The Anti-Cheating Helmet

Seriously, I can't make this stuff up. I just received my newsletter from ThaiVisa.com in my inbox and this was the headlining article, courtesy of Coconuts Bangkok:

Bangkok university makes students wear anti-cheating helmet during mid-term exams
Followed by this picture and this story:

"In an effort to curb rampant cheating Bangkok's Kasetsart university has created an anti-deceit paper helmet for students to wear during their midterm exams.

The device, which resembles horse blinders made out of computer paper, was unofficially unveiled on an alumni Facebook page.

Shortly after being uploaded the photo was quickly taken down, but not before a loyal Coconuts reader Thanut Udomhirun captured a screenshot of the helmets in action.

Coconuts is still searching for more information on the helmet. It's not clear how many classes use the device or how long the university has taken such extreme measures. Thanut mentioned that in addition to the helmet, there were two versions of the test given out to students.

If you have any information on the helmet, please let us know via our Facebook page."

I tried to do some checking to see if the story was legit or satire. I had recently seen a similar picture posted also on Facebook, although I can't remember the context. I didn't find anything online in English to support or refute it's veracity, but I did find info indicating that apparently cheating is a very big problem in Thailand overall. Some speculate that the overcrowding in test-taking sites does nothing to discourage the problem. 

Either way, it gave me a good laugh. Again. Thailand's innovation at it's best? How do the proctors hand something like that out? And who assembles them? Things that make you go "hmmm?".