BANGKOK, THAILAND – Thailand faced a new warning sign on corruption as Transparency International’s 2025 index put the country at 33 out of 100 points and 116th place worldwide.
Poor score in global comparison
Thailand scored only 33 points in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025, which Transparency International released on 10 February 2026.
With this result, the country remained far behind in international comparison, indicating what the index described as structural problems in integrity, oversight and enforcement of rules.
ASEAN ranking – slide to 7th place
Within ASEAN, Thailand fell to 7th place after previously holding 5th position in the regional table.
Singapore (84), Brunei (63), Malaysia (52) and Vietnam (41) performed better, while Indonesia and Laos, each with 34 points, ranked just ahead of Thailand.
Where it inched up – but from a low base
Some data sources showed slight improvement, including PERC with 45 points, up from 41 in 2024, marking a third consecutive rise.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) score also edged up to 35 from 34, and V-Dem improved to 30 from 29, though the WEF value stayed clearly below levels seen between 2020 and 2022.
Where Thailand plunged – especially on bribery
The sharpest declines came from sources that assessed bribery and state control particularly strictly: in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook, Thailand dropped to 26 points from 36 the previous year.
The Bertelsmann Stiftung Transformation Index fell to 30 from 34, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) to 34 from 35, and the World Justice Project to 32 from 34, further undermining confidence in state oversight.
Unchanged risk signals from the economy
Two assessments remained unchanged: S&P Global Insight kept Thailand at 32 points, and the PRS International Country Risk Guide maintained its 33-point rating.
However, this stability did not amount to an all-clear, as it reflected a persistently high level of expert scepticism about corruption risks in political-business ties and day-to-day commercial activity.
What Transparency International called for
Transparency International recommended, among other steps, independent and transparent courts, traceable procedures, and the publication of verdicts and relevant data.
The organisation also urged greater transparency in party and campaign financing, stronger protection for civil society and whistleblowers, tighter control of the state budget and consistent prosecution of corruption and cross-border financial flows.
“Is it enough to fine-tune individual mechanisms, or does Thailand, in light of the CPI setback, above all need more visible investigations, trials and tangible consequences for officials?”
said nationthailand.com, posing questions to readers.
“Which reform is, from the readers’ point of view, the most urgent: more budget control, open party donations, stronger press freedom or a judiciary that withstands political pressure more effectively?”
said nationthailand.com, highlighting the debate over priorities for change.