School scandal: Education official in hot water for midday snooze

The Office of the Basic Education Commission is investigating an educational official in the southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan who was allegedly sleeping at work and finishing her duties early after lunch.

The Facebook pages ปฏิบัติการหมาเฝ้าบ้าน (Watchdog Anti-corruption Organisation of Thailand) and ร้ายกาจ (Wicked!) shared pictures and videos of the official, identified only as “Aunty Fon,” sleeping on duty and leaving the workplace early, with evidence surfacing from October 29 onwards.

In the caption, the Wicked! page stated…

“Sleep, sleep, sleep, and then go home. Aunty Fon is sleeping and enjoying the cold air-conditioning at the government office. She even has an extra fan at her desk. No one dares to complain because her husband is the former deputy director, and the new deputy director is also her husband’s friend. She doesn’t do any work, whether it’s easy or hard. Sometimes, she claims her computer is broken, but it’s just a lie.”

In the images, Fon is seen sleeping at her desk in both formal government and casual uniforms. On occasion, she even wears earphones, seemingly for a deeper sleep.

One picture shows Fon carrying a plastic bag and leaving the office. Colleagues who shared the pictures with the page claimed this photo was taken when she left work early, at around 1pm, after lunch.

Many netizens condemned Fon’s actions as taking advantage of others who work hard. Others criticised government departments in general for retaining lazy employees based solely on seniority and connections.

Some netizens compared government offices with private companies, suggesting that Fon would have been dismissed immediately in the private sector. Others expressed concern for those who secretly took her pictures and videos, fearing they could face retaliation due to Fon’s influence.

After the story went viral on Thai social media, the Secretary General of the Prachuap Khiri Khan Primary Educational Service Area Office 2, Thanu Wongjinda, confirmed that the office is aware of the issue, and an investigation is currently underway. He promised to update the public on the investigation’s progress within seven days.