Thailand’s Ministry of Education ordered an investigation into four private colleges after allegations that students’ names were used to obtain Student Loan Fund (SLF) loans without their knowledge.
The allegations circulated online after a Facebook page shared accounts from people claiming to be former students of the colleges.
One complainant said she enrolled at a private college in Nong Bua Lamphu. She eventually did not attend classes but discovered that she had a student loan debt of more than 50,000 baht. She claimed the loan was issued through another private college in Bueng Kan that had the same owner as the one she had enrolled in.
Another person claimed to have obtained a High Vocational Certificate from a Bueng Kan college about 10 years ago but later discovered a student loan debt despite never applying for the loan or receiving any money.
Education Minister Prasert Chantararuangthong ordered an investigation into four private colleges following the allegations.
Current ministry information shows that the four colleges are located in three provinces: two in Bueng Kan, one in Sakon Nakhon and one in Nong Bua Lamphu. Three of the colleges reportedly have the same owner.
Prasert said at a press conference today, September 22, that the ministry had been aware of the issue before it gained widespread attention on social media and began investigating on August 26. Prasert said decisive legal action would be taken if wrongdoing was found.
When asked whether government officials were involved, Prasert said investigators needed to establish the facts before determining whether any officials had participated.
He also said the initial investigation had not yet established the total amount of damage allegedly caused by the scheme.
Matichon reported today that some of the colleges accused in the allegations had issued statements denying wrongdoing. The colleges reportedly insisted that their student-loan application procedures complied with relevant laws and regulations.
They also disputed online claims involving a student who allegedly obtained a High Vocational Certificate from one of the colleges 10 years ago. The colleges said the High Vocational Certificate programme in question had only been offered from 2023, making it impossible for someone to have completed it a decade earlier.
The colleges also said they had spoken with former and current students who had applied for SLF loans, and that those students denied providing information to Facebook pages or news organisations.
According to Matichon, college administrators, lecturers and staff members, particularly those whose photographs were circulated online, also filed a complaint at Sri Boon Rueang Police Station to affirm their innocence. They reportedly insisted that they had no involvement in the alleged fraud.
The investigation into the student loan allegations remains ongoing.
Separately, the SLF is dealing with repayment problems involving about 2.6 million debtors. The issue has contributed to liquidity concerns at the fund.
Minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office Paradorn Prissananantakul said on Tuesday that the government planned to increase the SLF budget for fiscal 2027 from about 5 billion baht in fiscal 2026 to 9 billion baht.
Paradorn acknowledged that the SLF currently does not have sufficiently detailed information to distinguish between debtors who are unemployed and those who have income but are not repaying their loans.
He said the fund needs to improve its information on debtors’ circumstances and ability to repay so that money can continue circulating through the loan system.
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