Honest leaders with a strong commitment to tackling graft are the key to success in fighting against corruption, said Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt, marking Anti-Corruption Day on Tuesday.
Speaking at a seminar in Bangkok, he said these key organisers play a crucial part in the prevention and suppression of graft.
The governor cited three types of leaders.
Those in the first category are at the centre of corruption, and are surrounded by subordinates who have bribed their way into a spot where they both serve and feed off their corrupt bosses, said Mr Chadchart.
Although the second type of leaders have a clean sheet themselves, they have frequently turned a blind eye to the wrongdoings of subordinates.
The third type is both corruption-free and committed to fighting to eradicate corruption, said the governor.
Corruption may come in the form of a gift, regardless of its value, offered to officials.
City Hall has a zero-tolerance policy on gifts of any type and strictly follows the guidelines of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) on such matters, Mr Chadchart said.
He likened government officials' getting used to receiving free gifts from private parties to a tiny, infected wound that will eventually turn into the tetanus of corruption.
"If we weren't worried about our own interests so much we would never owe anyone anything and any influential figures would mean nothing to you. Stick to fair and accountable principles and serve nothing else but the public interest," the governor said.
Aside from leaders with a clean sheet, functional anti-corruption networks and effective graft-fighting technology are crucial in waging war against corruption, said Mr Chadchart.
The Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand (ACT) has introduced AI technology which has been developed to give members of the public the ability to alert authorities to graft at the touch of a button, said Wichian Phongsathorn, president of the organisation.
The use of this AI technology recently led to a successful attempt to disclose irregularities surrounding Samut Prakan's notorious procurement of solar-powered street lamps topped with mythical kinnari figures, he said.