Representatives from three political parties unveiled their visions and competed in wit on how they would address corruption in Thailand if they became Prime Minister.
At 17:30 on 30 January 2026, in the final stretch before the 2026 election, the debate “One More Debate with Thairath Election 69” hosted by Kai Pongsakem reopened the stage for a final contest before the election. The three party representatives were Phao Phum Rojanasakul, Deputy Leader of the Pheu Thai Party; Siriphong Angkasungkrit, Deputy Leader of the Bhumjaithai Party; and Dr. Weerayut Kanchuchat, the Prachachon Party’s prime ministerial candidate, all responding to the question: “If you had the chance to be Prime Minister, how would you solve corruption problems in these projects?”
The first to present his vision was Siriphong Angkasungkrit, Deputy Leader of the Bhumjaithai Party. He said the first necessary reform is the bureaucracy system, which currently places more emphasis on price than on quality. This is logical—some might say cheap and good exist, but in reality, cheap and good don’t always go together.
Therefore, many aspects of the bureaucracy need adjustment to consider both price and quality, not just construction. This also applies to equipment like computers; if specifications are high but price is low, the products are likely Chinese-made, as we know.
Secondly, increasing opportunities for the public to monitor government activities. Deputy Prime Minister Anutin has led Thailand to join the Open Government Partnership through a Cabinet resolution on 2 December last year, showing our commitment internationally that from now on, the public will have the right to jointly oversee government operations.
Regarding other structures in corruption, rules that reduce officials’ discretion must be implemented, limiting officials’ discretionary power to a minimum level.
On the other hand, Dr. Weerayut Kanchuchat, Prachachon Party's prime ministerial candidate, said, “I believe politics that begins with money also ends with money. Hence, the starting point of politics is very important. I do not oppose all large political families; they can contribute positively to democracy. However, if large families start with money and remain in the old economic system, problems may arise when they enter politics.”
Regarding anti-corruption measures, the first point is political will, but I want to emphasize that political will alone is insufficient. We must understand the details. Currently, the initial contracts in bidding are fully disclosed and usually well-structured, but subsequent contract amendments occur. Therefore, the Prachachon Party’s first proposal is to disclose both contracts and all amendments along the entire process to increase transparency.
Second, there is currently single-source procurement and special privileges for state enterprises in procurement processes. Even if each contract is under 500,000 baht, combined they exceed 400 billion baht. We propose a ministerial regulation, which the Ministry of Finance can amend, to increase competition.
Third, transparency processes are necessary. Currently, there are integrity agreements, but they are voluntary. For processes exceeding 100 million baht, external auditors should be allowed to inspect. These are the three main points to solve corruption proposed by the Prachachon Party, achievable within the first 100 days.”
Phao Phum Rojanasakul, Deputy Leader of the Pheu Thai Party, said, “We will defeat darkness with light, and the best light is technology used to detect corruption. We propose three factors for a digital government: 1. A government willing to be fully transparent to the public, 2. A government that uses digital technology to manage operations, and 3. The use of AI to assist in corruption detection.”
All three factors are essential: a government with the will to open up, but if the disclosure is not digital and remains on paper, it is useless. Then AI should be used to analyze data, such as in procurement systems.
Furthermore, licensing is an important issue leading to corruption. We need to implement digital systems to reduce human involvement, which will help reduce corruption.
The debate was broadcast live on Thairath TV Channel 32 and across all Thairath Online platforms.