New bill to combat corruption in Thailand’s public sector

A new bill designed to streamline licencing and establish standards for government services is in the works, promising to be a significant tool in combating bribery and corruption in the public sector, according to Wissanu Krea-ngam, the prime minister’s legal adviser.

Wissanu, during a lecture on preventing corruption in the public sector amid digital disruption, highlighted that this bill is an enhanced version of the 2015 Licencing Facilitation Act (LFA), which currently addresses only the licence application and approval process.

The new bill, currently under review by the Council of State, will extend to the application processes for public utilities like electricity and water services. State agencies will be mandated to create and update manuals that specify the required documentation, fees, and processing time for each service.

A one-stop service will be established to enhance convenience, and officials who do not meet the requirements could face disciplinary actions.

Wissanu indicated that the bill is expected to be submitted to the House of Representatives early next year.

“If the House passes the bill as it is, people won’t need to stop by district offices in most cases. They can make requests via an electronic system, which eliminates the chance of them being asked for bribes. And they can file complaints if their requests take longer than expected to be processed.”

Wissanu explained that the original LFA was drafted over two decades ago but faced objections from various ministries, preventing its submission to the House.

“They made some good arguments, such as it added costs and it couldn’t prevent bribery. The bill was shelved for 10 years until the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) came along.”

Anti-corruption efforts

The LFA was the first law scrutinised by the National Legislative Assembly, the body appointed by the NCPO.

“In a normal situation, this type of law would not see the light of the day.”

The LFA aimed to bring more transparency to the licence application and approval process. However, public awareness remains low, and it has not reached its full potential.

Wissanu also noted that the Cabinet approved a proposed amendment to the anti-graft law this week. This amendment aims to better protect witnesses and counter strategic lawsuits against public participation (Slapp), which are designed to intimidate and silence critics. The amendment will also be reviewed by the Council of State before being submitted to the House, likely later this year.

Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, speaking at the same forum, emphasised the necessity of a mindset change among state officials and senior executives in both the public and private sectors to effectively tackle corruption, reported Bangkok Post.