The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) explained the local exam fraud case, uncovering evidence of a network linked to the 2021 Pattaya City exam corruption. It revealed involvement of two former chiefs of the Department of Local Administration (DLA), though the investigation has not yet reached political figures. The NACC affirmed it will fully expand the inquiry without cutting corners and plans to coordinate with the Anti-Money Laundering Office and banks to check the corrupt network’s financial routes, setting a six-month deadline to file charges.
On 25 Aug 2026 at 14:00, at the NACC office, Mr. Kiattisak Phutphan, Deputy Secretary-General of the NACC, announced progress on the 2025 local exam corruption investigation. The NACC is investigating two main issues: first, accusations that officials and executives at the Department of Local Administration rigged specifications and set terms of reference to favor certain bidders, preventing fair competition; second, corruption involving bribery in the recruitment of local government employees. Key witness testimony pointed to a network of involved individuals. The NACC, working with related agencies, especially on financial trails, has coordinated with the Anti-Money Laundering Office and banks to obtain detailed financial data of involved parties. Field investigators have been deployed regionally to clarify who is involved, who are victims, and who committed offenses. This process is lengthy due to more than 6,000 people involved. Evidence from computers seized during the 2025 investigation revealed files containing lists and phone numbers linked to recruitment of municipal and provincial administration officers in Pattaya City in 2021, indicating this network operated continuously for several years. Consequently, the NACC resolved to treat the 2021 Pattaya local exam corruption as a special case and investigate it accordingly.
Mr. Kiattisak said that regarding the House of Representatives’ Anti-Corruption Committee’s claim of over 9 billion baht involved in the case, the NACC has not yet received data from the Anti-Money Laundering Office and cannot confirm this figure, only having heard it through media reports. However, the NACC will pursue the financial trail thoroughly to identify all involved individuals. When asked if the public worries the investigation will only target civil servants and not reach political figures or former department chiefs implicated, Mr. Kiattisak urged patience and reaffirmed that the NACC will not prematurely end the case. He emphasized that lack of financial evidence does not imply innocence.
Mr. Kiattisak said the investigation timeframe is set at six months to determine who will be charged. They will gather evidence on each group to identify offenders and compile a preliminary report for the full NACC panel to indict. He assured there will be no delays and the case will be completed as quickly as possible. Currently, evidence is being collected to determine the extent of involvement; the investigators must distinguish between perpetrators and victims. Regarding the review of 860,000 answer sheets, it is not yet complete. Once the answer sheet reader is obtained, testing will take about 10 days, but the NACC is still seeking a reliable machine for this task.
Mr. Kiattisak stated that in the extended investigation of local exam corruption back to 2021, related to Pattaya City municipality, the NACC found 10 people involved, including the highest level: the Department of Local Administration chief at that time. Their misconduct involved altering exam scores similarly to the 2025 case, and they are part of the same group. When asked if the NACC has formed a committee to investigate two former DLA chiefs—Mr. Theerut Supawiboonpol and another who served between 2021-2025—he confirmed this. The investigation will also cover other chiefs who served from 2021 to 2025 to check for financial links. Currently, evidence supports prosecuting individuals up to the department chief level but has not reached political figures. However, the NACC is determined to pursue the case fully to identify the masterminds. Whether it will reach figures recently reported remains to be seen, pending further evidence.
Reporters noted that the former Department of Local Administration chief under investigation for the 2021 period is Mr. Prayoon Rattanaseni, who served as DLA chief from 1 Oct 2019 to 30 Sep 2022.
