Lisa Phakmon received a complaint letter from Lawyer Aun urging an investigation into a local government official exam fraud ring causing losses of 4.5 billion baht. Plans are being considered to revoke the NCPO order and restore exam authority to local governments, with the Ministry of Interior and the National Anti-Corruption Commission expected to be summoned for explanations.
At 09:00 on 2 July 2026 at the Parliament Building, Ms. Phakmon Noonanan, Chairperson of the Political Development, Mass Communication and Public Participation Committee, received a letter from Mr. Phattharaphong Supakorn, or Lawyer Aun from Buriram, requesting an investigation into fraud in the competitive exams for recruitment into local administrative organizations (LAOs).
Mr. Phattharaphong revealed that although the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) have arrested suspects and found clear evidence of exam tampering, the Ministry of Interior, as the supervising agency, has yet to take decisive action against the 'mastermind.' Instead, only those who exposed negative information have faced legal action. Therefore, he submitted the matter to the committee to use its authority to summon individuals and evidence promptly, as more than 1,000 honest candidates have already united as victims.
Ms. Phakmon stated that the committee has continuously received information and evidence from multiple sources, indicating that the damage is not limited to the present but links back to 2023–2024 and may involve the same fraud ring. The estimated loss is about 4.5 billion baht, marking this as a major corruption case requiring serious accountability.
"Currently, information and evidence are scattered between the Ministry of Interior and the NACC. If these remain separate, the committee will act as a central mechanism to conduct the most honest fact-finding, compiling and presenting findings for public scrutiny."
Regarding the timeline, the committee expects to include this issue on its agenda within this week and begin consideration immediately, even during the recess. They view the government's 7-day timeline or the NACC's 3-6 month schedule as "too long," given the damage already inflicted on the civil service system.
Asked about long-term solutions, Ms. Phakmon, speaking as a member of the People's Party, said the party firmly proposes repealing NCPO Order 8/2017, which centralized exam authority from local to central government.
Ms. Phakmon pointed out that the former NCPO justified the takeover by alleging local corruption, but this incident proves that centralization has not reduced corruption. Allowing LAOs to conduct their own exams, despite risks, would limit the scope of damage more effectively. The system should be improved by including external observers to monitor, similar to election oversight.
Additionally, Ms. Phakmon commented on the Senate's withdrawal of the Local Personnel Administration Act draft, stating that if reconsidered, it should be promptly improved to close corruption loopholes and reintroduced to parliament quickly, not just to ease public pressure. She also revealed initial discussions with Mr. Rangsiman Rome, Chair of the Legal Affairs Committee, to coordinate roles in dismantling this fraud ring.