Thailand must change its laws to fully comply with the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), according to anti-graft commissioner Phakdee Photisiri.
Growling at graft: Supa Piyajitti, a member of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), holds up a placard with the message “Bite the Cheats”. The NACC held activities at its headquarters on Sanam Bin Nam Road in Nonthaburi yesterday to observe International Anti-Corruption Day. Thiti Wannamontha
Speaking at an event to mark the UN's International Anti-Corruption Day, Mr Phakdee said legal changes are necessary to enable transnational cooperation to fight crimes of corruption that transcend borders.
He said Thailand must ensure its laws comply with the UNCAC, which requires countries to extradite offenders and provide mutual legal assistance in gathering and transferring evidence for use in court cases.
Under the convention, countries must also undertake measures to help trace, freeze, seize and confiscate the proceeds of corruption.
"The current anti-graft laws do not address the issue of international or combined actions," he said.
Mr Phakdee said the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has proposed amendments to the National Legislative Assembly, which should ensure Thailand is ready to cooperate with other countries when the need arises.
"As the number of transnational crimes grows, the enforcement of treaties and sharing of best practices is essential," Mr Phakdee said.
Thailand ratified the UNCAC in 2011.
Elodie Beth, regional anti-corruption adviser for the United Nations Development Programme, said the country's legal framework is currently being evaluated by two other signatories to the convention as part of a peer review.
Nepal and Bahrain are the peer countries in charge of assessing Thailand's criminalisation provisions and international cooperation mechanisms to handle corruption cases. Thailand is assessing the laws of Benin and Sierra Leone.
"It is to see if the legal framework is consistent with international standards in this regard," Ms Beth said.
Following the review, the UN will be in charge of drawing up an action plan to point out which legislation must be revised to stay in line with the UNCAC.
"It's a soft-pressure mechanism which helps push for some reforms," she said.
Mr Phakdee said all state organisations in the country will have to conduct the UNCAC's Integrity and Transparency Assessment in 2015.
The self-assessment will rate administration bodies on tackling graft. Those that receive a score less than 60 out of 100 will have to make changes to their practices. The scores will be taken into account when considering future budget proposals or granting bonuses, Mr Phakdee said.