Thai authorities have carried out a large-scale operation against companies controlled by foreign nationals through Thai nominees in Krabi province, resulting in the arrest of 18 people.
On 30 October, the immigration police of the province of Krabi, under the authority of Pol. Lt. Col. Dusit Jitkhunthod, conducted a coordinated operation targeting five companies suspected of being nominee structures in the Ao Nang district of Krabi.
Among the targeted establishments is notably the « Whoopers Hostel », an establishment from the Indian chain of the same name. This hostel, located in Ao Nang, fully adopts the theme of the famous Netflix series La Casa de Papel, with immersive interiors inspired by the fiction.
Investigations revealed that foreign nationals, primarily Indians and Burmese, were using Thai citizens to hold shares in their name, thereby circumventing legislation on foreign ownership.
In total, 26 people were the subject of arrest warrants issued by the Krabi provincial court: five Indians, two Burmese and nineteen Thais. Eighteen suspects were apprehended, including five Indians, two Burmese and eleven Thais. Eight people remain at large.
"This operation results from close cooperation between several services and the use of the Immigration's digital tools to cross-reference data and identify links between the individuals involved," said the spokesman for Immigration Division 6, Pol. Col. Charoenpong Khantilo.
The authorities stated that this action was part of a strengthened national policy to combat illegal schemes allowing foreigners to circumvent restrictions on economic activity in Thailand.
