Thailand grapples with a national research integrity crisis as global paper-mill networks outpace legitimate science
A surge in sophisticated paper-mill activity is reshaping academic publishing worldwide, with Thailand already facing direct consequences. New analysis suggests fraudulent submissions are rising faster than genuine research output, signaling urgent reforms to protect national research priorities and university advancement. Authorities report domestic networks selling manuscripts have led to dismissals across multiple universities, underscoring the need for stronger detection and governance in Thai higher education.
Researchers mapped extensive patterns of fraud across journals, editor clusters, and image manipulation to show how counterfeit studies move through the system. They describe editorial hubs that process large shares of problematic papers and note that mills migrate to new venues when journals tighten controls. A senior researcher from a leading university warned that the scientific enterprise must police itself more effectively to prevent long-term damage to knowledge, as highlighted by independent reporting.