Thai Police Entrance Exam Cancelled Over Cheating Scandal

[webfact]

CHEATING

Police entrance exam cancelled over scandal

PRASIT TANGPRASERT,

KWANHATHAI MALAKAN

THE NATION

SI SA KET: -- Provincial Police Region 3 chief Pol Lt-General Panu Kerdlarppol said yesterday that officials were possibly behind the leakage of police entrance examination papers after a scam was recently uncovered in which civilians wishing to get into a police constabulary school in Si Sa Ket were caught cheating.

This week applicants in Nakhon Ratchasima were found with a vibrating device that was used to indicate answers to multiple-choice questions. This led to the arrest of six people who were allegedly given Bt10.5 million in cash from 30 applicants.

Police spokesman Piya Uthayo said yesterday that the police had decided to cancel entrance exams across the country because officials had found convincing evidence of cheating. It has not been decided when the new test will be held, he said, adding that four panels had been set up to further investigate the case and find ways to prevent cheating in the future.

Panu said suspects implicated Lampang provincial administrative organisation president-hopeful Dachai Uchukosonkan in their testimony, which led to his arrest. Police are also on the hunt for a key accomplice. It is believed that other people were also involved because those sending signals to the vibrating devices would have had to be within a 300-metre radius. Also, police suspect that the gang knew the answers because an insider leaked the exam paper, he said.

However, National Police Chief General Priewpan Damapong yesterday insisted that the exam papers had not been leaked, but that a member of the gang was inside the exam room and had signalled the correct answers to people outside who then passed it on to other applicants.

He said a large network, based in the vicinity of Bangkok's Ramkhamhaeng University, was behind this case and that some police officials might be involved. Priewpan added that this gang had made a lot of money from this scam and that police would gather evidence to punish wrongdoers.

A source from the police investigation team said the network covered the entire nation and might have had something to do with such cases in other provinces, after five suspects testified that the network had been operating for a long time and had leaked exam papers at other state agencies. An investigation found that the ringleader bought a master copy of examination papers at Bt3 million per set for a few hours before copies were printed hours before the examination.

Although exam papers were divided into eight separate sets to prevent cheating, the gang set different codes to identify which set they were sending answers for, the source said.

This was more plausible instead of having someone take the test and send signals to an outsider to re-send the answers to other applicants.

Investigators also found a list of names of civil servants who had paid to pass tests and been given work in state agencies, the source added.

Pol Maj-General Jakthip Holasutsakul, deputy chief of the Provincial Police Region 3, said that in the Nakhon Ratchasima case, the 30 applicants had been trained on the vibration signal one day before the exam.

-- The Nation 2012-06-13

related topic:

Mass Cheating Discovered In Enrollment Exams For Police Academy In Si Sa Ket

[Gonzo the Face]

Cheating and lying are just a way of life here. It could appear that it is expected and even respected when it is done and gotten away with.

Here is another laughable, as well as questionable, example of this cheating/lying , shall we say habit....

In one of the national English newspapers available here, there is a complete article on the above story of police applicants cheating. If you go to the bottom of the article there is a note for the reader to indicate thumbs up or thumbs down if you like or do not like. It then indicates when you click thumb up for liking, the number of people who like the article...... I would say it is definitely lying or cheating when you click people who 'like' with a thumbs up and the number does not go up by 'ONE' person liking the story, but rather 'TWO' people liking the article.....

It would appear to me the newspaper editors think that is shows greater numbers of people reading, which may have some bearing on the advertising fees......

Check it out yourself...

G

[nurofiend]

ah they're only police, they are hardly meant to be bastions of society...

[saltandpepper]

So, has the money been given back to the applicant? As they did not get what they ordered, I think it is the right thing to do, isn't it?

Or is it now property of the Royal Thai Police?

[OzMick]

"Investigators also found a list of names of civil servants who had paid to pass tests and been given work in state agencies"

Whoops - the excreta has just made contact with the rotary cooling device.

[lannarebirth]

"Investigators also found a list of names of civil servants who had paid to pass tests and been given work in state agencies"

Whoops - the excreta has just made contact with the rotary cooling device.

A small honorarium may see the list misplaced. And so it goes.....

[Soupdragon]

"Investigators also found a list of names of civil servants who had paid to pass tests and been given work in state agencies"

Whoops - the excreta has just made contact with the rotary cooling device.

Just for giggles all those involved should be made to retake the test under proper exam conditions and the results published.

[LucidLucifer]

So, has the money been given back to the applicant? As they did not get what they ordered, I think it is the right thing to do, isn't it?

No, it's no the right thing to do. The cheating applicants were complicit to the crime.

Or is it now property of the Royal Thai Police?

The money will likely have been kicked upstairs, which is where it should have been in the first place. Likely the only reason the scam was uncovered was because it hadn't.

[JoePai]

Police corruption seems to start even before they enter the service - what hope is there of an honest cop ................

[OzMick]

"Investigators also found a list of names of civil servants who had paid to pass tests and been given work in state agencies"

Whoops - the excreta has just made contact with the rotary cooling device.

Just for giggles all those involved should be made to retake the test under proper exam conditions and the results published.

I'd rather see them fired and made to repay salary claimed under false pretences.

[bangkokbruce]

I'll bet they're parents are real proud of them now with the towels over they're heads in the Bangkok Post pictures...gives "losing face" a whole new meaning

[Reasonableman]

You mean cheating isn't normal and acceptable social behavior in LOS? A recent "attitudes towards corruption" survey indicates otherwise. So why are they ashamed? Perhaps they are just lying low so they can try the same scam again.

Edited June 13, 2012 by Reasonableman

[Moruya]

Never any corruption under the Shinawatra/Damapong clans

[OzMick]

I keep getting images in my mind of Bill Bixby as My Favourite Martian with the aerials coming out the back of his head.

Can't post a .jpg image. Anybody know the correct format for forum posting?

[kawaiimomo]

National Police Chief General Priewpan Damapong yesterday insisted that the exam papers had not been leaked.

An investigation found that the ringleader bought a master copy of examination papers at Bt3 million per set for a few hours before copies were printed hours before the examination.

So were they leaked or not? :-P

[OzMick]

National Police Chief General Priewpan Damapong yesterday insisted that the exam papers had not been leaked.

An investigation found that the ringleader bought a master copy of examination papers at Bt3 million per set for a few hours before copies were printed hours before the examination.

So were they leaked or not? :-P

Are you asking him a B3 million question?

[JoeLing]

Just shows once again, how bad the education system is here in Thailand.

If those canditates would have listen propperly at school when they taught

cheating instead of paying tea-money to the teachers, they would not have

been caught.

[LotusBoy]

He must have passed, Well Done that man!!

[julemanden]

Police corruption seems to start even before they enter the service - what hope is there of an honest cop ................

Easy... None what so ever !!!!

[Keesters]

found with a vibrating device that was used to indicate answers

I've heard of vibrating devices being used for many things, but this is a new one to me

Edited June 13, 2012 by Keesters

[HOOD Robin]

So, has the money been given back to the applicant? As they did not get what they ordered, I think it is the right thing to do, isn't it?

Or is it now property of the Royal Thai Police?

i like this post as this is the only thing you can expect in Thailand !!

[cowslip]

"Vibrating device" - I have a vision of rows of recruits sitting with a remote controlled dildo up their arse.

well at least they are starting as they will continue - anally retentive and corrupt.

[Arkady]

If it costs Bt 350,000 to pass the police constables' exam, how much does it cost to pass the police generals' exam? How many innocent members of the public does a new cop have to intimidate and extort to recover his cost?

After the dust has settled those caught cheating will be quietly welcomed into the BiB with fast track promotion for showing true police spirit and obvious confidence in their ability to extort money and filter it upwards in the direction of the national police chief and minister in charge.

Edited June 13, 2012 by Arkady

[pointoffew]

I know for a fact that these devices have been in use for many, many years, not only for police entrance exams, also for other civil servant exams. My ex-wife and others were offered them many years ago. Nothing new under the sun.

TIT, an otherwise beautiful and lovely country where holders of state recognised degrees have to pass an entrance exam for a single reason: to line the pockets of those who need it least and deserve only one thing...

Trouble is: it's hard cleaning up with a dirty cloth.

[slapout]

The uniformed police have caught the cheaters, those who sent/gave them info, those sending signals, and have a list of those on the payroll who have done the cheating route to get there. Now the uniformed police cannot even figure out how the entire sequence took place.

Sounds like the majority of BIB may have been a part of similar procedures in there quest for knowledge/test answers.

[lujanit]

This is a joke right? You buy your rank in Thailand right? So why is it necessary for an exam?

[12DrinkMore]

If it costs Bt 350,000 to pass the police constables' exam, how much does it cost to pass the police generals' exam? How many innocent members of the public does a new cop have to intimidate and extort to recover his cost?

After the dust has settled those caught cheating will be quietly welcomed into the BiB with fast track promotion for showing true police spirit and obvious confidence in their ability to extort money and filter it upwards in the direction of the national police chief and minister in charge.

A few years ago I heard it was up to around 20,000,000 for a top dog post. Probably gone up by now.

I wonder what questions are set in the exams?

Anybody care to leak a set?

[HOOD Robin]

If it costs Bt 350,000 to pass the police constables' exam, how much does it cost to pass the police generals' exam? How many innocent members of the public does a new cop have to intimidate and extort to recover his cost?

After the dust has settled those caught cheating will be quietly welcomed into the BiB with fast track promotion for showing true police spirit and obvious confidence in their ability to extort money and filter it upwards in the direction of the national police chief and minister in charge.

Again.... nothing else than the TRUTH !!!!

How do those poor suckers (remember, it was up-country) get THREE HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND baht !?

[sms747]

Sister in law took the Police exam in bkk two years ago. was openly told the pass mark was 400k, she did not pay and failed. Same with teaching exam, that was 200k a few years ago.

[Mitker]

...

in which civilians wishing to get into a police constabulary school in Si Sa Ket were caught cheating

...

Is there any other category than civilians who would pass the exam?

Policemen are not expected here, or are they?