Thailand Voids Positions of 5,925 Local Officials Over Exam Fraud
Thailand has voided positions of 5,925 local government officials caught cheating on employment exams, with authorities planning to remove them from office this month and prosecute those involved in the widespread fraud scheme.
The Central Local Government Official Examination Committee (CLOEC) convened an urgent meeting on August 5, 2024, to approve procedures for revoking the appointments of 5,925 individuals who cheated on local government employment exams. The committee will present its recommendations to the Central Personnel Management Committee on August 6 to direct provincial authorities and local administrators to remove the fraudulent appointees and initiate criminal prosecution. Following the discovery of widespread score manipulation in the local government exams, the agency plans to restore legitimate positions to qualified candidates by the end of August. Deputy Interior Minister Worasit Liangprasert said fraudulent appointees will be progressively removed from office this month, with their vacant positions filled by the next qualified candidates according to CLOEC criteria. While names of fraudsters cannot be disclosed without legal consideration, evidence will be referred to relevant agencies. All those involved in the fraud must face criminal charges, with information forwarded to police and the National Anti-Corruption Commission. Regarding salaries already paid to fraudsters, Worasit stated they should not have received compensation from the outset, though final procedures must comply with legal processes.
