As per the regulations, the higher ranks are to be granted to teachers with good academic works.

A panel in each local area is responsible for reviewing the work and deciding who will get the promotion.

"I was told to pay Bt80,000 if I wanted to see my academic work ending up in 'improvements needed' and Bt160,000 to see them in "passed" category," Samorn Khamnoi of Anubarn Tha Pla School said yesterday.

She has worked in Uttaradit.

During her decades long career, this government teacher has won many awards.

"I honour my profession. I am not going to pay bribes," Samorn said.

She was convinced that someone in the review panel was involved in the corrupt practice because he clearly knew everything about the academic works she had submitted.

"He can talk about it in detail. One day before the results of the review came out, he called me and told me that if I didn't pay, my academic works would not be approved," Samorn said.

She refused to pay and indeed the panel rejected her works.

Tamrongrat Chomsueb, who sits on the Teacher Civil Service and Educational Personnel subcommission, yesterday said a factfinding committee would be set up to look into her complaint.

"Disciplinary action will be taken against the guilty officials," he said.

Tamrongrat said the results of the latest review process should also be suspended.

According to the subcommission's Uttaradit branch, 13 teachers submitted their academic works for review in the province.

The review panel was made up of three members.

The panel examined works that had already passed an initial check by the teachers' immediate supervising units.

Of the teachers who submitted their works, only one got the approval. Another ended up in "improvement needed" category while the rest saw their works rejected outright.