The Local Affairs and Anti-Corruption parliamentary committees are teaming up to summon the Department of Local Administration and Srinakharinwirot University next week to explain the local exam corruption issue. MP Asaphon of the Bhumjaithai Party expressed gratitude for the first successful crackdown on the fraud.
At 15:05 on 23 June 2026 at the Bhumjaithai Party headquarters, MP Asaphon Sontraiphop Asaphon Sontraiphop, Member of Parliament for Sisaket representing the Bhumjaithai Party and chairman of the parliamentary committee on anti-corruption, spoke about the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) together with the Anti-Corruption Police Division conducting raids and arrests related to a local government official recruitment exam fraud network in Nonthaburi. He thanked the two agencies, noting that the fraudulent practice of paying under-the-table fees to secure local government official positions has been known since 2025. This issue shocked citizens and aspiring local officials, especially farmers' children dreaming of government service.
Asaphon added that as an MP, he had filed complaints and brought Sisaket residents to report the fraud to Anutin Charnvirakul, then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, on 5 January 2024. This led to a memorandum of understanding signed on 25 January 2024 among five agencies involved in anti-corruption efforts, which resulted in canceling the 2024 official recruitment exams due to allegations of bribes ranging from 300,000 to 800,000 baht.
In 2025, complaints about the exams persisted, prompting Asaphon to alert Anutin again, leading to today’s raids and arrests in Nonthaburi. The damage is estimated at over 4.5 billion baht, involving more than 3,000 individuals. This is the first time such exam corruption arrests have been made despite longstanding suspicions without prior arrests. He thanked the NACC and the Anti-Corruption Police for restoring public confidence and encouraging honest exam participation. Parliamentary committees will continue investigating the matter.
Meanwhile, Kongkrit Chatmaleerat, MP for Ranong from the Bhumjaithai Party and chairman of the decentralization and local administration parliamentary committee, said he has discussed joint investigations with Asaphon. They plan to summon the Department of Local Administration and Srinakharinwirot University, as exam organizers, next week for explanations to verify whether corruption occurred. After gathering information, they will forward it to responsible agencies for further action.