The Prime Minister will not wait for the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to complete its investigation after discovering that 5,000 new local government officials had exam scores that did not match, reflecting "collaborative cheating." He is rushing to verify the facts before removing their appointments, reclaiming salaries, and pursuing criminal charges against them.
On 7 Jul 2026 GMT+7, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul spoke about the results of the recruitment exam for 15,000 local government officials, noting that 5,000 had discrepancies between their answer sheet scores and the announced results. He said this indicates collusion in cheating and stressed that it is the government's responsibility. The government itself did not cheat or support cheating, but some exploited loopholes or assumed the process was completed and evidence would eventually be destroyed over time, thus ending the case.
“This has happened before; I canceled the process once. When I did, preparations were made to confront these groups, but some claimed the cancellation was premature because not all candidates had been found. Such statements were unfounded,” Anutin said, adding that these accusations were baseless.
When asked what would happen to those already appointed and receiving civil servant salaries but whose scores do not match their answer sheets, Anutin said there are procedures for dealing with wrongdoing that do not require waiting for a court. It falls under the Ministry's administrative authority to cancel appointments if they are improper. When asked if he would order the suspension of all 5,000 local government officials' appointments, he said this is the authority of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior as head of the civil service.
Asked if the 5,000 officials would be allowed to work until the NACC reaches a conclusion, which could take a long time, Anutin said that would not be the case. Within the Ministry’s internal management, there is sufficient evidence to revoke the appointments, recover salaries, and initiate criminal proceedings because the appointments were improper.
When asked if the committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt would decide to remove the names of those appointed without waiting for the NACC, Anutin said the NACC handles civil service disqualifications, but the management of the exam and results is a separate matter. If the exam answers do not match the announced scores, it must be proven who altered the exam and how, as scanned files of the exams exist. If discrepancies are clear, internal regulations must be applied by the relevant department.
Asked if more than the 15,000 people would be investigated, since 400,000 people took the exam, Anutin said the Ministry of Interior must first handle the 15,000 already appointed. The bigger picture is being handled by the NACC, with the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) involved. The Ministry may also file a complaint as a victim.
Regarding those currently fleeing, Anutin said civil servants typically establish themselves locally and cannot easily escape since they are known to the public. He cannot guarantee if anyone will flee, but if they do, they will not be able to remain in Thailand. Moreover, corruption cases have no statute of limitations.
Asked if this issue would undermine confidence in the government, Anutin said it would not. The government came to build trust and has never before been able to rapidly suppress corruption and take action as quickly as this administration. This is not a matter of skill but a refusal to show favoritism, with all agencies collaborating to pursue cases as a unified team.