Lawyer Exposes Local Exam Fraud Ring in Northeast Thailand

At 2:00 PM on July 2, lawyer Pattrapong Supaksorn filed a complaint with Deputy National Police Commissioner Charoen Kiatyaem, accusing a network of agents in a corruption scheme targeting local government officer recruitment exams in the northeastern region. He submitted names of approximately 4-5 agents along with bank transfer slips, LINE messages, and meeting details to police.

Pattrapong stated the evidence links Sisaket and Buriram provinces, specifically the districts of Phu, Pakham, Ban Mai Chaiyaphoj, and Na Phot. The documentation includes clear payment transfers between identified senders and recipients, along with chat messages explicitly discussing money payments. He noted November 15, 2024, as a critical coordination date when all groups collected funds before traveling to Bangkok to prepare for December exams. The network includes 4 local administrative officers and 1 subdistrict administrator.

Pattrapong revealed that one officer who received money in Sisaket died on September 25, 2024, yet group communications continued afterward, suggesting the operation persisted with funds transferred to other individuals. Each applicant reportedly paid approximately 600,000 baht in exchange for assistance in passing bachelor-level academic and administrative position recruitment exams.

Currently, 14 confirmed victims have come forward—all paid in full but received no exam results. Pattrapong plans to visit Buriram to identify additional victims. Regarding political connections, while he cannot definitively link politicians to the fraud, one implicated subdistrict administrator reportedly has close ties to National Assembly President Sophon Saram, including shared dining and campaign activities. Pattrapong called on authorities to clarify victim protection policies to encourage more whistleblowers to come forward with evidence.