In 1997 a bunch of new mechanisms were included to the country’s new constitution.
The major improvements were the creation of the independent National Counter-
Corruption Commission and the Public Information Disclosure Act (actually there has
been a Counter-Corruption Commission since 1975, but it remained a paper tiger due to
lack of investigative power). In addition, laws have been passed to ensure that politicians
and high-level government officials provide full disclosure of their assets and liabilities.
Nevertheless the results have only been limited. As mentioned before, the major problem
is the clash between Thai traditions and the new methods of fighting corruption. As
addressed by Professor Chong /12/, laws that are not widely accepted by the culture are
rarely effective because of the lack of legitimate recognition. To adjust the old values to
the new counter-corruption measures, it is vital that the initiative comes from the public.
The role of the youngsters and professional classes will be decisive