Korat Deputy Governor Absent Amidst Exam Cheating Probe; Phone Off

Thairath•Society•19d ago

Reader Briefing

Korat Deputy Governor Manas Suwannarin is absent and unreachable amidst an investigation into a widespread local government exam cheating scandal.

•Korat Deputy Governor Manas Suwannarin is out of office and unreachable, with his phone turned off.
•He has reportedly taken leave for personal matters, and his office was found to be empty.
•The absence follows his alleged involvement in a large-scale exam cheating scandal for local government positions in 2025.
•Investigators searched his condominium and found a safe containing 200,000 THB, which he explained.

•On July 9, 2026, reporters attempted to contact Manas Suwannarin, Deputy Governor of Nakhon Ratchasima, but he was unreachable.
•Reporters visited Manas Suwannarin's office on the second floor of the Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Hall but found it empty.
•An official stated that Manas Suwannarin had no official duties for the entire day and had requested leave for personal matters.
•On the morning of July 8, 2026, officials from the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) requested police to execute a search warrant at Manas Suwannarin's condominium.
•Investigators searched Manas Suwannarin's condominium in the Rama 8 area, Bangkok, as he was involved in drafting the Terms of Reference (TOR) for local government exams.
•Upon finding a safe, investigators contacted Manas Suwannarin and requested him to open it, to which he complied and explained the origin of 200,000 THB cash found inside.
•The investigation concerns a corruption case involving the 2025 competitive examination for recruitment as local government officials, with over 6,014 individuals accused.
•The NACC accepted the case as a special case due to the extensive number of alleged perpetrators involved in exam cheating.

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Manas Suwannarin(มนัส สุวรรณรินทร์)

Deputy Governor of Nakhon Ratchasima and former Inspector-General of the Department of Local Administration, implicated in an exam cheating scandal.

Korat Deputy Governor(รองผู้ว่าฯโคราช)

The official title held by Manas Suwannarin, a key figure in the news.

DOLA(สถ.)

Acronym for the Department of Local Administration, where Manas Suwannarin previously served as Inspector-General.

NACC(ป.ป.ช.)

Abbreviation for the National Anti-Corruption Commission, the body investigating the exam cheating scandal.

Crime Suppression Division (CSD)(กองบังคับการปราบปราม (บก.ป.))

The police unit that assisted the NACC in executing search warrants related to the exam cheating investigation.

for the year 2025(ประจำปี 2025)

The specific year the competitive examination for local government officials took place, which is now under investigation.

July 9, 2026(9 กรกฎาคม 2026)

The date reporters attempted to contact the Deputy Governor of Nakhon Ratchasima regarding the ongoing scandal.

July 8, 2026(8 ก.ค.69)

The date the NACC and police executed a search warrant on Manas Suwannarin's condominium as part of the cheating scandal investigation.

Rama 8, Bangkok(พระราม 8 กทม.)

The location of the condominium searched by investigators in connection with Manas Suwannarin and the exam cheating scandal.

Terms of Reference (TOR)(ทีโออาร์ (TOR))

The framework document for the local government exams, for which Manas Suwannarin was responsible for drafting, now under scrutiny.