Implementation Guidelines of the Anti-Corruption Act 2018 for Adapting to Private Sector, Thailand

Abstract

This study of guidelines for the implementation of the Anti-Corruption Act 2018 in the private sector, aimed at studying the nature and patterns or types of corruption in the Thai private sector, both large and small, which are widespread and have the most widespread effect on the economy and that is likely to intensify in the future, and study the measures for applying the Anti-Corruption Act 2018 to be applied in the private sector. This research was a qualitative study the documents, in-depth interviews and focus group discussion with 20 key informants from the following individuals: Chairman of the Industrial Council of Chaiyaphum Province, Vice President of Government and Private Sector Coordination, Vice President of Textile Industry Division, Vice President of Industrial Division, Manager of the Industrial Council of Chaiyaphum, and academics in public administration. The research results found that;

1. Corruption takes place in many forms, the most common of which are hiding facts or making false information, and tax evasion. In some cases, it is caused by several operations at the same time, such as creating false information or documents in order to encourage embezzlement from the company due to the intent of the person at the executive level or the director's co-operation behavior. Most frauds in small and medium businesses are caused by defrauding consumers or customers.


2. Measures for the implementation of the Anti-Corruption Act 2018 in the private sector should be performed as follows: (1) Measures must be taken to prevent fraud related to the private sector, enhance accounting and auditing standards in the private sector, and, where appropriate, provide effective civil, administrative or criminal sanctions. (2) Promote cooperation between law enforcement agencies and related private sectors. (3) Promote the development of standards and processes aimed at preserving morality and ethics. (4) Promote transparency. (5) Prevention of misuse of regulatory procedures for private entities. (6) Preventing conflicts between personal and public interests. (7) Ensure that private entities have adequate internal audit controls to assist in the prevention and detection of fraud and accounting and financial reporting as required by private entities. And (8) For giving and receiving bribes in the private sector, legislative and other criminal measures shall be taken when deliberate.