Govt worker in Thailand receives salary and bonuses for 10 years without working a single day

A shocking development where a government official in Thailand accused of receiving a salary and bonuses for a decade without ever completing a proper day of work has raised and renewed concerns about public sector corruption in the country.

The unidentified officer reportedly held a position at the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department in Ang Thong province in central Thailand, reported The South China Morning Post.

According to the newspaper The Thaiger, the official did not attend his government job for about 10 years because he had been focused on his singing gig at a nightclub.

The officer was reportedly constantly exhausted from working at night, which led him to skip work during the day. However, he was neither fired nor penalized and continued to receive his salary and bonuses.

Occasionally, he would be summoned to the office to receive reprimands and sign documents at the mayor’s request, a tactic reportedly used to avoid scrutiny.

What happened?
His misconduct was uncovered on a Facebook page called Watchdog, a platform dedicated to exposing government wrongdoing, which boasts 1.1 million followers. The local government has yet to respond to this revelation, and it remains uncertain if or how the official will face consequences. Under Thai law, officials implicated in corruption could face prison sentences ranging from one to ten years, along with fines between 2,000 and 20,000 baht (approximately US$60 to US$600).

Online commenters have voiced their outrage over the official’s actions and the government’s lack of accountability. This case has struck a chord, highlighting the widespread perception of corruption in Thailand’s public sector.