Key facts
- Thai officials were apprehended for allegedly tampering with civil service exam scores.
- Bribes for altered scores ranged from US$10,500 to US$24,000.
- Thousands of exam scores may have been manipulated.
- Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has initiated an investigation.
- A local municipality denied involvement after an employee was implicated.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered an investigation into allegations of widespread cheating in civil service examinations, where thousands of test scores were reportedly altered in exchange for substantial bribes. The scandal came to light after police and anti-corruption officials raided a company address in Nonthaburi, near Bangkok, and discovered at least 10 officials manipulating computerised scores. The fees for passing these exams through fraudulent means allegedly ranged from 350,000 baht (approximately US$10,500) to as much as 800,000 baht (US$24,000). Initial assessments suggest that at least 3,000 tests from the previous year's national exams may have been compromised. In a separate incident linked to the main raid, a civil servant in Petchabun province was filmed admitting her involvement in correcting exam answers for bribes. The municipality she represented, Wichian Buri, has since issued a statement on social media to disassociate itself from the fraudulent activities.