Chon Buri university fraud leaves Thai-African graduate without certificate
A half-Thai, half-African graduate demanded accountability from a university in Chon Buri, alleging it refused to issue her graduation certificate after her tuition fee was swindled by a senior administrator.
The graduate, 25 year old Miriam, filed a complaint with Nong Prue Police Station, saying she and more than 10 other students were treated unfairly by the university in the Nong Prue district of Chon Buri. She said the problem has continued for two years and the university still has not issued their official graduation certificates.
Miriam said she enrolled at the university in 2021 and graduated in 2024. During her studies, she and other students transferred tuition fees into a personal bank account belonging to the university’s vice chancellor, who also served as a finance officer.
She said she received receipts for each payment and believed her fees were properly recorded. However, she later learned she was listed as owing 22,000 baht for her final semester, which prevented her from receiving her graduation certificate.
Miriam said she informed the university she had already paid and presented a receipt, but she was later told the receipt was counterfeit. She said an investigation found the vice chancellor swindled money from her and more than 10 other students.
Miriam said the university told each affected student to file a police complaint and pursue the case individually. She claimed the university also said anyone who wanted a graduation certificate would need to pay 22,000 baht in advance, and would only be reimbursed after the suspect returned the money to the university.
She said she believed the approach was unfair and that the university should take responsibility and handle the follow-up, rather than shifting the burden to students. Miriam said the lack of a certificate prevented her from continuing her studies or securing work.
Channel 7 reported that a university representative said the institution is taking legal action against the suspect and is willing to take responsibility for issuing students’ certificates.
The university said certificates were delayed because the management team changed after the alleged corruption came to light, and the new team only recently began work. It urged affected students to contact university staff to claim their certificates and to report the matter to police.
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