Thailand may suspend 5,814 civil servants over a major exam cheating scandal as investigators widen a corruption probe
BANGKOK: Thousands of Thai civil servants face suspension over an exam cheating scandal, authorities said Thursday, as investigators widened a probe that has already led to three arrests.
Corruption and bribery cases regularly make headlines in Thailand, but it is rare for so many public officials to be affected.
The scandal began in June, when investigators said they had concluded that officials accepted bribes of up to 800,000 baht ($23,847) to electronically alter candidates’ results to allow them to pass mandatory exams for government appointments or promotions.
Police found irregularities in the results of 5,814 civil servants who had taken these exams, interior ministry official Unsit Sampuntharat told reporters on Thursday.
He said they could be suspended pending a committee decision as early as Friday.
“The damage is enormous, and it is unfair to those who obtained their positions honestly,” Unsit said.
The ministry said it would review about 800,000 exam papers as investigators seek to determine the full extent of the alleged fraud.
The alleged masterminds, two men and one woman, have been arrested on charges including destroying and concealing official documents, with one of them apprehended after fleeing to neighbouring Laos, police said.
If convicted, they could be fined and face up to five years in prison.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who has made tackling corruption a priority, condemned the alleged fraud as “disgusting”.
Speaking on Wednesday, he warned of a “vicious circle” in which officials used corrupt means to obtain positions of power and responsibility, which gave them further opportunities for corruption.
The arrests followed a 17-day joint investigation by police and anti-corruption agencies, during which officers seized computers and examination documents.
Civil servants in Thailand typically earn between about $530-$2,300 a month, depending on rank.
