The above is excerpted from The Nation, which is well written (click here to go to the article)
Thailand has emerged as the second largest economy in Southeast Asia, with a projected nominal GDP of over 545 billion U.S. dollars in 2025, according to IMF data. This places it just behind Indonesia. Yet, this economic strength is alarmingly undercut by a serious transparency and corruption crisis.
Source: The Nation (Link to the original article)
Thailand ranks 8th out of 10 Southeast Asian nations in terms of transparency and corruption, based on the latest Transparency International report from February 2026. The country scored 33 out of 100 on the Corruption Perceptions Index, marking its lowest ranking in nearly 19 years and placing it globally at 116th out of 182 countries.
More disturbing is the deepening connection between Thailand’s political and business elite and international scam networks. Recent investigations have revealed close ties between prominent Thai ministers, former prime ministers, and the Cambodian scam network linked to the notorious figure Chen Zhe, who was recently extradited from Cambodia to China. This man is closely connected to top-listed Thai companies, some owned by current and former ministers. Even the former chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been implicated in dealings with Cambodian banks tied to the same scam networks.
This is not merely a transparency issue; it is a full-scale crisis. Thailand’s economic growth is being driven by individuals in corrupt power, raising urgent questions about the legitimacy, sustainability, and future stability of the nation’s economic success.
Without addressing these entrenched networks of corruption and holding those in power accountable, Thailand’s economic rise may be built on an increasingly fragile foundation.
It’s time to confront the harsh reality: economic power and entrenched corruption cannot coexist without dire consequences
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