The Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) has refused to transfer the director of Samsenwittayalai School who is facing accusations of demanding 400,000 baht in "tea money" from a parent in exchange for enrolling his child.
Viroj Samluan has only been moved to an inactive post despite pressure from a group of school alumni.
Obec secretary-general Karun Sakulpradit, who is overseeing the investigation, said he had no plans to remove Mr Viroj from his position as the fact-finding panel set up by Obec had not encountered any resistance during its probe so far.
"The director is cooperating fully with the investigators. Moreover, the conflict has divided the school alumni into two groups, one backing Mr Viroj and the other opposing him, so if we move too fast, it might worsen the problem," Mr Karun said.
He added that the fact-finding panel had so far gathered evidence from Mr Viroj's supporters only and urged the other group of alumni to come forward and deliver the important evidence it claimed to hold against the accused to the investigators as soon as possible.
"At present, the director insists that the bribe never exchanged hands and that he is being blackmailed by a group of school alumni who are upset because their children cannot get into the school. He also claims that the video clip allegedly showing the payment had been doctored to defame him," Mr Karun said.
According to Mr Viroj, the student in question was admitted on April 5 while the video showing the alleged "tea money" was shot two weeks later on April 19. The school director also claimed that the student's parent sought to meet him in person to discuss a donation for a school fence renovation project, and not enrolling the student in exchange for tea money.
Obec secretary-general said the fact-finding panel is still waiting for evidence from the parent who circulated the video clip and the police as Mr Viroj had also lodged a police report and filed a defamation suit against the parent.
"If the fact-finding panel finds the accusation has any merit, the school director will definitely be transferred and face serious disciplinary action, but until we have gathered enough evidence, we will not make any moves," Mr Karun said.
When asked whether Obec will revise its policy of allowing public schools to enrol about 60 students a year under special categories made available to the school's land donors, benefactors, children of teachers and students from partner schools, Mr Karun said the policy would remain unchanged.
"Every school already has its own committee, consisting of representatives from parents, alumni and school officials to consider these quotas, so we have to trust their decisions," he said.
Mr Karun said he believed the tea money problem did not emanate from the special category quotas, but rather from the parents' desire to get their children enrolled in prestigious schools despite failing admission tests.
These parents should change their attitude and stop offering tea money to schools or their directors, he added.
Education Minister Teerakiat Jareonsettasin said Thursday he will clear the matter as soon as possible as Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has recently showed his concern about the scandal.
"I insist we should not have any more tea money incidents," he said. "More importantly, we have to ensure all schools have the same standards."
Meanwhile, some members of Samsenwittayalai Alumni Association went to the school to show their support for Mr Viroj. The scandal at the school first drew the attention of the media after one parent circulated a video clip allegedly showing the school director receiving money for accepting his child into Mathayom 1 (7th Grade) on Sunday.