From the news about fraud in the 2026 local civil service exam that society is closely watching, today (24 Jun) the Prime Minister Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul announced the cancellation of all exam results of those who cheated, even if they have already been appointed, likening this group to "poisonous fruit " (a look at local government officials' salaries by position for 2026)
Many may wonder what this term secretly means, where it comes from, and why it is used in this context. Thairath Online will guide you to understand the “ Fruit of the Poisonous Tree ” theory in a concise and easy-to-understand way.
The “Fruit of the Poisonous Tree” (English: Fruit of the Poisonous Tree) means “ fruit from a poisonous tree ” — a legal principle used in the justice system as a metaphor to describe the rule of excluding evidence obtained unlawfully.
Thus, if the source or origin of the evidence is illegal, then anything derived from that evidence is also problematic. To visualize simply:
The “Fruit of the Poisonous Tree” is a legal doctrine rooted in the U.S. justice system. The phrase was first used in a 1939 court ruling, focusing on rejecting any results derived from an illegal origin.
The idea is that no matter how perfect the final result seems, if it stems from fraudulent actions, everything that grows from it is tainted, just like fruit picked from a poisonous tree, which remains unsafe to consume.
Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, called an urgent meeting with relevant agencies to follow up on the local civil service exam corruption case, ordering a swift investigation and strict prosecution of all involved, especially if officials under the Ministry of Interior are implicated.
Anutin stated that even if exam results have been announced, if the exam process is unlawful, all results must be canceled under the “ Fruit of the Poisonous Tree ” principle, since those benefiting from corruption lack qualifications. He confirmed the government will proceed decisively with prosecutions and no one will be protected.
“This is a serious matter that will harm the country's progress because we appoint officials to govern the country, yet they start with corruption from day one. Honest candidates who prepared sincerely are deprived of opportunity. Worse are senior officials who allowed this process to occur. This is what we must suppress and prosecute to prevent, as it harms the nation and betrays it.”
The local civil service exam is a crucial channel for selecting government personnel. Lack of transparency undermines public trust and unfairly denies honest candidates. Allowing corrupt individuals to hold office can lead to future corruption or misuse of power.
In summary, the “Fruit of the Poisonous Tree” (Fruit of the Poisonous Tree) is used symbolically in the local exam fraud case to emphasize that transparency and fairness must start at the beginning, because if the “ poisonous tree ” is allowed to grow, the resulting fruit can have long-lasting negative effects on the entire system.
"If the 'tree' is poisonous, the fruit that grows from it will also be contaminated..."
Thanks to:Judicial Office Magazine, Dulpa
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