The Central Committee on Local Official Examinations (กสถ.) has resolved to revoke the appointments of 5,924 local officials after discovering corruption. Preparations are underway to re-rank candidates from the 270,000 examinees, with completion expected next week. The committee dismissed rumors of lobbying, stating “it is too late now.”
At 16:50 on 17 July 2026, the Department of Local Administration, represented by Mr. Artsit Sampantharat, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, held a press conference after chairing a meeting of the Central Committee on Local Official Examinations (กสถ.). He said the meeting was convened again shortly after a previous session, prompted by distorted public information such as allegations of list manipulation. Today, they revoked scores showing irregularities after coordinating with relevant agencies. Critical data had been received since the day before and verified overnight, then presented at today’s meeting. The committee reviewed all scores of over 279,000 examinees out of more than 400,000 applicants, noting irregularities affecting 5,924 individuals. Upon reviewing adjusted scores, the committee decided to cancel the prior examination results and annul all existing local official appointment lists. The committee chair will sign a new announcement reflecting thoroughly re-verified scores and updated rankings, which are currently under careful review. The cancellation of the prior announcement and signing of the new list is expected early next week.
Mr. Artsit emphasized that this is not a new exam, since the correct scores reflect what candidates originally achieved. Instead, all prior lists are being discarded and replaced by a new list with scores and rankings recalculated for all 5,924 affected candidates. Initial checks revealed many irregularities early on, with some continuing irregularities found later.
When asked whether the new list will be cross-checked against the National Anti-Corruption Commission’s (NACC) flash drive data, Mr. Artsit confirmed that the timestamps on the announcement sheets differ by no more than four minutes from the exam times, matching the recording of examinees’ answers. These timestamps are precisely documented.
Regarding whether the committee has the authority to revoke appointments, since some questioned this power, Mr. Nirat said the agency responsible for issuing the appointments must also have the power to correct them. If the committee finds data to be incorrect, it has the authority to reconsider and amend its own decisions. He confirmed the committee’s jurisdiction to take these actions.
On the legal basis, Mr. Wanchai explained they are applying administrative procedural law concerning officials who issue administrative orders. If an order or information is flawed or incomplete, the issuing official must rectify it. When asked if this order is final or if affected parties can appeal, he said this is an administrative finality. However, rights are not extinguished; after cancellation and re-listing, the new list will be sent to each province’s local official committee for further action. Since the prior decision was lawful, local administrative executives must be informed to issue orders terminating the employment of those affected.
When asked if affected parties can still appeal to the Administrative Court, Mr. Wanchai confirmed they can follow administrative procedures and, if dissatisfied with the outcome, file lawsuits in the Administrative Court. He stressed this is the plaintiffs’ legal right. Whether the court grants temporary relief is at its discretion. Asked about contingency plans if many appeals arise, he said the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior has tasked the Department of Local Administration’s legal team to prepare responses for the court.
Mr. Artsit added that the previously identified problematic group of 5,814 individuals is superseded by the new figure of 5,924, which results from comprehensive checks of all 270,000 candidates. This represents a full examination of all examinees. With the committee chair’s order to cancel the prior appointments, the figure of 5,924—carefully verified—is now official, reflecting an increase of 110 from before. Replacement candidates will be ranked anew from all 270,000 applicants based on legitimate exam results. The re-ranking is expected to be completed by early next week before submission to the committee chair.
Asked whether the committee’s decision to cancel the appointments of 5,924 officials will be presented to the Central Committee meeting on 23 July, Mr. Artsit said it will be reported for acknowledgment that a full verification has been completed, not just partial checks. This is what society has awaited and marks the end of the verification process. He confirmed there was no opposition to the revocation during the meeting, though some differences in how information was presented occurred, which is normal. Everyone agreed on the necessity to cancel the appointments of all 5,924 problematic officials.
When asked about rumors of lobbying to remove names of officials from the blacklist, Mr. Artsit said it is now too late for any lobbying. No one can influence the process because everything has concluded and must follow the committee’s resolution. He noted that, on average, the majority of distorted scores come from candidates in the southern region.
Mr. Artsit also addressed legal action against those who submitted false scores, saying the committee resolved to pursue cases against anyone responsible for providing false information to the committee, whether hired individuals or those who created and submitted the false data. The Department of Local Administration will be assigned to file complaints for prosecution. When asked whether committee members would face charges, he said the committee members’ names are under review by the NACC. If investigations find they are uninvolved or did not influence score alterations, the NACC will rule based on the facts.