BANGKOK — A Chinese-language billboard selling passports at the Huai Khwang intersection on Ratchadaphisek Road in Bangkok, which caused a stir on social media, has become a major problem that is being urgently investigated by state authorities.
On July 23, Pol. Lt. Gen. Thiti Saengsawang, chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, and Pol. Lt. Gen, Itthiphon Ittisarnronnachai, chief of the Immigration Bureau, ordered Ms. Xu Na, 35, a Chinese national, to be taken from her apartment in Huai Khwang district to the Immigration Bureau for interrogation. It turned out that she was the one who had commissioned the sign and placed the advertisement for the passport sales.
Ms. Xu Na told the investigation team that she had received the order from a company in Hong Kong. She did not know the name of the hiring company as they communicated through a Chinese application and added each other on application Line, which belonged to the person whose picture appeared on the sign.
They only talked about the cost, which was broken down into an operating fee of 150,000 baht per month for renting the sign and 60,000 baht for making the sign. She received a coordination fee of 500 USD or about 18,000 baht per sign.
Initially, the police accused her of being a foreigner working without a permit. The Metropolitan Police and the Immigration Department are now widening their investigation to identify the client.
At the same time, Mr. Paitoon Ngammook, Director of Huai Khwang District Office, visited the site to check the facts about the Chinese-language advertisement soliciting the buying and selling of passports and nationalities for court cases. The building was found to have posted the sign illegally, in violation of the Building Control Act and the Clean and Order Act, and a fine of 5,000 baht was imposed on the building owner.
In addition, the sign tax is taken into account, which is 50 baht per square centimeter, which amounts to a total of about 160,000 baht per year. In this case, however, only half of the tax was levied, namely 84,000 baht, as it was determined that the sign had only been erected for two days. The owner must pay this tax within 15 days.
From now on, the district office will strictly check the signs in the area, about 153 signs, to see if they violate regulations. They will also check the condition and structure of the signs for stability. If they are found to be unstable, they will no longer be allowed to display advertising.
Mr. Paitoon concluded that the issue of advertising for the purchase and sale of citizenship or passports should be left to the police to determine what offenses are involved. Originally, the sign did not announce the sale of Thai citizenship. The lender of the advertisement is a company owned by a Singaporean.
Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he had instructed the Ministry of Provincial Administration to coordinate with various agencies to not only follow up and take action on the shield issue but also on the illegal sale of passports.
He emphasized that the sale of passports of any country is illegal. It will also be investigated whether this is related to gray business groups or influential personalities using Thailand as a base for illegal activities, which need to be stamped out.
When asked if the problem will go away after public interest dies down, Mr. Anutin explained that it depends on the severity of enforcement. He mentioned the consistent crackdown on bars and drug enforcement and explained that these measures are not fleeting.
“I assure you that we do not discriminate against foreigners coming to Thailand, but we are against those who break our laws. We have to deal with criminals and expel them from the country. We help legal businessmen so that Thailand is safe and expands economically,” Anutin said.
Mr. Chaichana Detdecho, Chairman, House of Representatives Police Service Commission, noted that the sudden appearance of a signboard selling passports and offering citizenship services indicates that someone involved in the approval process must be held accountable. There is cause for concern about the oversight that allows such blatant advertising. The problem of gray Chinese investments infiltrating Thailand should not be overlooked.
“In addition to illegal businesses across the country, gray Chinese investment groups have occupied various areas to demonstrate their influence, especially in Huai Khwang district, which is becoming a base for these groups. The display of passport and citizenship changes in several countries is alarming and shows that Thailand is a hub for these illegal activities,” he added.
Mr. Akkaradech Wongpitakroj, Chairman of the House of Representatives Industry Committee, explained that the sign indicates a Chinese network involved in illegal activities related to foreigners in Thailand, affecting national security and increasing the influx of illegal Chinese workers, which in turn impacts Thai businesses and skilled workers.
“The Thai-Chinese visa-free agreement has a significant impact on Thai workers and businesses. Chinese are taking jobs away from Thais, especially in professions that are prohibited under labor law. I urge the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Labor to address this problem immediately,” he concluded.
________
Related articles:
