Local Government Exam Fraud: 5,814 Posts Suspended Pending Investigation

On July 15, 2025, Interior Ministry Permanent Secretary Arisit Sampatharatana appeared at the Central Investigation Bureau to brief journalists on the local government civil service exam fraud case. He stated that the Prime Minister has been closely monitoring the situation and attended today's central examination committee meeting as one of its members. After delegating initial oversight, Arisit found his own name under investigation, prompting his personal attendance. The Prime Minister wanted an update on the committee's review of all prior proceedings.

During today's meeting, irregularities were discovered in three rounds of 15,000 appointees, with 14,988 reporting for duty out of 15,520 who passed. Investigators compared submitted candidates' scores against raw answer sheets kept in safes and found 5,814 individuals with score discrepancies: 3,621 candidates had scores artificially inflated from failing to passing; 1,713 had scores bumped up to secure higher rankings; and 480 others had single-point errors or unclear scans requiring verification against the Anti-Corruption Commission's sealed documents.

When asked why the Prime Minister did not simply revoke the appointments himself, Arisit explained this follows the law governing local government procedures. The Interior Minister chairs the committee but must include representatives from all three local government bodies and their secretaries—six officials total—plus outside experts. Since the committee is collectively composed and appointed, not unilaterally designated by the Premier, decisions require joint deliberation. The 5,814 flagged appointments have been referred to the three local government committees for further action. If revocation proceeds, a complete recount will be needed and qualified candidates from the remaining pool will fill positions. Currently, all score sheets and answer documents are held by the National Anti-Corruption Commission.