NAKHON PHANOM, Thailand – A local political controversy has erupted in Nakhon Phanom after a lawyer alleged that a current sub-district administrative organization (TAO) mayor and an associate took 600,000 baht from a job applicant in exchange for a promise to secure a local government position. Lawyer Khajornsak Benchai, known as “Lawyer John,” said he was representing the alleged victim, the son of a well-off government official from Wanon Niwat district in neighboring Sakon Nakhon province. The victim has filed a criminal fraud lawsuit at Sawang Daen Din Provincial Court against the two defendants.
According to the lawyer, the incident took place in November 2025, when the victim had recently graduated and applied for a position as a computer academic officer. He was allegedly approached through the second defendant, an employee of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation unit at the TAO, who acted as an intermediary through the victim’s sister. The intermediary allegedly told the family that the TAO mayor, then a candidate for the position, could guarantee the applicant’s appointment and would return the money in full if the applicant was unsuccessful.
On the day of the alleged payment, the second defendant and his wife travelled to the victim’s home in Sakon Nakhon to collect 600,000 baht in cash. CCTV cameras at the property reportedly recorded the handover. However, when the examination results were announced, the victim’s name was not on the successful list. The family allegedly made repeated attempts to recover the money but received excuses and delays. The lawyer said the TAO mayor eventually stopped answering calls.
Lawyer John also alleged that the money may have been used to finance an election campaign. He claimed the accused had allegedly sought money from prospective job applicants before taking office.
He estimated that if 10 people had each paid 600,000 baht, the proceeds could have reached 6 million baht, while 20 alleged victims could have generated as much as 12 million baht. He further claimed that there could be at least 20 victims, although some may have been reluctant to report the alleged fraud because of embarrassment. These claims have not been proven in court, and the defendants have not been convicted in connection with the allegations.
Sawang Daen Din Provincial Court has accepted the criminal case, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for October 26, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. The alleged victim is seeking the return of the 600,000 baht. According to the lawyer, he filed the private criminal case primarily to recover the money and is prepared to withdraw the lawsuit if the full amount is repaid. The case remains before the court.
