Thai Civil Service Examinations

A Thai person I know wants to be a Civil Servant, specifically, karatchikarn gahn muang. This would translate something like Political Civil Servant.

To make a long story short, three examinations are required. He passed the first two and is awaiting the date for the third examination. BUT, on the day he was told he had passed the second examinaion, he was also told the following:

PAY 200,000 BAHT AND YOU ARE GUARANTEED CIVIL SERVICE STATUS.

My question is, is this request for money normal? If so, would 200,000 Baht be considered expensive or not?

I post this out of mere curiousity.