When even the young are infected

National Anti-Corruption Commission chairman Panthep Klanarong said at a commemoration of International Anti-Corruption Day that every Thai citizen’s determination and cooperation were essential in fighting graft and creating a corruption-free society. His colleague Pakdee Pothisiri said it was easier to create a sense of moral and ethical obligation among young people than in adults. I beg to differ.

A United Nations Development Programme study on attitudes to corruption, carried out between September and October among 1,255 Thai university students, showed that 62.8 per cent of them believe it is “normal” to use personal connections to achieve their goals. More than 68 per cent said they would pay a bribe to get ahead. 

I would suggest that, as long as so many young people remain unfazed by graft, there is little prospect of success for the present campaign to eliminate corruption in Thailand. It would appear that it is a habit so ingrained in the Thai psyche that it could take generations to eradicate.

Edward Duhigg