Local exam fraud probe widens as 5,925 removed, 13 summoned

The government has removed 5,925 candidates linked to irregularities in Thailand’s 2025 local government recruitment examination, while police have summoned 13 suspects and financial investigators are examining transactions involving more than 200 targets.

Government Spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek said on Saturday (August 8) that investigations were continuing beyond action against affected examination candidates to identify everyone involved in the wrongdoing. 

The government is pursuing the case on three fronts: dealing with examination lists, criminal proceedings and financial investigations.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has instructed agencies to follow the principle of “focus on conduct, not names”, meaning anyone linked by evidence to wrongdoing should face action regardless of their identity or position.

5,925 candidates removed over exam irregularities

The government said 5,925 candidates linked to examination irregularities had been removed from the process. The matter has been considered by the central examination committee, with the outcome reported on August 6 to the relevant central personnel committees for onward referral to provincial-level committees.

The examination authorities must now determine how to deal with positions left vacant by the removals, including whether to issue revised lists or move other successful candidates up the rankings to fill the vacancies.

Police summon 13 suspects

The Royal Thai Police have instructed investigators to summon 13 suspects, who fall into two groups based on the allegations against them.

One group includes a former director-general of the Department of Local Administration and the director of Srinakharinwirot University’s Educational and Psychological Test Bureau.

The allegations against this group include:

• misconduct or wrongful omission of official duties;
• falsifying official documents by a public official using the authority of office;
• certifying false evidence in official documents;
• jointly removing or causing the loss of another person’s documents;
• jointly falsifying official documents; and
• jointly opening sealed documents, or taking sealed documents, to obtain access to their contents.

The second group comprises 11 people accused of involvement in altering answer sheets. They face allegations involving secret-society and criminal-association offences, Section 188 of the Criminal Code and offences under the Computer Crime Act.

Once investigators have completed questioning and formally notified the suspects of the allegations, police expect to finalise the case file and send it to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) for further investigation by August 12.

AMLO traces financial links involving more than 200 targets

The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) is separately examining financial trails involving more than 200 targets connected with the investigation.

Rachada said their identities could not be disclosed because doing so could breach the law, adding that AMLO would continue its examination under the relevant legal procedures.

Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt, who chairs the Fact-Finding Committee investigating alleged fraud in the 2025 local government recruitment examinations, has completed the committee’s findings. 

The next step is to submit the report to Prime Minister Anutin for instructions, after which relevant agencies may proceed with civil, criminal, disciplinary and ethical action where appropriate.

Rachada said the three-track response was intended not only to pursue those responsible but also to restore fairness for candidates who took the examination honestly, rebuild public confidence in government recruitment and prevent similar irregularities in future examinations.