Lawmakers Allege Civil Service Hiring Fraud in Southern Thailand
Dozens of young applicants in southern Thailand allegedly received civil service positions without taking exams, according to a People's Party MP who has called for anti-corruption investigations into the suspected fraud scheme.
On September 9, Phakamon Hunnananda, a People's Party list MP and party spokesperson, posted on Facebook about alleged fraud in local government civil service exams. She claimed that dozens of young applicants registered for exams but never took them, yet were still officially hired. These candidates were not disqualified because answer sheets were not altered, meaning entry-level civil servants received positions without taking any exam—calling it clear-cut corruption. In an interview, Hunnananda stated that dozens of such entry-level candidates are concentrated most heavily in southern Thailand, with the northeast as the second-largest region. She said her party has reliable information and called on the Office of the Ombudsman and National Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate. Hunnananda warned that if the anti-corruption agencies fail to pursue the matter into political networks, her party will publicly release the names of those involved.
