Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has directed an investigation into district chiefs and local administrative officials in Phuket and Surat Thani provinces following inspections at Freedom Beach in Phuket and Koh Phangan in Surat Thani.
Inspections Reveal Foreign Nominee Issues and Public Land Violations
Prime Minister and senior Interior Ministry officials conducted site visits on Wednesday to address complaints about foreign-controlled businesses operating via Thai nominees and encroachments on public land. During these checks, Anutin personally witnessed alleged violations and heard directly from residents who accused officials, police, and other agency personnel of involvement or negligence in allowing these illegal activities to persist.
Anutin summoned Department of Provincial Administration Director-General Narucha Kosacivilize post-inspection, ordering a thorough probe into why such practices continued unchecked in both provinces.
Financial Scrutiny via Anti-Money Laundering Mechanisms
The Prime Minister further tasked Narucha, who serves on the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) board, with deploying the agency’s tools to examine financial transactions of administrative officials and police in Phuket and Surat Thani. Authorities will pursue legal and disciplinary measures against any officials linked to foreign nominee networks or receiving illicit benefits.
Police Uncover Extensive Nominee Operations on Koh Phangan
Police Deputy Inspector-General and spokesman Pol Lt Gen Trairong Piwpan reported that probes on Koh Phangan identified 3,754 registered companies, including 2,381 with foreign shareholders. Investigators arrested two suspects acting as proxies and issued warrants for three others. They also seized 37 land title deeds valued at over 150 million baht tied to illegal nominee schemes designed to hide foreign ownership. Ongoing inquiries target potential involvement by law firms.
