A deputy director of a school in Khon Kaen was caught red-handed taking "tea money" from parents in exchange for enrolling their child mid-term, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) says.
The arrest came after the NACC received a complaint by a parent alleging a deputy director of a school affiliated with Khon Kaen Primary Educational Service Area Office 1 in Muang district demanded an under-the-table payment of 20,000 baht for their child's admission to the school.
The victims said that because their child was able to read and write, the price was cut by half to 10,000 baht.
The payment must be made in cash, the parents said, adding they were not told where the money would go or what it would be used for.
In response, the NACC planned an operation to catch the school official using marked banknotes.
Right after the transaction was concluded, police and the NACC approached the suspect and charged him with wrongfully demanding, accepting or agreeing to accept a bribe under Section 149 of the Criminal Code and wrongfully exercising duties as a state official under Section 157.
The police also discovered information on his computer revealing other cases of bribery cases involving him and other parents.
The deputy school director was subsequently taken to Muang police station for legal proceedings.
Prateep Juthasorn, deputy secretary-general of the NACC Region 4, said that police would complete compiling their evidence within 30 days before giving a summary to the NACC.
An initial finding showed about 70 students had been accepted mid-term to the school this academic year.
Mr Prateep said that 60 students were found to have paid tea money.
The NACC found most victims were pressured to retract their statements, Mr Prateep said, adding the school has ties to a politician.