Phradorn launches the Khaosan sandbox to tighten control over bribery involving government officials and illegal entertainment venues, warning of disciplinary and criminal penalties within 30 days and moving cases into the justice process.
At 12:00 on 19 Oct 2026 at the Government House, Mr. Phradorn Prissanantakul, Minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office, announced the outcome of the meeting of the Subcommittee on Anti-Bribery and Public Sector Corruption Risk Management. He said the meeting focused on a current issue: Deputy Minister of Interior Pol. Peer Suwannachawi recently cracked down on several entertainment venues, the latest in Rayong province, where repeated incidents have occurred over the past few months. They raised concerns and sought solutions together.
Mr. Phradorn said the meeting resolved to assign the Office of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) to work with the Metropolitan Police Bureau and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to explore solutions. First, they must examine legal loopholes that enable bribery. After studying this, the three agencies will collaborate to address the problem starting with Khaosan Road as a sandbox to straightforwardly tackle bribery issues, aiming to reduce extortion as much as possible, in line with government policy. After the Ministry of Interior's sweep, their committee’s role is to follow up and strictly prosecute officials violating the law.
Mr. Phradorn added that legal gaps, such as those in the Building Act and Establishment Act, pose obstacles to opening entertainment venues, creating opportunities for extortion and bribery. Therefore, they must identify these barriers and consider regulatory amendments. If legal amendments are needed, the government will proceed by determining the responsible agencies to draft revisions or possibly have political parties propose legislative amendments, which might speed the process.
Mr. Phradorn said the 'One Department, One Transparency' policy is a major government initiative. Thirteen pilot agencies proposed ways to realize this policy during the meeting. He assigned the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission together with PACC to coordinate with hundreds of government agencies to expedite implementation.
Asked about the recent KTV entertainment venue crackdown and reports that officials, including those at the district level, accepted bribes, Mr. Phradorn said he discussed with the Metropolitan Police Chief the punishment of officials who are aware of or alleged to be involved. Such officials will face both disciplinary and criminal charges. Disciplinary investigations will be conducted by committees within each agency, while PACC will coordinate with the police on criminal prosecutions. He emphasized that these cases must be handled as quickly as possible, with a maximum of 30 days to determine the nature of the violations and promptly refer cases to the justice system.