Bangkok Police Colonel Admits Cheating on Judge’s Exam
A scandal has rocked Thailand’s judicial examination process after a high-ranking police officer was caught cheating on the Administrative Court’s judge selection exam. The incident, which occurred Saturday at Thammasat University’s Rangsit campus in Pathum Thani province, raises concerns about the examination’s integrity and the officer’s conduct.
The officer, a police colonel and deputy chief of the Administrative Division at Provincial Police Region 8 in Phuket, was observed using unauthorized materials during the exam. The Administrative Court reports he smuggled pages containing key legal information into the testing center. Supervisors caught him referencing these documents. A short video, released after the incident, shows the officer being instructed to stop the exam and leave for questioning. The video also shows several A4-sized pages of illicit study aids.
Following the discovery, the officer was questioned by supervisors, judges, and Pathum Thani police officers. Police spokesman Pol Lt Gen Achayon Kraithong confirmed the colonel confessed in writing. The Royal Thai Police, under National Police Chief Pol Gen Kittharath Punpetch, have launched an investigation. Depending on the findings, the colonel faces serious disciplinary action, including suspension or dismissal from the police force.
Beyond the cheating, investigators are examining the colonel’s recent temporary transfer to the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) Region 4 in Nakhon Si Thammarat province. The inquiry will determine the transfer’s reasons and whether the officer formally requested leave from ISOC to take the exam.
The Administrative Court has reassured the public about the exam’s security, emphasizing that the exam itself was not compromised. The court clarified that the colonel’s materials contained summaries of relevant laws, not the exam answers. They detailed the exam’s stringent security protocols: examiners draft questions hours before the exam and are then isolated to prevent information leaks. The court asserts external access to the exam questions was impossible.
This incident highlights the pressures and temptations of high-stakes exams, particularly those leading to prestigious positions like judgeships. It underscores the need for robust security and vigilant proctoring to maintain the integrity of such selection processes. While the Administrative Court affirmed the exam’s security, the incident casts a shadow and raises questions about ethical conduct within law enforcement. The investigation’s results are awaited, as they will determine the disciplinary actions against the police colonel and may reveal deeper systemic issues within the police force.
