Corrections Department clarified the case of the Foundation for the Restoration of Justice in Society, which held a press conference about Mr. Surin filing a complaint with the foundation that he had passed all the selection exams to become a Corrections Department official, but later the officers informed him that he lacked qualifications and that his educational qualifications did not meet the criteria.
The Department of Corrections stated that the facts in the case, from the announcement dated November 10, 2023, recruiting for the competitive examination to recruit and appoint persons to the civil service position of Corrections Officer (Male Prisoner Control and Others), it stipulates that the educational qualifications of the applicants must be those who have received a “Technical Vocational Certificate (Vocational Certificate) or a 2-year Associate Degree or a Higher Vocational Certificate (Vocational Certificate) or a 3-year Associate Degree in all fields of study only”, without accepting application
s for other qualifications that are comparable to the same level. It also stipulates the conditions for applying for the competitive examination that the applicants must be responsible for checking and certifying themselves that they are qualified according to the recruitment announcement and must fill in all details in the application form correctly and completely according to the truth. In the event that there is an error caused by the applicants or it is found that the documents or qualifications submitted by the applicants do not match or do not comply with the recruitment announcement, the Department of Corrections will consider the applicants to be unqualified to apply for this competitive examination from the beginning. In addition, if it is later found that any applicants do not have general or specific qualifications for the position that do not match the recruitment announcement, they will not be eligible to be recruited and appointed to the civil service position for the said competitive examinatio
n.
In the case of Mr. Surin, the Department of Corrections has sent a letter informing him to report on May 6, 2024 to prepare himself before entering the civil service. With the sincere belief that the applicant has checked his qualifications and educational qualifications correctly, coupled with the Department of Corrections having a large number of personnel to strengthen the prisons and correctional institutions nationwide, the department still has a duty to check the qualifications for accuracy before issuing an appointment order. From the inspection, it was found that Mr. Surin used the qualification of “Higher Education Certificate (Higher Education Certificate)”, which did not comply with the recruitment announcement. Therefore, the officer coordinated on May 16, 2024 to request additional qualification documents, which is to protect Mr. Surin’s rights to the fullest extent. And the department has sent a letter dated May 24, 2024 informing Mr. Surin of the reason for not being able to be appointed du
e to lack of qualifications, without ignoring or remaining silent, and not contacting back as claimed. After that, the department has issued an order to appoint the civil servant on May 27, 2024, which did not include Mr. Surin’s name. Due to lack of qualifications according to the recruitment announcement, Mr. Surin still has the right to submit documents to appeal the consideration of appointment this time.
Later, Mr. Surin proceeded to send a letter from the educational institution to appeal according to his rights on May 30, 2024, stating that he had graduated from the Higher Education Certificate Program in Physical Education, a 2-year program, which is an associate degree. The Department of Corrections has checked the educational qualifications from the website of the Office of the Civil Service Commission and found that it conflicts with the qualification certification of the Office of the Civil Service Commission, which did not state that the said certificate is an associate degree. Importantly, the
Department of Corrections did not open for applications for other qualifications comparable to the same level. Therefore, it is considered that the applicant for the examination is disqualified and has no right to take the examination. Any actions that have been taken for the disqualified applicant are void.
In addition, when a successful candidate resigns from the agency or original workplace, it can be done according to the candidate’s rights. The Department of Corrections has announced the list of successful candidates or sent a letter informing them of the processing period. This is only an announcement of the period to inform them of the steps and prepare for the appointment. The Department of Corrections will have a process to verify qualifications in accordance with the Civil Service Act of 2008. Even if the candidate has already been appointed, there will be a process to verify educational qualifications and other things in order to comply with the relevant laws and regulations. If, upon subsequent i
nvestigation, it is found that any successful candidate lacks qualifications, the Department of Corrections must take action to have that civil servant resign from the civil service.
The Department of Corrections would like to confirm that it has acted in accordance with the criteria, methods and conditions set by the Office of the Civil Service Commission in every respect with accuracy. Therefore, we would like to clarify this to create a correct understanding.
Source: Thai News Agency