PATTAYA, Thailand – Thailand’s slide to its lowest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) score in 19 years is more than an embarrassing statistic. It is a warning signal — one that cuts deep into governance, public trust, and the country’s economic future. With a score of just 33 out of 100 in the 2025 CPI, Thailand now finds itself ranked 116th globally, a position that reflects not perception alone, but lived experience for citizens, investors, and visitors alike.
Corruption in Thailand is not confined to headline-grabbing scandals or high-level politics. It seeps into daily life — from opaque licensing systems and selective law enforcement to informal payments, favoritism, and regulatory inconsistency. These practices erode confidence in institutions and create an uneven playing field that punishes honesty while rewarding connections.
Nowhere is this more visible — or more damaging — than in Thailand’s tourism-dependent cities.
Pattaya is one of Thailand’s most internationally recognized destinations, welcoming millions of visitors each year and serving as a major engine of local employment. Yet it is also a city where long-standing governance challenges are on constant display.
Tourism operators and long-term visitors regularly complain of unequal enforcement of laws, where regulations appear flexible for some and rigid for others. From zoning violations and illegal constructions to beach management, nightlife operations, and transport services, the perception persists that rules are often negotiable — provided the right channels are used.
This environment creates three serious consequences.
First, it undermines safety and standards. When inspections, permits, or enforcement can be bypassed, public safety becomes secondary. Tourists may not see corruption directly, but they experience its results — unsafe buildings, poorly regulated transport, and inconsistent security.
Second, it damages Thailand’s image. In an age of social media and instant reviews, stories of scams, bribe demands, or selective policing travel fast. For a country competing with Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and even Japan for high-quality tourists, reputation matters more than ever.
Third, it discourages quality investment. Reputable investors seek transparency, predictability, and rule of law. When business success appears tied to connections rather than compliance, serious investors hesitate — leaving space for short-term, low-quality ventures that do little to build sustainable tourism.
Corruption and tourism form a dangerous feedback loop. High tourist volumes generate cash-heavy businesses, which in turn create opportunities for rent-seeking, informal payments, and regulatory capture. Over time, enforcement agencies risk becoming reactive rather than principled, and public confidence erodes.
This also fuels resentment among locals, who see public spaces misused, laws inconsistently applied, and economic benefits flowing unevenly. For long-term foreign residents and repeat visitors, it reinforces a growing sense that Thailand is becoming harder — not easier — to live and do business in fairly.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s pledge to elevate anti-corruption to a national agenda is politically significant. His acknowledgment that a CPI score of 33 is a “failing grade” is unusually blunt by Thai standards.
But Thailand has heard strong words before.
The real test will be whether enforcement becomes systemic rather than symbolic — whether laws are applied consistently at local levels, whether agencies are insulated from interference, and whether corruption cases lead to visible consequences, not quiet transfers or retirements.
For cities like Pattaya, reform must go beyond slogans. It means transparent licensing, digitalized procedures, equal enforcement across all operators, and protection for officials who do their jobs honestly.
Thailand’s tourism sector is recovering in numbers, but not necessarily in quality or confidence. As global travelers become more discerning and investors more cautious, corruption is no longer a “domestic issue.” It is a competitive disadvantage.
If Thailand wants to move beyond mass tourism and attract higher-value visitors, families, retirees, and long-term investors, corruption cannot remain an accepted background noise.
The CPI ranking is not just a score. It is a mirror. And for Thailand — especially its showcase cities like Pattaya — the reflection is becoming harder to ignore.
