Under the semi-democratic and democratic periods of the 1980s and 1990s, most of
the forms of corrupt revenue-gathering remained the same with minor changes. Ngoen
ratchakan lap and the blatant involvement with drug trading continued. Gate-keeping
and commission fees for licenses, government concessions and other privileges
remained intact, as exemplified by the ‘gift cheques’ phenomenon and the term
‘buffet cabinet.’ So was the conversion of public lands into private ownership by
powerful elected politicians, especially those provincial businessmen and local bosses
among the ranks of ‘Chao Pho’. Indeed this aspect of the rent seeking activities may
have been very large in the high growth period because of lucrative prospects.
Leakage from the annual budgets due to projects made up by businessmen and
approved by bureaucrats and commission fees on procurements and purchase of
equipments and supplies with ministers playing active roles was a common
occurrence.