AS CHIEF Executive of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation, Paiboon Upatising sometimes is made offers he can refuse.

Corrupt suggestions, from corrupt people.

'''I give you 20 percent or 30 percent, you let me in,''' Khun Paiboon says would-be business partners tell him.

''I say 'I am not here for the money. I come here because people trust me to make Phuket a better city.'''

And that's as far as the graft goes - with Khun Paiboon, at any rate. In any event, Khun Paiboon is one of Phuket's wealthiest businessmen, and he doesn't need the extra money.

Besides, he has built his reputation as a Phuket administrator on transparency and being incorruptible, picking up several national awards for the organisation's clean approach along the way.

He has high hopes that one day, Phuket will not be corrupt. But he recognises that it will take time for change to occur.

''I want to make sure we build a good foundation for local authorities to follow,'' he says. ''If we set a good example, people will follow this system.

''Corruption is easy. it's much more difficult not to be corrupt.''

From the stands when FC Phuket's team is playing to the temples on festival days to fairs and road openings, Khun Paiboon's familiar face is almost always there.

This year will bring the launch of the organisation's own hospital in eastern Phuket City, colored pink, the same as the ''pinkie bus'' services around Phuket City. It's Khun Paiboon's favorite color.

The service will expand this year with a cross-city service from near the new hospital to the public park at Saphan Hin, with more buses at better frequency on all three routes.

Next, Khun Paiboon plans to expand the ''pinkie bus'' service north and south on Phuket.

''Patong to Karon would provide the most benefit for the locals,'' he says. ''But we have to make sure that we do the easy ones first.

''We need to make sure that people know what is good for them. We need good examples.''

He is not thrilled with proposals for a light rail service from the airport to Phuket City, making the point that ''many people come and only want to take.''

''The problem in Thailand is that if they have a monopoly service, people will pay a high price. We need public transport, but we have to talk.

''We have so many local authorities that have the concession on many routes. Even with the pink bus, we need to have more talks to expand.

''We have to make sure that local concessionaires agree with us.''

He says that corruption can be reduced if enough people are willing.

''We need good authorities to give them good hearts to do it,'' he says. ''Right now the problem is that we have 18 local authorities and one orborjor [the administrative organisation] with their own autonomy, for each one to have their own power.

''The problem is that when they get the power, they don't look after tourism. If you change Phuket to a special economic zone, these organisations will be against it.

''The future direction of tourism should be green tourism. But we need more consultation because right now some hotels still throw bad water and garbage into the sea. Some of them need more controls.

''I agree with green tourism, but we have to make sure that we have everybody participating. There needs to be more talking.''

Khun Paiboon has a role model in the Taiwanese Buddhist charitable foundation, Tzu Chi, which runs schools and colleges, hospitals, and even has its own ''Great Love'' cable tv channel.

The charity was founded by a nun, Cheng Yen, in 1966. She urged good-hearted people to give the equivalent of one baht a day, no more, to the cause, and the foundation has grown to such a size that it helps overseas in disasters such as Haiti in 2010 and has now spread to mainland China.

''The main thing is, there is no corruption in the organisation,'' Khun Paiboon says. '''God is in you, not in the temple, not in the church, not in the mosque,' she says. For me, she is a role model for transparency.''

Khun Paiboon says the idea of doing good for others is so ingrained that the schools run by the foundation have no janitors. A student who tops the class wins the right to clean the toilets. Service is reward for achievement.

''The more an organisation is clean, the more the community benefits,'' Khun Paiboon says. ''I will send our teachers to see their model.

''The direction is to make people do good things for people. That is the way I would like to lead Phuket.''

And corruption? ''I don't think you can get rid of it 100 percent,'' he says. ''But we have to try.''