Paying for jobs

The following quote I found in the 1976 book Modern Thai politics in the introduction to the chapter on national politics.

In recent years, for example, the former Deputy Prime Minister Marshal Prapat had control over the hiring, firing and transferring of provincial governors and district officers. In addition, he controlled hundreds of bureaucratic positions in the Ministry of the Interior. As such, throughout the Kingdom, there were literally thousands of bureaucrats who owed their job to Prapat and who were accountable to him. These persons sent monetary gifts to Prapat and to their more immediate patrons as a sign of gratitude and as insurance that their jobs would remain secure.
Google Books

Praphat Jarusathien (ประภาส จารุเสถียร, 1912-1997) was Ministry of Interior from 1957 till 1973. I don't know whether the described corrupt system was continued after the 1973 revolution, or it was limited to the rule of Praphat as Interior Minister. But it's interested to see that just recently for the 2009 province governor reshuffle such allegations surfaced again.