Senator Keskamol Pleansamai faces legal action after the Election Commission (EC) ruled that she violated the law by falsely using the title ‘professor’ in her application. If found guilty, she could be imprisoned for up to 10 years and banned from standing for political office for 20 years.

A complaint against Keskamol was filed with the EC on 5 July by Pattharapong Supaksorn. On 18 July, the EC accepted the case and ruled against the senator. The case will be submitted to the Supreme Court’s Election Case Division.

According to the law, the offence carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. Those found guilty are also disqualified from running for political office for 20 years.

The 45-year-old senator and physician drew public attention in last year’s Senate election when she secured the highest number of votes in the election. On her application, she claimed that she was a ‘professor’ who held a doctoral degree from California University.

It was later revealed that she obtained a PhD in Business Administration from California University, not the reputable University of California as was widely assumed. The certificate she received was also not an official degree, but rather a document issued by a credential evaluation service.

As a result, her use of the honorific ‘professor’ came under scrutiny.  Receiving the academic title is usually granted through multiple processes, including royal approval. Keskamol acknowledged that she was not granted royal approval and was not recognised as a professor by any institution in Thailand.

She said instead that the EC previously allowed her to use the title in her Senate introduction document.

According to the EC, an appointment to the position of professor must follow the criteria governing academic titles and Keskamol does not appear in the official database of those legally holding the position.

The Ministry of Higher Education’s Office of the Permanent Secretary also never evaluated or recognised credentials from California University or California University FCE and Keskamol never served in academic circles as a professor.

As a result they concluded that her claim to be a professor, without ever having legally held the position in Thailand, was an act of deception, misleading the public regarding her qualifications and expertise.