Thailand considers suspending nearly 6,000 officials over exam scandal
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Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (centre) chairing a meeting on an investigation into a local government exam cheating scandal on July 15.
PHOTO: AFP
- Nearly 6,000 Thai civil servants face suspension over an exam cheating scandal involving bribery to alter exam results for government jobs or promotions.
- Three suspects have been arrested, including one who fled to Laos; they face charges and up to five years in prison if convicted.
- Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul condemned the corruption, highlighting a "vicious circle" where dishonest officials gain power and continue corrupt practices.
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BANGKOK – Thousands of Thai civil servants face suspension over an exam cheating scandal, the authorities said on July 16, as investigators widened a probe that has already led to three arrests.
Corruption and bribery cases regularly make headlines in Thailand, but it is rare for so many public officials to be affected.
The scandal began in June, when investigators said they had concluded that officials accepted bribes of up to 800,000 baht (S$30,740) to electronically alter candidates’ results to allow them to pass mandatory exams for government appointments or promotions.
Police found irregularities in the results of 5,814 civil servants who had taken these exams, interior ministry official Unsit Sampuntharat told reporters on July 16.
He said they could be suspended pending a committee decision as early as July 15.
“The damage is enormous, and it is unfair to those who obtained their positions honestly,” Unsit said.
The ministry said it would review about 800,000 exam papers as investigators seek to determine the full extent of the alleged fraud.
The alleged masterminds, two men and one woman, have been arrested on charges including destroying and concealing official documents, with one of them apprehended after fleeing to neighbouring Laos, police said.
If convicted, they could be fined and face up to five years in prison.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who has made tackling corruption a priority, condemned the alleged fraud as “disgusting”.
Speaking on July 15, he warned of a “vicious circle” in which officials used corrupt means to obtain positions of power and responsibility, which gave them further opportunities for corruption.
The arrests followed a 17-day joint investigation by police and anti-corruption agencies, during which officers seized computers and examination documents.
Civil servants in Thailand typically earn between about US$530 (S$680) to US$2,300 a month, depending on rank. AFP
