The Department of Local Administration terminated the employment of 3,868 officials nationwide on Monday, suspecting them of rigging their recruitment examination results late last year.
Nirat Pongsitthaworn, deputy permanent secretary for interior and acting director-general of the department, said the dismissal of the officials was the decision of committees supervising local administrative officials in 76 provinces.
The 3,868 officials were among 5,925 people who sat the local government entry examination late last year whose exam scores were altered to give them jobs at local administrative offices nationwide.
The sacked officials had been recruited, and the remainder had not, Mr Nirat said.
He acknowledged that about 140 of the sacked officials had resigned but said their resignations would have no effect on legal action against them.
Mr Nirat said that reserve candidates would replace the sacked officials in October.
The mass dismissal resulted from an investigation that exposed a network of corrupt officials who demanded bribes totalling billions of baht from candidates in exchange for rigging their results to ensure they got their desired positions in the Department of Local Administration.
Bribes reportedly ranged from 350,000 to 800,000 baht each depending on the level of the position. About 480,000 people sat in exam.