"Nirat" meets "Anutin" to report local exam cheating; 270,000 cases to be revoked and reappointed. Confirms strict exam venues this Sunday.
On 23 July 2026, Mr. Nirat Pongsitthitaworn, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior and Acting Director-General of the Department of Local Administration Promotion (DLA), met with Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul at the Thai Khu Fah Building to report progress on resolving local exam fraud and to announce preparedness measures for the management-level exam scheduled for Sunday, 26 July.
After meeting the Prime Minister, Mr. Nirat revealed that he reported progress on the Central Local Staff Examination Committee’s (กสถ.) announcement to revoke the prior invalid exam results and issue new, accurately verified results. The announcement is expected to be signed within one to two days before being presented to the Central Committee for Local Officials and Staff (ก กลาง) next week.
The delay is due to the large number of candidates—approximately 270,000—requiring coordination among multiple agencies including DLA, Srinakharinwirot University, the exam scoring company, IT police, and the National Anti-Corruption Commission to ensure thoroughness and prevent errors or administrative lawsuits.
Mr. Nirat emphasized that the Central Local Staff Examination Committee (กสถ.) is responsible for filing criminal charges against anyone who submitted false information to the committee’s meetings, causing serious damage. He affirmed that the Prime Minister has clearly ordered a straightforward approach: “Whoever it is, no exceptions, no special treatment.” Regarding rumors of three level-10 civil servants involved, investigations are ongoing by police and the National Anti-Corruption Commission.
Regarding preparations for the local staff management-level recruitment exam on Sunday, 26 July 2026, with over 37,000 candidates across five exam centers nationwide (Pathum Thani, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, and Nakhon Si Thammarat), Mr. Nirat confirmed that the DLA has collaborated with Thammasat University to revise the Terms of Reference (TOR) based on previous lessons to close fraud loopholes and bind all parties to shared responsibility. He warned candidates not to trust anyone claiming to have influence to sway results; any such claims will be reported and prosecuted without exception.
On exam paper evaluation, Mr. Nirat explained that the process will be swift and transparent. After the exam ends on the night of Sunday, 26 July, all answer sheets from all venues will be transported directly to Thammasat University’s Rangsit Center and marked by the next day. Inspection agencies and media will be allowed to observe the marking process to confirm fairness and integrity. Plans are underway to fully revise exam regulations for future sessions.