The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is looking into a claim that a public works official extorted 300,000 baht from a contractor, a source said.
The source said the issue was raised by Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt at a meeting of executives from the BMA's 50 district offices on Thursday.
During the meeting, he referred to complaints about a lack of transparency among BMA officials as he stressed the need for all district office directors to take a proactive approach in dealing with the problem, the source said.
Mr Chadchart said he had received a complaint about a public works official demanding a kickback of 300,000 baht from a contractor who applied for a construction licence, the source said. The source added that the contractor was a friend of Mr Chadchart.
"I know the identity of the official. There is also a photo taken as evidence, and it was sent to relevant officials to investigate.
"The issue must be dealt with decisively. The district office director [who is the official's superior] cannot dodge responsibility and must take action," the source quoted Mr Chadchart as saying.
There are still several cases involving BMA officials extorting money from contractors applying for licences in other districts that need to be dealt with, the governor was quoted as saying.
The source added that the official works at the Pathumwan district office and demanded a kickback of 300,000-350,000 baht from the contractor.
The contractor refused to pay, insisting that he had followed procedures properly and brought the matter to the attention of the Bangkok governor, the source said.
