Bangkok officials embezzlement charges for fake bus repairs

Ryan Turner6 minutes agoLast Updated: Monday, April 28, 2025

53 1 minute read

Bangkok officials embezzlement charges for fake bus repairs — Officials investigating corruption in 2.8 million baht worth of bogus bus repairs met the accused at the Thai-Japanese Stadium in Din Daeng, Bangkok | Photo via CIB

Police General Adisorn Ngamjitsuksrisuk, an advisor to the Governor of Bangkok, revealed details of a major corruption case involving the alleged embezzlement of funds intended for the repair of large buses under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).

The case was uncovered by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG), which discovered irregularities in the disbursement of repair budgets.

The investigation found that between 2022 and 2024, 28 fraudulent contracts were drawn up to embezzle over 2.7 million baht for the repair of large buses. However, the buses were never actually repaired.

The perpetrators fabricated false documents, including fake price quotes from repair shops, to submit for budget approval. This led to a joint effort between the OAG, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), and other partner agencies to dismantle the ghost bus repair scheme and embezzlement.

On March 12, 2025, seven staff members from the BMA’s Sports Division were arrested in connection with the fraud.

Pol. Gen. Adisorn confirmed today, April 28, that after the arrests, all involved officials were temporarily reassigned to non-operational roles pending both disciplinary and criminal investigations. He emphasised that the BMA fully supported the investigation and provided all necessary information to the police.

Pol. Gen. Adisorn also revealed that the BMA has identified 12 cases of corruption involving its staff. In nine of these cases, the BMA supported law enforcement with evidence, while in three cases, tips were received directly by the BMA, leading to self-initiated investigations.

Currently, the BMA is implementing training programs in law and investigative techniques for its disciplinary and administrative staff to ensure better investigative capacity, on par with police forces.

This is part of ongoing efforts to promote transparency and eradicate corruption within the BMA moving forward, reported The Standard.

In similar news, police apprehended a former legal officer of the Social Security Office accused of embezzling 10 million baht from the social security fund.