Local exam fraud involving name changes and answer sheet alterations has been revealed. The anti-corruption organization points out that the system favors 'big fish,' turning exam venues into marketplaces for buying and selling positions, raising concerns that action may not reach the political network masterminds involved.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has cracked down on a local government employee selection fraud ring, uncovering evidence of bribe demands to alter exam answers for general and highly competitive positions, with amounts reaching 800,000 baht.
Latest developments on 26 Jun 2026 at the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) reveal that a key suspect, currently at large, was responsible for collecting scores of candidates who paid bribes. This individual copied data onto flash drives and handed it over to a company in Nonthaburi province. Meanwhile, original exam result documents are stored in a warehouse of the Department of Local Administration (DLA) for only two years before destruction, per regulations. This creates a loophole, as retrospective verification beyond this period is impossible. However, high-level sources believe the fraud has been ongoing for more than two years, judging by financial links to other individuals, with one suspect’s money trail traced back to 2024.
The local civil service exam fraud has shaken public confidence in government institutions. Thairath Online’s special team consulted Dr. Mana Nimitmongkol, chairman of the Anti-Corruption Organization (Thailand), who analyzed this corruption pattern as a long-standing issue. However, this particular local government exam scam is notably brazen, carried out without fear of consequences. Unlike previous methods such as previewing exam questions beforehand, selling answer sheets, or using signaling devices, this scheme astonishes because those who pay bribes can skip studying altogether. The fraud network manipulates the official system to register them as passing candidates, then retroactively alters answer sheets to match the fixed scores.
This case shows a large, organized network at work. While civil servant frauds are usually small-scale, political involvement elevates it to a major national-level scam. This incident demands financial investigations into both bribe payers and the corrupt network to identify who the big fish consuming the smaller ones are, and ultimately reveal the top mastermind in this cycle of corruption.
In this round of local civil service exam fraud, attention focuses heavily on exam venue corruption and targets Srinakharinwirot University (SWU). Dr. Mana analyzed that local government exam fraud has a long history. After the 2014 coup, the government under General Prayut Chan-o-cha changed the exam system from decentralized local tests to centralized large venues. Though four such exams have been held, fraud reports have emerged every time; only this time, it is on a national scale.
Previously, reports indicated that politicians negotiated with educational institution leaders about job placements, involving budgets. However, to secure jobs, candidates had to accept that those in power could control the announcement of top-ranked exam passers. This situation led some institutions to refuse such contracts.
For example, Srinakharinwirot University, which administers exams for other agencies, is well regarded for managing the large-scale Civil Service Commission exams without issues, despite handling more candidates and positions frequently. Yet, exams controlled by the Ministry of Interior agencies have faced problems, compounded by ongoing concerns about the ministry's agency integrity.
SWU has fully delivered its contracted work per the terms of reference, but at some stage, data hacking and alterations occurred. Personally, I still trust SWU’s genuine intentions. Investigators should not halt or interrupt efforts to find the main mastermind.
This exam resembled a marketplace for buying and selling positions, involving political agents, influential families’ representatives, or senior officials. According to known information, a local politician who is a mayor paid 600,000 baht each to three subordinates to secure positions, but only one succeeded. This appears as a form of buying loyalty, since those who obtain positions can be transferred under the patron who purchased their posts, forming a network that facilitates fraud and conceals secrets. Money thus becomes the foundation for buying such networks.
Future exam reforms should require photographs and names of responsible individuals to be displayed, ensuring that if fraud occurs, these persons are held accountable.
The investigation process into this fraud network should extend beyond seven days and include thorough checks. Importantly, this wrongdoing is clearly not isolated but a large-scale operation. Failure to apprehend the top figures will only worsen the bureaucracy’s corruption.