The Royal Thai Police have announced that as many as 200 people might be arrested for cheating in the highly competitive police recruitment examination.

On 18 January 2017, Pol Lt Gen Sanit Mahathavorn, Metropolitan Police Bureau Commissioner, announced that as many as 200 people could face arrest warrants over the recent police entrance exam scandal.

The scam-ridden exam where 85,989 applicants were competing for 5,000 lance corporal positions was held at the Bang Na and Hua Mark campuses of Ramkhamhaeng University on 4 December 2016.

A court last week issued arrest warrants for 51 university students and a police inspector after police officers found irregularities in documents submitted by many candidates taking the exam for positions in the Metropolitan Police Bureau, Provincial Police Region 7 and Provincial Police Region 1.

Pol Col Kritsana Pattanacharoen, Deputy Spokesperson of the Royal Thai Police, said that the investigation committee are now seeking more evidence about the exam cheats.

Only those candidates found involved in the scandal will be disqualified and charged, but the investigation might take some time, said Kritsana.  

So far, only Jeerapoj Plaiduang, 45, a municipal inspector of Pathumwan District of Bangkok has been arrested as a suspect.

He was released on bail of under 150,000 baht because he was being cooperative with the investigation and gave some useful information about the scam.