Bangkok: Those who impersonate others to take civil service exams will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The Director-General of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) has vowed to prosecute those involved in the fraudulent use of identity cards to the fullest extent of the law. He is accelerating the investigation to find the masterminds and the entire network behind the fraudulent exams. Suspicious activity stemmed from a claim of facial changes after chemotherapy, which later revealed the perpetrator to be a different person. The DDPM emphasized that the examination system is rigorous and will not affect other candidates. Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior stressed that this should not be considered a lapse in judgment, as it is allowing criminals to go unpunished.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Teerapat Khachamat, Director-General of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), gave an interview regarding the discovery of fraudulent activity in the competitive examination for recruitment and appointment to civil service positions at Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University. He stated that legal action will be taken and the investigation will be expanded to include those who hired others to take the exam and the entire network involved.
Mr. Teerapat stated that the civil servant selection examination for the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) was held on June 27th, a process that had been ongoing since April. Yesterday's examination was a half-day session across four examination centers. He inspected all examination sites and instructed police officers to be stationed at every center to prevent any form of cheating. During the examination, the invigilators at the Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University examination center noticed that one examinee appeared older than their actual age, not matching the photo on their national identification card. Suspicious, they informed Mr. Teerapat, who then ordered police officers to guard the examination room, preventing the individual from leaving until the exam was complete. Due to the strict examination protocols at the DDPM, examinees were only allowed to bring in a 2B pencil.
After the exam, Mr. Teerapat stated that the individual claimed to have undergone chemotherapy, causing facial changes. However, he felt this was unlikely to cause such a drastic change that he could not be recognized. He therefore ordered a fingerprint check, which revealed that it was someone else taking the exam in his place. Police then apprehended the individual, and the exam center director immediately initiated legal proceedings.
Mr. Teerapat stated that he has coordinated with the police to prosecute the case strictly and to expand the investigation to find the source of the operation. Initially, it is believed that the individual may have taken exams on behalf of others multiple times before, given their relatively calm demeanor. Therefore, the police need to investigate who the employer is. He emphasized that such incidents cannot be allowed to happen and that the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) has implemented comprehensive preventative measures.
Regarding whether or not other individuals were involved, Mr. Teerapat stated that the examination security measures have been upgraded. Candidates are now required to wear a white t-shirt provided by the department, sweatpants, and sandals, and to remove all belongings to prevent signaling or cheating. He noted that several instances of cheating have been detected and prosecuted in the past. Whether this suspect has committed similar offenses before is a matter for the police to investigate further.
Regarding whether it was a coordinated scheme, Mr. Teerapat stated that initial investigations revealed only one suspect. He inspected almost every examination room and found that the exams proceeded smoothly without any other irregularities. He assured the public that this was currently only a case of a single person taking the exam on behalf of another candidate and would not affect the results of other applicants. He emphasized that they had prepared a rigorous examination system and preventative measures at every step, striving to close any potential loopholes, as this is a matter under public scrutiny, and they were committed to handling it to the best of their ability.