Top 5 rating of government agencies by bribe size (average amount per incident): 1.

Beautiful article in Thaiger about bribes. According to the results of a nationwide survey published this week by the coalition of leading private sector organizations in Thailand, nine out of ten businesses in the country have faced demands for bribes from government officials. Meanwhile, the Department of Environmental Quality Promotion topped the list for the highest average payment requested per "meeting". The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCIB), which includes the Thai Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Thai Industries and the Thai Bankers' Association, conducted the survey jointly with its "Zero Corruption" working group. In the survey, which took place in March and April 2026, 401 business operators and private sector representatives from across Thailand participated. - 89.1% of respondents said corruption is a moderate or serious obstacle to doing business. - 51.2% reported that the situation has worsened compared to three years ago. Only 3% think the situation has improved. - Among those who applied for government permits or licenses, 60.9% said they received implicit hints or direct demands for payments or other benefits. - 37.3% of respondents noted that to win a state tender, an additional payment of 11-15% of the contract cost is required. The most common form of bribery in Thailand is cash (46.6%). Next come gifts and hospitality (23.1%), as well as donations or sponsorship (18.7%). Top 5 government agencies by bribe size (average amount per incident): 1. Department of Environmental Quality Promotion: 102,160 THB. 2. Marine Department: 100,000 THB. 3. Excise Department: 94,667 THB. 4. Revenue Department: 89,498 THB. 5. Judiciary (excluding courts): 88,750 THB. If evaluating agencies by frequency of requests relative to the number of contacts, the traffic police (100%) took the top spot - this means that a request or offer to pay was recorded at every interaction. Next came the judiciary (94.4%), administrative organizations of tambons (SAO) (91.7%), and the Marine Department (90%). The main reasons why businesses agree to bribes: - Complex bureaucratic procedures (29.1%). - Laws giving officials excessive discretionary powers (25%). - The need to resolve problems arising from non-compliance by the business itself with regulatory requirements (18.8%). Despite the gravity of the situation, 52.3% of those polled said they do not trust government channels for information on corruption, and 43.7% admitted they would not report a bribery case even if they were witnesses. In response to the publication, the Department of Environmental Conservation dismissed the study's results, stating that its activities are transparent and subject to scrutiny at all stages. —— Have you ever been hinted at paying a bribe? @REAL_PHUKET For readers: Be prepared for possible hints of bribery when interacting with government agencies, but know your rights.