There are no countries free of corruption but their internal justice systems must work efficiently to tackle the malpractice, he added.

Democracy was neither represented by elections nor a guarantee for a corruption-free society, he said.

"Countries like China and Vietnam are not democratic but they seriously tackle corruption and have clearer guidelines on this policy than Thailand, where 17 constitutions had been used and more than 100 elections held, but corrupt politicians are rarely brought to justice," he said.

Anand was speaking at Parliament House in a special session held by the NLA panel on the promotion of ethics and morality for politicians, officials and the public.

Comparing corruption to Aids, he said to fight it, preventive solutions were much more important than remedial measures. An anti-corruption mentality among the new generations needs to be achieved through indoctrination and with parents and teachers serving as role models for the youth.

Former prime minister Chuan Leekpai, a seminar speaker, said an Act promulgated in year 2000, as mandated by the annulled 1997 constitution, was aimed at promoting ethics among officials and political office-holders but was neglected by the Thaksin government since it took office the first time.

He said politicians were vital to process of eliminating corruption in Thai politics and vote-buying was the most dangerous practice - because it would make a corruption-free Thailand impossible, he said.

Prasong Soonsri, chairman of the Charter Drafting Committee who also chaired this panel, said Thai politicians lacked professional etiquette - and ethics - although they should have these two qualities higher than average individuals.

Political parties needed to employ stricter selection criteria and pick candidates with higher moral standards apart from their other good qualities to serve the public, Prasong said.