Asaphon, Chair of the Anti-Corruption Commission Parliamentary Committee, countered the former Permanent Secretary’s remarks regarding local examination fraud. He pointed out that the current Ministry of Interior leadership "dares to expose wounds" and is not the origin of the problem. He affirmed that the crackdown is thorough and emphasized that the corruption has long-standing roots, not a recent development. Tags: [anti-corruption, local government, Ministry of Interior, examination fraud, governance]
On 13 Oct 2026 GMT+7, regarding former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior Mr. Sutthipong Julcharoen’s comments on issues in the ministry, especially local examination fraud, he stated that during his tenure as Permanent Secretary, exams were held and complaints received and investigated. He expressed embarrassment when meeting people who knew him as a retired official of the Ministry of Interior. He acknowledged complaints existed then but said the extensive and deep corruption seen recently—where nearly 10,000 people cheated—was unprecedented in Thai history. He urged current Ministry leaders to do good, not fear improper power, and to always remember their duty as civil servants under His Majesty the King, paid by taxpayers, to perform their duties properly and avoid overstepping their roles.Tags: [Ministry of Interior, former official, local exams, corruption, public service]
Mr. Asaphon Santraiphop, MP for Sisaket from the Bhumjaithai Party and Chair of the Anti-Corruption Commission Parliamentary Committee, said in an interview that he respects the former Permanent Secretary’s long service and agrees the issue is shameful. However, as the committee has been monitoring the case, he must clarify facts the former official did not mention to prevent misunderstanding that the current Ministry leadership caused the problem. In reality, they have taken action to expose the issue and bring wrongdoers to justice.Tags: [Anti-Corruption Commission, parliamentary committee, local government, corruption investigation]
Fact 1: This corruption scheme did not just arise recently. The former Permanent Secretary himself admitted that complaints about exams occurred during his tenure but “no incidents were found.” The truth is the Anti-Corruption Commission traced financial links to the 2021 local exam fraud and included the 2021 local executive selection exam as a special case. Ten individuals were involved, including a former Director-General of the Department of Local Administration at that time. The pattern of score tampering matched that found in the 2025 exam. The committee also found that since 2023, police nationwide have received reports from those who paid middlemen but ultimately failed to pass. These facts clearly show the scheme developed and grew over several years, not overnight.Tags: [corruption timeline, exam fraud, financial investigation, local government, law enforcement]
Fact 2: Complaints were made but the problem was not resolved. Competitive exams were held in 2017, 2019, and 2021. Despite complaints of corruption, the management at department and ministry levels did not revise or tighten the Terms of Reference (TOR) to strengthen anti-corruption measures. They reused the 2017 TOR for the 2019 and 2021 exams. Only in 2025 was the TOR updated due to the ministry’s genuine commitment, introducing measures such as memorandums of agreement among the Ministry of Interior, Department of Local Administration, Anti-Corruption Commission, Office of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, Anti-Money Laundering Office, and the Department of Special Investigation. The 2025 TOR combined elements from the 2021 TOR, the Civil Service Commission’s TOR, and the Office of the Auditor General’s TOR, making it significantly stricter than before.Tags: [exam regulations, anti-corruption measures, government cooperation, policy reform]
Fact 3: Has the crackdown been completed? No, it is ongoing and will not stop. This large-scale case involves over 6,000 implicated individuals. Bringing offenders to justice requires time and thorough legal process. The committee has invited the Anti-Corruption Police Division and provincial police commanders from complaint-reporting provinces to brief the commission, ensuring all middlemen cases nationwide are handled with uniform standards. There will be no letting cases fade away or simple settlements by refunding money. The investigation aims to reach those masterminding the scheme, regardless of their position.Tags: [ongoing investigation, law enforcement, anti-corruption police, legal process, accountability]
“Fighting corruption is a direct duty. The former Permanent Secretary said not to do things outside one’s role. With respect, I say protecting the integrity system and preventing the buying and selling of government positions is precisely the Ministry of Interior leadership’s direct responsibility. As he said, we are civil servants under His Majesty the King, paid by taxpayers. If past complaints had been seriously investigated and loopholes closed at that time, we would not face such a large-scale crackdown today, and honest candidates would not have lost opportunities for many years. I ask society to recognize the truth: today's arrests do not mean more corruption now, but that the Prime Minister and Ministry of Interior leaders are taking firm action. The Anti-Corruption Commission Parliamentary Committee will continue to pursue this matter to the end and report progress regularly to the public,” said Mr. Asaphon.Tags: [anti-corruption responsibility, government ethics, public trust, leadership accountability, parliamentary oversight]