Phakmon questions why the Ministry of Interior has yet to form an investigation committee into the Line chat “Help Namngern.” The local civil service exam corruption remains quietly unresolved and without results. Meanwhile, Deputy Minister Worasit confirms all issues are under review, vowing to dig deep without leniency if anything is found to be amiss. Tags: [Ministry of Interior, investigation delay, local civil service exam, corruption, Deputy Minister Worasit]
On 25 June 2026, during a parliamentary session, Phakmon Noon Anan, party-list MP from the Prachachon Party, raised a live question to the Prime Minister regarding the transfers of civil servants in Phuket and allegations of corruption in local civil service exams. The Prime Minister assigned Deputy Minister Worasit Liangprasit of the Ministry of Interior to respond on his behalf.Tags: [Parliament, Phakmon Noon Anan, civil servant transfers, corruption allegations, Ministry of Interior]
Phakmon stated that the transfers in Phuket are not about individuals. Such major transfers had never occurred before unless there was obvious and serious wrongdoing. The lack of clarity affects not only Phuket but also the broader economy. The incident harms Phuket’s image and deters investors who fear clashing with entrenched influences and interests. Regarding the Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration’s Line chat seeking the Phuket provincial secretary's help “Help Namngern,” the transferred secretary has already been moved back without disclosure of any offenses. She asserted there should be an investigation committee to clarify the origins of this message.Tags: [Phuket, civil servant transfers, investor confidence, Department of Provincial Administration, Line chat]
Similarly, the case where the Thalang district chief sent a Line message to the Phuket provincial volunteer group urging support for a Bhumjaithai Party candidate near election time also quietly faded away. Recently, the exposure of local civil service exam fraud has become public knowledge, but only recently has the NACC taken proactive steps. All these issues have arisen within just a month, all implicating the Ministry of Interior and the Prime Minister. Phakmon expressed she does not want these issues to end quietly as they began with stern attitudes but then faded away.Tags: [Thalang district, election support, local civil service exam fraud, NACC, Ministry of Interior]
Phakmon further questioned whether the Line chat “Help Namngern” case will simply be ignored. NACC representatives at the Political Development Committee meeting noted that supervisors’ failure to investigate could be a disciplinary offense. Despite the Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration appearing twice before the committee to clarify, no investigation committee has been formed, even though initially the Prime Minister had firmly promised one.Tags: [Line chat, NACC, investigation committee, Department of Provincial Administration, Prime Minister]
Another question raised concerned the transfers of the Phuket governor and deputy governor, with the latter accused of benefiting from and being involved with influential figures. Yet, it is now clear no investigation committee has been appointed.Tags: [Phuket governor, deputy governor, transfers, allegations, investigation]
Phakmon asked whether the minister can confirm that the Ministry of Interior still adheres to good governance principles in these transfers. Otherwise, instead of valuing officials based on their work performance, it would become a matter of whose people they are.Tags: [Ministry of Interior, good governance, transfers, meritocracy]
Deputy Minister Worasit explained that the Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration had ordered five civil servants to assist in operations following complaints. Some have claimed this order was politically motivated, but according to regulations, this was not a formal transfer but a temporary assignment to assist investigations, giving them a chance to prove themselves. Once the investigation concludes, they return to their original posts. The department has finalized the investigation results and forwarded them to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior for further action.Tags: [Deputy Minister Worasit, Department of Provincial Administration, temporary assignment, investigation]
Regarding the Director-General’s Line chat, Worasit said the Interior Minister has already issued policies for investigation, and the Office of the Permanent Secretary is currently handling the matter. Recently, they ordered an explanation letter. It is now up to the Permanent Secretary to decide how to proceed.Tags: [Line chat, Interior Minister, Office of Permanent Secretary, investigation]
Worasit added that the transfers of the Phuket governor and deputy governor stem from undeniable workplace conflicts among senior officials. Each person has the right to defend themselves. The Ministry of Interior recently instructed an investigation into these issues, but no accusations have been made yet. The matter remains under review.Tags: [Phuket governor, deputy governor, workplace conflict, Ministry of Interior, investigation]
He said such a tense working environment cannot be tolerated, especially with many problems plaguing Phuket. Regarding forming an investigation committee, that authority lies with the Permanent Secretary, who has been instructed by the minister to investigate. The next step is to monitor how the Permanent Secretary acts.Tags: [working environment, Phuket, investigation committee, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior]
Worasit mentioned that hotel licensing, a major issue in Phuket causing local extortion, had been limited to only 40 licenses issued annually. The new team has already issued 20 licenses in two weeks. It is expected that the backlog of approximately 400–500 licenses dating back to 2018 will be resolved within 4–5 months. They are also supporting lawful operations for hotels and service providers.Tags: [hotel licensing, Phuket, extortion, backlog, lawful operations]
Phakmon followed up, noting that although the minister has issued policies regarding the Line chat “Help Namngern,” no investigation committee has yet been formed. The deputy governor and governor were transferred due to conflicts and inability to work together, but she insisted an investigation committee must be set up to clarify the facts. Simply stating the transfers were discretionary due to conflicts is unacceptable to society.Tags: [Line chat, investigation committee, governor transfers, conflict, public trust]
Phakmon emphasized that for the public to accept this, everything must be transparent and understandable. The public should know when transfers occur and, after completion, understand the processes involved.Tags: [transparency, public awareness, civil servant transfers, process]
She also questioned the large-scale local civil service exam fraud involving over 4.5 billion baht. In the past two days, more evidence has emerged, including audio clips linked to the Deputy Minister, whom the Prime Minister said likely is not politically involved. This contradicts public perception. Even if high-level officials are involved, without political complicity, such brazen corruption would be unlikely.Tags: [civil service exam fraud, evidence, Deputy Minister, political involvement, public perception]
Phakmon asked how far the government will pursue and punish those responsible, and to what extent political figures are involved. This requires the government and Prime Minister to show political courage. She wanted to know what policies the minister has planned ahead and how he views this corruption’s reflection on the Thai bureaucracy, noting the large patronage system under Bhumjaithai’s administration.Tags: [corruption accountability, political involvement, government reform, patronage system]
She asked how the minister plans to restore the Ministry of Interior’s and Thai bureaucracy’s dignity as a reliable institution for the people. The current situation is causing a crisis of confidence in the government. The problem is structural, not just individual or temporary.Tags: [bureaucracy reform, public trust, structural issues, Ministry of Interior, government crisis]
Worasit replied that political involvement in the exam fraud is both possible and impossible. In 2024, the Interior Minister at that time issued policies and appointed five agencies to monitor the exam process closely. The terms of reference required strict standards, including prevention and audit mechanisms.Tags: [exam fraud, political involvement, monitoring, terms of reference, government oversight]
He noted the NACC’s presence at the scene and how the terms of reference helped expose wrongdoers’ behavior more clearly. The government prioritized prevention early on. If influential groups had supported corruption, it would have been successful. Since the scandal occurred, it shows such support was ineffective.Tags: [NACC, prevention, corruption exposure, influential groups, government action]
Moving forward, the work must be thorough and swift. The NACC, Ministry of Interior, and police are actively investigating. The central committee has resolved to re-examine the exams simultaneously and emphasized that any findings will be pursued relentlessly.Tags: [investigation, NACC, Ministry of Interior, police, exam re-examination]
He stated that those who passed the exams fall into two groups: those who succeeded on merit and those who succeeded through cheating. The government must protect the fairness for those who earned their place legitimately.Tags: [exam fairness, meritocracy, corruption, government responsibility]
Regarding the future, there have been discussions since the last parliament to reform local civil service exam laws. The proposal is to allow local authorities to conduct exams themselves, initially referencing the Civil Service Commission’s exam, which has minimal complaints. Subsequently, local bodies would hold exams matching required roles and skills. The bill is expected for Senate consideration in second and third readings next week, aiming to prevent such problems from recurring.Tags: [legislative reform, local civil service exams, Civil Service Commission, Senate, prevention]
Phakmon’s third round of questions clarified she did not accuse influential figures outright but insisted the investigation must determine whether political actors were involved, testing the government’s political courage.Tags: [political involvement, investigation, government accountability, political courage]
She asked how the minister, as a policymaker and government representative, perceives the major bureaucratic corruption incident, what it reflects, and his forward-looking plans, stressing that this is a structural problem, not just individual.Tags: [minister perspective, corruption reflection, structural problem, policymaking]
Phakmon said the government must recognize this scandal as a mirror reflecting high-ranking officials exploiting the public. Buying positions reflects a closed, oppressive society that denies ordinary people security and equal opportunity, forcing them to rely on grey patronage systems to survive.Tags: [patronage system, social inequality, corruption, government accountability]
She added this is not merely an individual issue or a single exam scandal but a large structural loophole enabling corruption. Addressing it requires political courage to reform the system and structure.Tags: [structural corruption, political reform, system loopholes]
Worasit responded that he agrees these issues must be eradicated. Phakmon’s points align with their views. They must find the culprits, but the corruption involves many people and complex operations, so time is needed. The government’s intent is clear, evidenced by early involvement of multiple agencies monitoring the exam closely since last year.Tags: [eradication, complexity, government intent, multi-agency monitoring] He expressed confidence that the perpetrators will be found and that investigations will be thorough with no exceptions.Tags: [investigation, accountability, no exceptions, confidence]