Seven remaining accused in the local exam fraud case, accompanied by their lawyers, appeared at the Crime Suppression Division, refusing to answer media questions. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior outlined a timeline for purging corrupt officials and appointing legitimate candidates.
At 09:55 on 10 Aug 2026 GMT+7, at the Central Investigation Bureau's complaint center, seven accused local government officials, along with two legal advisers, appeared before investigators from Division 2, Crime Suppression Division, under summons to acknowledge charges related to involvement in answer sheet tampering.
Reports indicate the seven accused arrived at the Crime Suppression Division before the 10:00 appointment time, gathering at a nearby café. As the time approached, all, including their lawyers, walked in single file to the building's entrance for facial scanning. When reporters sought comments, they declined to provide any interviews or information. They exchanged ID cards at security before proceeding to the fourth floor to hear the charges. Their legal advisers stated only briefly that they came as counsel following the summons.
This appearance by the seven local officials marks the final group after six key suspects previously appeared to acknowledge charges, including Mr. Theerut Supawiboonpol, former director-general of the Department of Local Administration; Mr. Ruangdet Sirikit, director of the testing bureau at Srinakharinwirot University; and four other officials involved in tampering with exam answers.
Mr. Nirat Pongsitthaworn, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior and acting director-general of the Department of Local Administration, disclosed administrative and legal procedures: following the announcement of the corrected list of passing candidates, on 10 Aug 2026 GMT+7, the Central Committee of Local Officials will issue operational guidelines to provincial committees nationwide.
The next steps in the process are as follows: