PHUKET — The Department of Special Investigation (DSI), in cooperation with the Immigration Police, Tourist Police and other authorities in Phuket, raided three businesses allegedly run by foreigners. These companies are suspected of running illegal activities under the guise of legal businesses.
Mr. Thaveewat Surasit, Director of the DSI’s Security Cases Division, explained that the joint operation targeted three locations for which the authorities had search warrants. The aim was to investigate individuals and intermediaries involved in registering businesses for foreigners.
“The purpose of enforcing the law is to prevent foreigners from exploiting loopholes in the law and at the same time to ensure that the law does not have a negative impact on investment. The aim is to attract beneficial investors into the country while excluding those who cause harm. Phuket is a critical area in this regard,” he said at the meeting.
As a result, officials from the Department of Tourism, the Department of Enterprise Development, the Tourist Police, the Immigration Police, the Phuket Police and the Institute of Forensic Science conducted simultaneous searches at the businesses concerned. The main aim was to collect data in order to take legal action in connection with foreigners’ businesses.
The first two locations were in Golden View Village, The Splash Courting, Kathu District, Phuket. The first company was Phuket Best Accounting Co., Ltd. at 9/511, and the second was a two-story building at 9/484. Records for Russian, Pakistani and Indian nationals with financial transactions totaling 200-300 million baht were seized at both locations.
The third location was a residential house in Rock Garden Village, Ratsada Subdistrict, Mueang Phuket District.
The investigations into these suspicious groups have been a special case for the DSI since the end of last year. The financial data points to two main groups: Europeans, mainly Russians, and another group consisting of Pakistanis and Indians. The Russian group is mainly active in the real estate and hotel business, while the Pakistani and Indian groups focus on restaurants. According to the files, only a few Thais are involved.
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