Exam Fraud Suspects Arrested, Appointments May Be Revoked

Police have arrested three suspects in connection with alleged fraud in a local civil service recruitment examination in Thailand. The government is set to review evidence that could lead to the revocation of appointments made through the disputed examination. The arrested individuals include Win Thanaphatcharaphokin, an adviser to the director of the Office of Promotion and Training at Kasetsart University; his younger sister, Sataporn Thanaphatcharaphokin; and Sgt Maj Dr Pichit Thangphrom, director of the Strategy and Budget Division of Wichian Buri Municipality in Phetchabun. Mr Win was detained in Laos and was expected to be transferred to the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) for questioning. Ms Sataporn was arrested at Kasetsart University's Kamphaeng Saen campus. Sgt Maj Dr Pichit was arrested on his way to the Crime Suppression Division after reportedly contacting investigators to arrange his surrender. Police are also seeking arrest warrants for additional suspects. The CSD investigation follows a complaint by the Department of Local Administration (DLA). The suspects are accused of participating in a criminal association, violating Section 188 of the Criminal Code by damaging or concealing documents, and importing false information into a computer system under the Computer Crime Act. Speaking on Monday, Interior Ministry permanent secretary Unsit Sampuntharat said Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had instructed all relevant agencies to expedite their investigations. Mr Unsit said a disciplinary committee is investigating five officials removed from their posts pending an inquiry, while the DLA has completed checks comparing candidates' raw examination scores with the officially announced results after discrepancies were found. The findings will be submitted to the Central Committee for Local Personnel Recruitment Examinations on Wednesday. If the evidence is verified, provincial governors will be instructed to have local administrative organizations revoke the appointments of officials recruited through the disputed examination. The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has identified 6,014 people for further investigation, although Mr Unsit stressed that inclusion on the list does not imply guilt. Separately, a National Institute of Development Administration (Nida Poll) survey found that 75.04% of respondents supported cancelling only the examination results of candidates proven to have cheated, while 23.83% favored scrapping the entire examination and holding a new one.