Phuket: Former Phuket deputy permanent secretary is facing serious charges for accepting bribes from hotels and resorts. Investigations are anticipated to extend to higher-ranking officials involved in the case.

According to Thai News Agency, legal officers from the Department of Local Administration recently met with investigators from the Crime Suppression Division to provide further information regarding the alleged exam fraud connected to the case. This development follows the arrest and search of the former deputy governor's residence in Songkhla province by the Central Investigation Bureau, alongside a two-day extensive investigation in Phuket.

Crucial evidence has surfaced indicating that the former deputy governor solicited bribes from hotel and resort operators. In response, authorities are preparing additional charges of "corruption and bribery" against the former official. The investigation has intensified as authorities are urgently gathering evidence to request arrest warrants for other individuals involved, who are initially believed to be close associates of the former deputy governor.