Nirat revealed that local exam candidates can review central and provincial scores from 13 to 31 August 2026. A list of 5,925 individuals will be sent to authorities for investigation. If policy changes assign the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to conduct exams instead of the Local Officials Examination Board (LOEB), adjustments will follow. He emphasized that insiders involved in the corruption network will not be spared.
13 August 2026 GMT+7 Nirat Pongsitthaworn, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior and acting Director-General of the Department of Local Administration (DLA), spoke regarding the DLA's actions. The DLA has opened the process to verify exam results after canceling the original passing list, which contained inaccuracies, and issuing corrected scores as announced following the Central Committee on Local Officials (CCLO) meeting on 7 August 2026. Each candidate’s name and score will be sent to their respective provinces, which will only disclose passing scores within their own jurisdiction, not broadly. Separately, the central DLA office has set up a public score viewing point accessible nationwide from 13 to 31 August 2026.
When asked if those whose names were revoked face criminal charges, Nirat stated that the 5,925 names are currently with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and the police. Once the data is compiled and verified, the DLA will send the list of 5,925 names to five agencies under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for misconduct investigation.
Regarding replacement exams for DLA personnel shortages and requests for the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to conduct exams instead of the Local Officials Examination Board (LOEB) as with other government agencies, Nirat said they are currently doing their best. The CCLO and LOEB conduct exams as mandated by authorities. Though it is not perfect, they acknowledge problems and will review and improve processes. Future exam administration depends on policy decisions and regulatory changes.
When asked if he has seen the report by Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt summarizing investigation and legal findings submitted to the Prime Minister, Nirat confirmed he has. Since LOEB manages exams, restructuring and new processes are necessary to prevent fraud or errors. If policy shifts exam responsibilities or assigns CSC instead, LOEB has no objections and is ready.(Read more: Revealing local exam corruption: numerous flaws found, blacklist prevents dishonest candidates from reapplying))
Nirat also addressed ongoing investigations into corruption suspects. Since offenses are criminal, police, NACC, and judicial units are examining cases. The DLA insists it will not stop there and will self-assess vulnerabilities that allowed fraud. He identified four main players: DLA, universities hired for exams, brokers acting as position sellers, and buyers. The first two are government agencies needing to close weaknesses. Meetings will be held to gather information on brokers and sellers, both government and private, operating in a network beyond local administration. This information will be forwarded to police.
Asked whether DLA personnel involved in buying and selling positions will face disciplinary committees for serious violations, Nirat admitted some inside DLA act as brokers. These individuals must be purged, like those in other agencies. No exceptions will be made for insiders; they will be dealt with first. When pressed about when the internal purge will begin, as acting Director-General, Nirat said it is ongoing daily. However, sufficient evidence is needed to ensure they cannot deny wrongdoing. Regarding his authority as acting Director-General, Nirat stated that the acting official has the same duties as the person they replace.