Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered an urgent investigation into local officials in Phuket and Surat Thani provinces over alleged involvement in foreign nominee businesses, illegal land encroachment and other unlawful activities in major tourist areas.
The order followed inspections by the prime minister and senior Interior Ministry officials at Freedom Beach in Phuket and Koh Phangan in Surat Thani on Wednesday. Authorities examined complaints about foreign-controlled businesses operating through Thai nominees and the encroachment of public land.
According to a Government House source, Mr Anutin, also the interior minister, summoned Department of Provincial Administration director-general Narucha Kosacivilize after the visits and instructed him to probe district chiefs and local administrative officials in both provinces over why such activities had been allowed to continue.
The source added that Mr Anutin personally observed alleged violations during the inspections and received complaints from residents claiming that officials, police officers and personnel from other agencies were either involved in or had turned a blind eye to illegal activity.
The prime minister also instructed Mr Narucha, who serves ex officio on the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) board, to use the agency’s mechanisms to scrutinise the financial transactions of administrative officials and police officers in Phuket and Surat Thani. Any links to foreign nominee networks or illicit benefits would result in legal and disciplinary action, the source said.
Police deputy inspector-general and spokesman Pol Lt Gen Trairong Piwpan said investigations on Koh Phangan had identified 3,754 registered companies, of which 2,381 involved foreign shareholders. Two suspects have been arrested and warrants issued for three others acting as proxies.
Authorities also seized 37 land title deeds linked to illegal nominees, worth more than 150 million baht, as part of the probe into nominee structures and schemes to conceal foreign ownership. Investigators are also examining possible complicity by law firms.
