., all of which are reportedly under some level of consideration to become legal. Go figure!

[Gaybutton]

Activities in Thailand which have always been illegal include things like; marijuana sales, prostitution, on-line gambling, gambling casinos

It's only illegal if it's enforced, and it seems as if that is done selectively.

Sometimes it works in my favor, especially prostitution. When was the last time you heard about any Thais arrested for prostitution? Most prostitution arrests are when foreign prostitutes are caught. I guess they didn't have work permits . . .

It also works in my favor if I'm stopped for a traffic violation, and it doesn't matter if I did anything wrong or not. Since living in Thailand I have been stopped a total of 5 times. About 400 baht changed hands and I'm on my way.

My favorite example of that was the time I was stopped on the expressway when returning to Pattaya from Bangkok. It was on a 4-lane section of the expressway and there were around 8 police officers stopping cars. The officer who stopped me said I was in violation because I must drive in the left lane. Huh? There is no such law - and the best part is I was driving in the left lane. No matter, and by that time I had lived in Thailand long enough to know if I try to argue with them it won't end well. 400 baht and off I went.

[Montree]

For my boyfriend corruption is just a normal part of Thai life. Whenever an awkward issue arrises he will inevitably have a cousin who knows someone, who knows someone, and some money gets exchanged and the issue goes away.

He got arrested once and he called me on the Police Officer’s mobile as his had been temporarily confiscated. I negotiated and he was released. He never expected anything else and can never understand why I’m so often uneasy about some of the arrangements he makes.

When a problem came up over a proposed visit to the UK he couldn’t accept that I had no way to pay anyone in the UK to sort it out. Fake bank documents, fake letters from non-existent employers etc etc no problem! He had no idea what would have confronted him at Border Control in the UK and I never let him find out as I cancelled the proposed trip.

Sometimes being a Farang can work in my favour. I've twice been in a car driven by a Thai that has been stopped by traffic police who when they saw me inside just waved us on. Whatever the reason for the stoppage it was forgotten.

[Jun]

just 3 days before I had him terminated

Well done.

One effect of all this corruption is to make Thailand poorer than it would otherwise be. Which probably results in some labpur intensive services costing less than they would in a wealthy country.

[Dodger]

......Sometimes it works in my favor, especially prostitution. When was the last time you heard about any Thais arrested for prostitution?

Some estimate that Thailand's Sex Industry contributes 10% towards Thailand's GDP - which is roughly 500 billion U.S. dollars. Knowing that money is the primary catalyst for corruption it's not surprising that they leave Prostitution alone. Let's face it, very few of us would have even come here for holiday. let alone retire here, if this wasn't the case.

Estimates of income generated by the Sex Industry are reported annually along with annual GDP data, but what's not reported is the amount of $$$Tea Money$$$ that the industry generates which has a way of flowing against gravity to the highest levels. In theory, if they were to legalize Prostitution - this unreported tea money would simply stop flowing - so I think it's safe to assume that it could be a while before we see that happen.

[Dodger]

Hot off the press.

Thai Corruption Scandal's Exposed:

https://thai.news/news/thailand/thai-co ... ontroversy

[Gaybutton]

In theory, if they were to legalize Prostitution - this unreported tea money would simply stop flowing - so I think it's safe to assume that it could be a while before we see that happen.

I agree. Leave it technically illegal, but unenforced (for Thais engaging in it). That way the Thai prostitutes are making money. The tea money beneficiaries are making money. And those who wish to hire prostitution services are getting what they want and willingly spending money to get it. Everybody's happy.

Remove one factor and then nobody's happy. The way it is, it works beautifully for all.

In Pattaya when about once every three or four months I do see Thais arrested it is usually the late night lady-boys on Beach Road who are busy harassing people and pick pocketing. Even then, when on occasion the police round them up, they get fined about 200 baht each and then an hour or so later they're right back out there doing the same. Works just fine . . .

[Dodger]

......Leave it technically illegal, but unenforced (for Thais engaging in it). That way the Thai prostitutes are making money. The tea money beneficiaries are making money. And those who wish to hire prostitution services are getting what they want and willingly spending money to get it. Everybody's happy.

Remove one factor and then nobody's happy.

If they were to make Prostitution legal and remove the "tea money beneficiaries" everyone would be happy except the BIB. Works for me.

The sex workers would be in a position to receive labor rights and protections they currently don't have, and by keeping this industry underground (illegal but not enforced) all it does is breed all kinds of corruption. I would see this as a win-win situation. Where the third "win" is nothing but a deterrent to the supply-and-demand process.

I can also envision the Sex Industry expanding if it were legalized...with more Thais willing to work in the industry, much higher motivation for investors to open bars and other venues catering to the industry, an immediate increase in competition, thus keeping the costs for sex services low (if not lower than they are now), and last-but-not-least, increasing tourism handing TAT a huge win.

Who knows which way the wind will blow. This being Thailand anything's possible.

[Jun]

I agree. Leave it technically illegal, but unenforced (for Thais engaging in it). That way the Thai prostitutes are making money. The tea money beneficiaries are making money.

In practice, prostitution is tolerated for people of any nationality. Which is just as well, because if they restricted it to Thais, that would remove over 80% of the attractive prostitutes.
The only gogo bars worth visiting have a multi-national work force.

As for tea money collectors, I see no good reason to support them. In an ideal world, they would set a cut off date and execute anyone taking bribes after that date. However, I guess the judges take bribes, so perhaps that won't work.

[Gaybutton]

In practice, prostitution is tolerated for people of any nationality.

I should have been more specific about what I meant. The only prostitutes I see getting arrested are females, mostly foreign - from places like Kazakhstan and some African countries. That makes the news every three or four months or so - sometimes more often. I don't know if they are merely fined and released or get deported. There is rarely any follow-up published.

Sometimes lady boys get arrested but usually only if they committed crimes like pick pocketing or other forms of theft and got caught or violent crimes. They get arrested, but there never seems to be any follow-up as to what ends up happening to them. I'm guessing acceptable fines and nothing much more because often the news article states the same ones have been arrested several times for similar crimes.

Meanwhile I can't remember the last time I read about or heard of any boys arrested for prostitution - no matter where they come from. I have no clue why it happens that way, but there it is.