Thailand has fallen seven places, to 108th out of 180 countries, in the annual survey on corruption published by Transparency International.
The Corruption Perceptions Index 2023, released on Tuesday, ranks countries by their perceived levels of public-sector corruption according to experts and businesspeople. Scores are assigned on a scale of zero (most corrupt) to 100 (least corrupt).
Denmark (90 points), Finland, New Zealand, Norway and Singapore were the top five, in order, in the 2023 survey.
Thailand’s CPI score of 35 out of 100 was down from 36 in the previous survey, but improvements made by other countries depressed Thailand’s overall ranking. In the past decade, the best CPI score the country achieved was 38, in both 2014 and 2015.
The latest results represent a reversal from 2022, when the country climbed nine places, to 101st from 110th.
Berlin-based Transparency International said the results of the 2023 survey showed that most countries have made little to no progress in tackling public sector corruption.
“The CPI global average remains unchanged at 43 for the twelfth year in a row, with more than two-thirds of countries scoring below 50. This indicates serious corruption problems,” it said.
According to the Rule of Law Index, the world is experiencing a decline in the functioning of justice systems, Transparency International said.
“Both authoritarian regimes and democratic leaders undermining justice contribute to increasing impunity for corruption and, in some cases, even encourage it by removing consequences for wrongdoers,” it said.