CHIANG RAI– A retired teacher from Chiang Rai, after recovering from a serious brain tumour, has come forward with evidence he allegedly claims uncovers long-running corruption at a well-known local school.
He brought documents and first-hand knowledge to the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) Region 5 office in hopes of seeing genuine investigation and action.
Mr. Boonthan Thammapanya, 62, retired after many years in education. Due to his health, he felt compelled to speak out and shared a large vinyl sign stating his aim to reveal corruption within the Thai education sector before he passes away.
The sign, once hung in front of his home, accused a former headteacher and others at the school of large-scale financial misconduct and collusion to misappropriate state funds.
Recently, Mr. Boonthan brought the same sign and relevant documents to the PACC’s regional office, seeking answers and justice. Inside the documents are details of alleged wrongdoing by the now-former director of the school.
Mr. Boonthan explained he suffered from a brain tumour that left him in a critical state. While unwell, he couldn’t shake the feeling that issues at the school needed to be addressed.
On recovering, he organized all the evidence he had and travelled to Bangkok to present his case to authorities, including the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, PACC and the Interior Ministry.
Although the headteacher has now resigned, Mr. Boonthan says the complaint has made little progress. That’s why he travelled from Chiang Rai to the PACC office to request an update.
He described how the former headteacher allegedly arranged for close associates to register businesses that, on paper, supplied equipment to the school. On checking the addresses given in official documents, Mr. Boonthan discovered these were long-standing car repair garages, not supply shops as claimed.
Conversations with local authorities confirmed that no such school supply outlets had ever existed at those addresses. He also found that all three supposed businesses used the same phone number and were owned by people connected to the school director or teachers.
Mr. Boonthan also uncovered evidence of ‘ghost’ students. When children registered for school, some would later transfer elsewhere, but their names were kept on the books. This allowed the school to claim budget allocations for students who weren’t there, and this practice continued for years.
During the COVID-19 crisis in 2021, the government issued support funding of 2,000 baht per student. The school’s list included more than 170 false names.
When required to update records, 173 student names were eliminated from the system in a single day, which was highly irregular. This meant funding was wrongly claimed for these students in previous years as well.
Mr. Boonthan went on to speak about other problems, such as money from the school cooperative savings scheme that went missing, as well as claims for sports funding tied to fake teams. The school records showed 200 athletes, but only 125 students were genuinely involved, meaning funds for the other 75 were misappropriated.
He also pointed out issues with shops operated on school grounds that were never properly approved. In one case, profits from a new shop were reportedly transferred directly to the former director’s account.
Since Mr. Boonthan spoke out, officials have visited the school to investigate. Some teachers allegedly involved have had to take out loans to repay the money, while others have requested to transfer to different schools or resigned. He said he is happy to provide further evidence to any agency interested.
When asked for an update, Region 5 PACC officers said they have gathered statements and documents and are still investigating. They plan to visit Chiang Rai for more checks before releasing their findings. If corruption is confirmed, they will proceed with holding those involved accountable.
