Thailand’s score drops to more corrupt on organisation’s Corruption Perceptions Index

On a scale of zero to 100, with zero being highly corrupt, Thailand scores 35, according to a ranking on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. Countries that scored 100 were almost free of corruption. The average score of all countries was 45. Thailand’s ranking also dropped from 104 to 110 out of 180 countries. Nations ranked first place were least corrupt, while countries ranked in 180th place were most corrupt.

The anti-corruption agency only said countries in the Asia-Pacific region needed to make more efforts to tackle corruption. Transparency International reported that the most corrupt country in the world was South Sudan, with Denmark, Finland, and Sweden being the least corrupt. To measure corruption, the organisation measures these behaviours among others in the public sector: bribery, diversion of public funds, officials using their public office for private gain without consequence, excessive red tape in the public sector which may increase opportunities for corruption.

Other Southeast Asian countries had a wide range of corruption levels. Singapore was ranked as the fourth least corrupt country in the world, scoring 85. Malaysia ranked 62nd, with a score of 48. Cambodia, on the other hand, ranked as more corrupt than Thailand, in 157th place with a score of 23.

Transparency International collects data on each country from several reputable institutions, including the World Bank and World Economic Forum.

Sources: Bangkok Post | Transparency International | Transparency International