Officials Race to Finalize Local Exam Fraud Findings
Officials are rushing to finalize corrections to a local government employee exam marred by fraud involving 270,000 test-takers, with the Central Civil Service Commission set to issue corrected results within today or tomorrow.
On July 23, Nirat Pongsitthithawer, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Interior Ministry and acting director-general of the Department of Local Administration, briefed reporters after meeting Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul at Government House. He explained that discussions centered on fraud discovered in the local government employee examination, involving the Central Civil Service Commission's (CCSC) announcement procedures. The CCSC chair signed off on the decision during a meeting on July 17.
When asked why the matter needed to return to a meeting after the CCSC had already voted, Nirat explained that according to protocol, the CCSC initially certifies examination scores. When errors are found, the CCSC must vote to rescind its original decision and then vote to certify the corrected scores. Verification was completed on July 17 but had not been brought to a meeting. "This is the straightforward way to do it, respecting the rights of all test-takers as much as possible," he said.
After the meeting concludes, the CCSC must issue a proclamation signed by the chair with an attached roster of names, all stamped to verify the data matches the original examination and verification date with no alterations. When asked if the delayed process poses legal obstacles, Nirat denied it, citing the massive scale of the operation involving 270,000 test-takers. He said officials will rush to complete the task within today or tomorrow to prevent errors.
Asked whether the action aims to prevent lawsuit filings against the Administrative Court, Nirat stated the department respects and protects rights and hopes to prevent litigation. "If we make a straightforward announcement and stand confident in our work, I believe no one will file a suit," he said. Multiple agencies—including the Department of Local Administration, the company contracting with Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, IT-savvy police, and the National Anti-Corruption Commission—have verified the errors to minimize mistakes. Regarding enforcement authority, Nirat said the CCSC will pursue legal action against those who submitted false information to the meeting. He declined to name specific individuals or agencies at this stage, noting that damage on this scale demands accountability. Criminal charges are already underway, with police and anti-corruption officials now involved due to the fraud against the government.
