Thailand cracks down on widespread local civil service exam bribery

On June 23, Thailand’s National Anti‑Corruption Commission (NACC) and the police announced the dismantling of a network that had systematically altered answer sheets for the 2025 local civil servant recruitment exam. Ten officials, most of them civil servants, were caught in the act of accessing the grading system and modifying scores.

The scheme allegedly involved candidates paying bribes ranging from 350,000 to 800,000 baht to secure passing marks, affecting roughly 3,000 examinees and resulting in an estimated loss of 4.5 billion baht. Over 2,000 altered answer sheets were seized.

One municipal official from Wiang Chai district was placed on temporary suspension pending investigation. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ordered the exam results to be invalidated and a full probe launched.