Instead of simply pointing our fingers at Thailand's most powerful and blaming them for all the country's corruption, let's go deeper, have a look in the mirror, and delve into the root of the issue.

Let's begin with the good old-fashioned upcountry family. Even before a toddler can walk and talk, his delirious daddy on his unlicensed motorbike is already showing off to him, his amazing driving skills. Approaching the traffic lights with half the family packed on the back like a row of squashed sardines, he shoots left, then right, and takes a dare-devil U-turn. Toddler is thrilled at how daddy can save precious time swerving around the traffic laws without having to wait 60 seconds at the lights. Then, on approaching a police box, Toddler is again amazed at the way Daddy, like magic, one-handedly grabs his helmet in the front basket and quickly sticks it on his head like a clumsy construction worker.

A little later in the day, Toddler learns that it is absolutely pointless to stop for a red-light when there are no other vehicles around. Just drive straight through!

Toddler is soon enlightened further by his caring mummy. When she invites half the neighbourhood to the house on a sunny afternoon to play cards in the living room, he is taught to stay outside, keep guard and knock on the door five times if he spots a policeman passing by on his motorbike.

Having grown out of his diapers, the toddler eventually realises that one of Mum's favourite times of the year is the run-up to any kind of election. Opening the door to canvassers, she is delighted at the free bottles of fish sauce, washing detergent and tins of fried mackerel. For Dad, a small bottle of local hooch is also thrown in. Toddler sits back and hears Mum raving at the generosity of the candidate.

Before he is even five years of age, the average kid in the countryside learns that if you want to win the hearts and minds of the villagers, you need only cash.

A year or so later and it's time for school - and, of course, getting decent grades. The young student soon realises that the most efficient method for securing high grades, besides working hard in the classroom, is to attend private weekend or evening classes run by some of his teachers at their homes.

After paying the private tuition fees, he will score top marks for his homework assignments and even be given insightful information on the contents of the mid-year exam.

After private class in the evening, should the young student care to hang around a bit longer, he may have the opportunity to sneak a look through his teacher's front curtains and see her also dealing out cards to her friends. This time however, no guard is needed, as the teacher is married to a ranking local policeman.

The young upcountry student has been taught all the subtleties of corruption from the cradle, but there is much more to be learned in the epicentre of corruption conditioning - Bangkok.

The well-to-do Bangkokian kid also sees from a young age how his well-connected daddy is able to weave around laws by flashing a fancy name card or by dropping the name of some well-connected relative or acquaintance (preferably holding the rank of at least major general). Should a traffic policeman have the nerve to question him, the child will be thrilled at how Daddy advises the officer  along the lines of: "Now buddy, the last thing you need is a telephone call to your boss about your failing eyesight."

If parents' finances work wonders with the government education system upcountry, this is nothing compared to what can be got in the City of Angels. There are plenty of families who want to get their kid into a well-known private school, even though their child may be as knowledgeable as a dodo. Intelligence is strictly unnecessary, but a handsome donation is.

Preferred donations appreciated by some reputable schools, very often with Christian-sounding names, include minibuses, laptop computers or simply a cheque. In fact, a generous annual donation to the school's budget will guarantee that the child can be a complete delinquent while the administrators turn a blind eye.

A few years later, upon graduating, it's time to seek employment. With a certificate in one hand, it is also vitally important to have a "noodle" (connection) in the other. A couple of days before the interview at a prestigious company, good-old Daddy diligently calls around to all the noodles asking for their valuable assistance in getting the job for Sonny.

Should all the applicants have worthy qualifications, preference will be afforded to the one with the most influential noodle.

Many foreigners here in Thailand get up in arms at such injustice and lawlessness, but a great percentage of them are just as bad or even worse. Every week, we read letters to the editor that moan about the lack of basic law enforcement in Thailand. But just how many expats enjoy the benefits of corruption themselves? Innumerable expats love nothing more than explaining to newcomers where to get a beer on a Buddhist holiday. Some collect "noodle" name cards and they know the appropriate sum to stuff under the traffic policeman's helmet when they get pulled over. Complaining about the lack of law enforcement one day, they are furious the next. Out drinking at 2am they become fuming mad when a policeman stops and orders the bar closed.

For the long-term expat facing legal obstacles, there are plenty of law firms to turn to. With the help of cash money and the firm's noodles, legal miracles can be made to happen. So perhaps some expats ought to be a little bit more careful about one-sided whining, as they are just as fond of bending the law as the locals.

With so many folk participating in and enjoying the benefits of corruption from a young age, does this prove that corruption on a basic level is simply a social norm, accepted and practiced by people of every class?

Or does Thailand have too many laws? Are there so many rules and regulations that exist only to be broken?

Steve Suphan

Special to The Nation

Steve Suphan is the co-founder of www.thai-blogs.com.