Khunying Noi Slams Critics of SBDC, Calls for Civilian Anti-Corruption Commission to Tackle Graft
Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan defended the SBDC's corruption survey against criticism from state officials, calling for a civilian anti-corruption commission with private-sector participation to combat graft that undermines Thailand's economy
On May 16, 2025, Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan posted a message expressing her strong support for the SBDC committee's genuine commitment to driving Thailand toward Zero Corruption with private sector power. She emphasized that corruption is a major obstacle to national development and the primary cause of Thai poverty and economic decline. However, following the SBDC's release of a business survey revealing that corruption has intensified and undermines business operations and Thailand's competitiveness, the committee faced attacks from powerful officials controlling various state agencies. "The SBDC's courage in revealing these facts should not be met with stones, but rather with flowers and praise from those in power," Khunying Noi stated. She argued that if leaders were genuinely committed to fighting corruption, they would recognize the value of this survey data as a treasure trove of information the SBDC has provided to help tackle graft in government agencies seriously. She proposed making anti-corruption "a national agenda" by partnering with the private sector, whose members have direct experience with extortion by state officials and officials. These business owners know which officials in which agencies demand bribes and how. The government should support the SBDC's participation in anti-corruption efforts, an idea she and the Thai Build Thailand Party have proposed multiple times during election campaigns: establishing a "civilian anti-corruption commission." She recommended using this opportunity as a starting point to "formally appoint the SBDC committee to participate in concrete anti-corruption efforts," which aligns with the government's four T policy, specifically Transformation and Together. Therefore, she called on the Prime Minister to take corruption seriously by declaring "anti-corruption a national agenda" and establishing a "civilian anti-corruption committee" with representatives from both the SBDC and the private sector working full-time, which would benefit the nation and the government. She believed that if the SBDC were empowered and participated in anti-corruption efforts, corruption would decrease significantly, ensuring Thailand reaches #ZeroCorruption.