Nirat announced that on 31 Aug he will complete the revocation of appointments for 3,868 local government officials found guilty of exam fraud. Over 1,000 others have been suspended from appointment. No lawsuits have been filed, and new appointments are planned for October.
At 09:30 on 31 Aug 2026 in Songkhla Province, Mr. Nirat Pongsitthaworn, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior and Acting Director-General of the Department of Local Administration (DLA), together with Mr. Boonprasong Nuansai, Deputy Director-General of the DLA and Secretary of the Central Committee for Local Officials and Employees (Central Committee), revealed the case of revoking 5,925 local officials nationwide involved in exam fraud, to be completed by 31 Aug 2026. After the Central Committee meeting and the Central Committee for Local Officials' Competitive Exams sent letters to provincial committees in every province listing names to be revoked, provincial committees, subdistrict administrative organization committees, and municipal committees convened meetings as convenient. Nearly all provinces have held meetings; only six provinces remain on 31 Aug, with no names for revocation. Thus, all 76 provinces’ committees report 3,868 officials to be revoked. The lower number than 5,925 is because that figure included all whose scores were revised. After careful verification, 3,868 had actually been appointed, while over 1,000 were awaiting appointment and suspended; they are not revoked nor called for appointment, fulfilling the task completely.
When asked if the revocations have been completed in all local administrations, Mr. Nirat confirmed they have. Regarding why 31 Aug was set as the final date to submit revoked names, he explained that the Central Committee wanted a uniform effective date nationwide. Provincial committees will sign the revocation on 31 Aug 2026.
Asked whether there have been any lawsuits, Mr. Nirat said there have been none. They have clarified matters with evidence and score results—both valid and invalid—and everyone has accepted the findings.
Regarding the 146 officials who resigned before revocation, whether they will all face legal action, Mr. Nirat said all 146 are among the 3,868 revoked. The DLA is currently focusing on managing the registry. He apologized that they cannot address all aspects simultaneously and quickly, as this is a large case with nearly 300,000 examinees and about 50,000 on the registry, with 5,000-6,000 suspected of wrongdoing. The work is divided to prioritize the large group awaiting appointment. Today, they have completed the mission assigned by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and the Minister of Interior by 31 Aug regarding revocation and replacement appointments planned for October 2026.
Mr. Nirat updated on legal proceedings, stating this is a criminal case. Authorities under the MOU, such as the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), the Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), police, Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) have taken up the case. If the DLA obtains evidence of wrongdoing, it will forward it to these agencies. He has briefed the Prime Minister on progress and will report again today.
Mr. Nirat also revealed that correct scores, which were previously disputed, have been sent to provincial committees. The DLA allows candidates to request their exam scores at the department and local offices in all 76 provinces. Since the program's start, 1,489 candidates have requested their scores, and after clarification, all have accepted the results and left. This is part of their transparency efforts. He noted that over 1,000 people requesting scores is a significant number.
Mr. Nirat and Mr. Boonprasong Nuansai, Deputy Director-General of the DLA, discussed concluding the matter, with Mr. Nirat showing both hands to reporters and emphasizing, "Closing the job."