Juree, Democrat MP for Songkhla, highlights that local exam fraud deeply wounds the hopes of ordinary candidates without connections. He urges the government to expose the masked figure controlling a 5-billion-baht bribe network and to find measures to protect those who passed honestly.
On 24 June 1983 at the parliament, Juree Numkaew, Member of Parliament for Songkhla’s 2nd district from the Democrat Party, addressed the parliamentary session regarding the scandal involving corruption in local government civil service exams. The ring demanding bribes has been arrested, with losses estimated between 4,000 and 5,000 million baht.
Juree said that as someone from an ordinary family who entered civil service through personal ability without money or connections, he must speak up for honest candidates. This issue is not new but has long existed without being caught. This is among the first times the scale of damage has been uncovered. The fraudulent method has shifted from buying exam questions or answers beforehand to paying a lump sum to secure the position outright, then filling in answers during the exam, reflecting a deeply broken system.
"The magnitude of these losses shows how the state has neglected to prevent such massive exam fraud. This utterly destroys the hopes and dreams of ordinary candidates without money or connections. Some study day and night for months or years, taking the exam five or ten times before passing honestly. How will the government heal the hearts of these people?"
Juree further called on the parliamentary speaker to urge relevant agencies to thoroughly investigate and expose the masterminds behind the scheme, as the 4-5 billion baht bribe money surely involves more than just intermediaries. He believes some government officials are complicit. Regarding rumors about annulling all exam results, he warned that if this happens, the authorities must protect the rights and interests of those who passed honestly and were not involved in the fraud, to avoid further harming sincere candidates.