Keskamol Pleansamai has reignited controversy over academic credentials claimed by many public figures in Thailand after topping last month’s Senate election vote.
One of 200 new senators, Keskamol is accused of earning her doctorate and professorship from an unaccredited American university and paying for her PhD dissertations.
The beauty industry mogul has dismissed the allegations as groundless and threatened to take legal action against her accusers.
Netizens have questioned the credibility of the political science doctorate and professorship in human resource development that she said were obtained from California University.
Keskamol last week produced a certificate indicating that California University Foreign Credentials Evaluation (CUFCE) granted her the “equivalency degree” on April 23 after she completed a doctorate validation process and evaluation exams.
Controversial institute
Its website states that CUFCE was established in August 2001 and “does not issue college degrees per se, but degree equivalency, which requires the same scope and breadth of knowledge as someone who has actually completed a nationally or regionally accredited college program.”
One of its stated missions is to validate foreign credentials and award the US equivalent of degrees, certificates, and diplomas.
“California University FCE is NOT a fake university,” declares the institution on its homepage.
In 2019, CUFCE made headlines in Thailand after then-deputy agriculture and cooperatives minister Thamanat Prompow proudly displayed his PhD certificate issued by the institute to prove he had obtained a doctorate degree.
California University FCE’s website lists Thamanat among over a dozen foreign government ministers awarded “PhD in Public Administration equivalency degrees”.
It goes on to claim that, “These were authenticated by the US Secretary of State and attested by their respective foreign Embassies in Washington DC. Their equivalency degrees were finally recognized by their respective Ministry of Higher Education.”
Under the microscope
No minimum educational credentials were required to enter the Senate election. However, Keskamol – or “Dr Kes” as she is known to colleagues and customers – included in her application that she is a professor in human resource development with a doctoral degree in political science.
The political debutant’s impressive academic claims quickly drew media attention after she topped the final, national-level poll with 79 votes while many veteran politicians and well-known figures fell short of the minimum 16 votes that secured a Senate seat.
Keskamol insisted that she had submitted five research papers to earn her impressive credentials, but this failed to quell the controversy.
Online detectives continued to dig into her academic past and question her English skills while observers pointed out that the penalty for fake academic claims is disqualification from the Senate.
Senator candidate Sonthiya Sawatdee on Friday petitioned the Election Commission (EC) to investigate if Keskamol had filed false information that helped her win the Senate seat.
Former election commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, who also failed to get elected in the Senate race, said the EC had the legal power to investigate and determine whether Keskamol intentionally provided false information about her academic background.
If found guilty, she could be disqualified, face a prison term of one to 10 years, and be banned from voting or contesting elections for 20 years.
Impressive credentials
Keskamol, 45, is a businesswoman who describes herself as a medical expert in beauty. Dubbed “Angel Doctor” thanks to her good looks, she has built up a large social media presence, with 134,000 followers on Facebook, 200,000 on TikTok, and 287,000 on Instagram.
She owns four beauty-oriented companies – Keskamol Dental Clinic, Keskamol Clinic Intergroup, Inter Derma Laboratory, and Medical Pharma – with a combined revenue of 62.6 million baht last year.
Her CV includes a bachelor’s degree in medicine from Rangsit University, a master’s in organisational management from Krirk University, and a doctorate in resource management and development from Maejo University in Chiang Mai.
She also lists the following overseas credentials: associate professor of business administration and professor in human resource development from California University, honorary doctorate from UIPM University International, and a certificate in aesthetic medicine from the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine.
Keskamol complained the controversy over her educational background had caused her mental and physical distress.
She said the accusations had also taken a toll on her parents, with her mother suffering from cardiac arrhythmia and her father from coronary artery disease.
By Thai PBS World’s Political Desk
