Prasert revealed that OBEC has established a fact-finding committee regarding the phantom China study tour that stranded 70 teachers and students at Suvarnabhumi Airport. It was found that a senior expert civil servant used an outside account to fraudulently collect payments, causing damages exceeding 2.4 million baht. A 7-day deadline is set for full legal action.
On 20 Oct 2026 GMT+7, at the Government House, Education Minister Prasert Chantraruangthong spoke about personnel under the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) deceiving participants with a foreign study tour project. There are 62 students and 8 supervising teachers affected from 11 schools, mostly in central Thailand. OBEC has set up a fact-finding committee immediately after learning of the incident, requiring completion within 7 days starting Monday. The accused, initially identified as a senior expert civil servant within OBEC, admitted wrongdoing. Schools involved, parents, and victims will be called to provide information on the facts and extent of damages including the amounts involved.
The misconduct involved deceiving participants into attending a study tour at Xi'an Jiaotong University.In Xi'an, People's Republic of China.Between 15-26 Oct, the victims arrived at the airport but were not taken on the promised study tour, confirming it was a scam from the start. The incident was a private action unrelated to the Ministry.
When asked about how many OBEC civil servants were involved, Prasert said initially one to two persons were found. The accused had similar past behavior that had ceased for several years before resurfacing with this case. Parents transferred study tour fees through an account belonging to a third party, not an OBEC official. Financial transaction paths have been checked and confirmed to be an external account.
Regarding whether the accused would be suspended, Prasert stated that after fact verification, if confirmed, the accused will be severely punished. The total damage for 62 people, each charged about 40,000 baht, amounts to approximately 2.4 million baht.
Prasert added that he instructed educational districts to closely monitor any similar activities. He emphasized that any teacher or individual organizing such activities without school or OBEC authorization must be closely supervised to prevent further harm. The Ministry of Education will pursue this matter thoroughly, swiftly punish offenders, and expedite compensation for victims. They are also investigating if the defrauded funds still exist, expecting to complete the check by Friday, 23 Oct.