The Prime Minister ordered the cancellation of problematic local official exam results, even for those already appointed, condemning senior civil servants as worse wrongdoers. He declared that officials at the Department of Local Administration who are suspected or accused must be removed from their duties as soon as possible.
At 09:13 on 24 June 2026 GMT+7 Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, arrived at Government House to summon Mr. Worasit Liangprasit, Deputy Minister of Interior; Police Lieutenant General Natthasak Chaonasai, Commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau; Mr. Atsit Sampantharat, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior; Mr. Phumvisan Kasemsuk, Secretary-General of the Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC); and related agencies for a meeting at the Thai Khu Fah Building, following the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and the Anti-Corruption and Misconduct Suppression Division's recent actions. They had arrested a corrupt network involved in the local official recruitment exams. The corruption caused losses exceeding 4.5 billion baht, leading to the transfer of Mr. Theerut Supaviboonpol, Director-General of the Department of Local Administration, to a non-active post.
At the start of the meeting, the Prime Minister thanked all agencies present for coming promptly. He acknowledged that everyone understood the seriousness and public concern over the matter. He invited police, PACC, administrative officials, and NACC to explain the situation and future actions, including prosecuting offenders, confiscating assets gained from corruption, and punishing those involved—especially within the Ministry of Interior, which may extend beyond the Department of Local Administration. Full efforts will be made to investigate and plan next steps.
Regarding the exam, it is clear that the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior must cancel the results even though they have been announced, because the process was flawed from the start. Anyone affected must seek redress themselves. The fact that appointments and exam results were announced cannot be used as justification; if the process was illegal, cancellation is necessary. There is no need to fear lawsuits if investigations, prosecutions, and judgments are properly conducted with evidence.
The Prime Minister emphasized, “Therefore, anyone appointed through this corrupt mechanism is disqualified, and this approach must be taken. I will not accept anyone claiming the results stand just because they were announced—this is unacceptable as it stems from corruption. Nonetheless, I commend all agencies involved for acting swiftly and decisively without leaks, in accordance with the memorandum of understanding we signed to prevent and suppress all forms of corruption, maintaining strict confidentiality.”
At the same time, the Prime Minister praised all officials involved, saying he had followed their operations via media and official reports, observing their commitment and fearlessness against any influence. If anyone is involved or connected, whether at central or local levels, he urged prompt action. It is known that some Department of Local Administration officials are implicated, so the Ministry of Interior should instruct provincial governors, such as in Phetchabun Province, to promptly remove suspected or accused personnel from their duties. The Ministry of Interior understands the urgency implied by "as soon as possible."
We must all cooperate because this is a brazen offense that damages the nation's progress. We appoint civil servants to govern the country, yet corruption has crept in from the start. Those genuinely diligent candidates have been displaced by corruption. Worse still are senior civil servants who allowed this process to occur. We must suppress and prevent this and prosecute to stop it, as it harms the country and betrays the nation. Trust that the government is stable and fully committed to this effort without holding back. There will be no protection for anyone. This is impossible because we are doing what is right, as Thai civil servants are very important.