INDONESIA and Thailand are perceived as Asia's most corrupt economies, with last year's cellar-dweller the Philippines making a marked improvement, an annual survey of foreign business executives shows.
Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia ranked as the region's least corrupt economies, although there are concerns about private-sector fraud, according to the survey by the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC).
Despite the negative perception of Indonesia, PERC noted "there has been a real headway in fighting the problem" under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is seeking re-election in presidential polls in July.
"To be sure, the absolute scores show corruption in the public and private sectors is still very high," PERC said.
"But our latest survey shows that residents in Indonesia are more favourably impressed with the determined way the KPK (anti-corruption commission) has been fighting corruption than any of the other countries graded poorly for corruption."
It said the major question its respondents were asking in Indonesia was whether the anti-corruption efforts could be sustained.
The March results are based on more than 1700 responses from 14 Asian economies plus Australia and the United States, which were included for comparison purposes, PERC said.
In a grading system with zero as the best possible score and 10 the worst, Indonesia got 8.32.
Thailand was seen as the second most corrupt country with a grade of 7.63, but PERC said foreign investors were more concerned about political stability.
"Very few expatriate executives find that corruption makes the country a less attractive place to live and do business," it said.
Cambodia was seen as the third most corrupt country with a score of 7.25, followed by India with 7.21 and Vietnam with 7.11.
A grade greater than 7.0 indicates that a "serious" corruption problem exists, PERC said.
Perceived as Asia's most corrupt country in the 2008 survey, the Philippines had a score of 7.0 to rank sixth from the bottom this year.
It was followed by Malaysia with 6.70, Taiwan with 6.47, China with 6.16, Macau with 5.84, South Korea with 4.64 and Japan with 3.99.
A score between 4.0 and 7.0 indicates a "moderate" level of corruption, the Hong Kong-based consultancy said.
The Philippine customs and tax agencies, police and politicians have the meanest reputation for corruption in the country, the consultancy said.
But while "there is very little confidence in the Government's seriousness about fighting the problem," PERC also said that "the actual level of corruption is not as bad as it is often portrayed." Singapore again topped the survey as Asia's least corrupt country with a score of 1.07, followed by Hong Kong with 1.89.
Australia scored 2.40 to be in third place followed by the United States with 2.89.
On regional financial centres Singapore and Hong Kong, PERC said "it is possible that the pressures of the recession will result in an increase in corruption in the private sector this year".
The March results are based on more than 1700 responses from 14 Asian economies plus Australia and the United States, which were included for comparison purposes, PERC said.
Because we are so corrupted, we were born with that and so we don't know what is the word corrut or corruption mean. Actuely there no much real business in Laos. There were no data in the so called businesses. There are only corruption in the government within theirs high and low positions. So THere aren't something like Erron, several years ago or now in America like Mr Mandoff of Manhatan NY or Like many financial institus, Mortgage etc.... That the USA government have to put some money to help (Stimulus plan) or like may be Mr Thasin from Thailand. These here-before are Business corruption and NOT government corruption like Loas. Got that. I mean there aren't no case of business corruption in Laos. And remember Laos is a Democratic Popular country, there shouldnn't be any business in Laos,ccording to the rules of democratic popular termmanology. There are only transactions in the state, (khong lath) or government only. And so there aren't no corrupt ecconomies in Laos. No one in Laos are poor because the CEO of Beerlao took the 401 K of that person. Or no one in Laos lost his house, because Mr Kaixone misleaded the laotians and invested the mortgage's money in the wrong bank. The only thing that Mr Kaixone have done is that he didn't distribute the National wealht of Laos the all Lao. I know my Lao people are so undevelopped so they will never understand what I am explaining, sorry poor laotians, some days and if there will be some days.
and we are now developing in the right track 
